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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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Reporter claims ASR-9 radar has numerous false returns. Admits complacency among some controllers due to the false returns. Claims complacency could have caused a midair between a B737 and a C172. Reporter states airways facilities' reply to false targets are bird migration.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 354848 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199612 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : bna |
| State Reference | TN |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : dec |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Make Model Name | Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | other : unknown |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : approach |
| Qualification | controller : radar pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Experience | controller non radar : 2 controller radar : 13 flight time total : 5000 |
| ASRS Report | 354848 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : unable |
| Consequence | faa : investigated |
| Supplementary | |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
The ASR-9 radar has numerous false returns. It has increased controller workload for issuing traffic that usually does not exist. This is resulting in a complacency among some controllers to not issue some primary traffic. This complacency could have resulted in a midair between a B737 and a primary only C172. Numerous complaints to management have gone unheeded in reference to the false targets. Airways facilities' reply to the false targets are bird migration. As a migratory bird hunter we at bna are not in the flyways. Is it going to take a midair to fix the false primary problems with the ASR-9? We need some type of help.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: RPTR CLAIMS ASR-9 RADAR HAS NUMEROUS FALSE RETURNS. ADMITS COMPLACENCY AMONG SOME CTLRS DUE TO THE FALSE RETURNS. CLAIMS COMPLACENCY COULD HAVE CAUSED A MIDAIR BTWN A B737 AND A C172. RPTR STATES AIRWAYS FACILITIES' REPLY TO FALSE TARGETS ARE BIRD MIGRATION.
Narrative: THE ASR-9 RADAR HAS NUMEROUS FALSE RETURNS. IT HAS INCREASED CTLR WORKLOAD FOR ISSUING TFC THAT USUALLY DOES NOT EXIST. THIS IS RESULTING IN A COMPLACENCY AMONG SOME CTLRS TO NOT ISSUE SOME PRIMARY TFC. THIS COMPLACENCY COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A MIDAIR BTWN A B737 AND A PRIMARY ONLY C172. NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS TO MGMNT HAVE GONE UNHEEDED IN REF TO THE FALSE TARGETS. AIRWAYS FACILITIES' REPLY TO THE FALSE TARGETS ARE BIRD MIGRATION. AS A MIGRATORY BIRD HUNTER WE AT BNA ARE NOT IN THE FLYWAYS. IS IT GOING TO TAKE A MIDAIR TO FIX THE FALSE PRIMARY PROBS WITH THE ASR-9? WE NEED SOME TYPE OF HELP.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.