Narrative:

Dab has had 4 total power failures resulting in total shutdown of the facility. No radar, frequencys, or phones. On aug/xx/97 while installing temporary air conditioners in tower cabin attendant, the hired electricians were not briefed properly on our power system causing a total power loss. On jul/xa/97 and aug/xb/97 and aug/xc/97 while technicians attempted to work on the uninterrupted power supply, in doing so they have caused total power failures. If the loss of radar and frequencys and phones weren't enough. Our facility has only 2 PET2000's (emergency backup transmitters). 1 is located in the tower to cover 7 frequencys and 1 in the TRACON to handle 13 frequencys. Only 1 frequency can be used on any one PET2000. So far, to our knowledge, no loss of separation has occurred but with so many outages in a short period of time our luck may not hold up. There are 3 more PET2000's in the facility awaiting installation but they are having a problem with antenna sites. Our old battery system should have not been removed until those problems were fixed. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that they did not have any problems with uninterrupted power supplies until an air conditioning unit was installed in the tower. Reporter alleges the electrician was unaware of the facility uninterrupted power supply equipment or the wiring for the air conditioning unit would have been done differently. Reporter said that in 1 outage the only phone available to other facilities regarding traffic was reporter's cellular phone. Analyst learned the following from a follow-up callback by reporter: the uninterrupted power supply has been fixed. The antennas for the backup transmitters will be installed according to the manufacturer's schedule which is reported to be in september. Reporter learned after returning from a vacation, that the facility had a recent radar outage for 3 hours when the standby generator did not work. A technician had to be called out to go to the site some 9 mi from the facility before the problem was corrected and the radar was restored.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR SIT OF 4 COMPLETE FACILITY PWR FAILURES INCLUDING RADAR, RADIOS, AND TELEPHONES WHILE TECHNICIANS ATTEMPTED TO WORK ON THE UNINTERRUPTED PWR SUPPLY. RPTR STATES THAT OF THE NEW EMER BACKUP XMITTERS AVAILABLE, ONE IS IN THE TWR AND THE OTHER IN THE TRACON WITH ONLY 1 FREQ EACH USABLE UNTIL ANTENNAS ARE INSTALLED.

Narrative: DAB HAS HAD 4 TOTAL PWR FAILURES RESULTING IN TOTAL SHUTDOWN OF THE FACILITY. NO RADAR, FREQS, OR PHONES. ON AUG/XX/97 WHILE INSTALLING TEMPORARY AIR CONDITIONERS IN TWR CAB, THE HIRED ELECTRICIANS WERE NOT BRIEFED PROPERLY ON OUR PWR SYS CAUSING A TOTAL PWR LOSS. ON JUL/XA/97 AND AUG/XB/97 AND AUG/XC/97 WHILE TECHNICIANS ATTEMPTED TO WORK ON THE UNINTERRUPTED PWR SUPPLY, IN DOING SO THEY HAVE CAUSED TOTAL PWR FAILURES. IF THE LOSS OF RADAR AND FREQS AND PHONES WEREN'T ENOUGH. OUR FACILITY HAS ONLY 2 PET2000'S (EMER BACKUP XMITTERS). 1 IS LOCATED IN THE TWR TO COVER 7 FREQS AND 1 IN THE TRACON TO HANDLE 13 FREQS. ONLY 1 FREQ CAN BE USED ON ANY ONE PET2000. SO FAR, TO OUR KNOWLEDGE, NO LOSS OF SEPARATION HAS OCCURRED BUT WITH SO MANY OUTAGES IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME OUR LUCK MAY NOT HOLD UP. THERE ARE 3 MORE PET2000'S IN THE FACILITY AWAITING INSTALLATION BUT THEY ARE HAVING A PROB WITH ANTENNA SITES. OUR OLD BATTERY SYS SHOULD HAVE NOT BEEN REMOVED UNTIL THOSE PROBS WERE FIXED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE ANY PROBS WITH UNINTERRUPTED PWR SUPPLIES UNTIL AN AIR CONDITIONING UNIT WAS INSTALLED IN THE TWR. RPTR ALLEGES THE ELECTRICIAN WAS UNAWARE OF THE FACILITY UNINTERRUPTED PWR SUPPLY EQUIP OR THE WIRING FOR THE AIR CONDITIONING UNIT WOULD HAVE BEEN DONE DIFFERENTLY. RPTR SAID THAT IN 1 OUTAGE THE ONLY PHONE AVAILABLE TO OTHER FACILITIES REGARDING TFC WAS RPTR'S CELLULAR PHONE. ANALYST LEARNED THE FOLLOWING FROM A FOLLOW-UP CALLBACK BY RPTR: THE UNINTERRUPTED PWR SUPPLY HAS BEEN FIXED. THE ANTENNAS FOR THE BACKUP XMITTERS WILL BE INSTALLED ACCORDING TO THE MANUFACTURER'S SCHEDULE WHICH IS RPTED TO BE IN SEPTEMBER. RPTR LEARNED AFTER RETURNING FROM A VACATION, THAT THE FACILITY HAD A RECENT RADAR OUTAGE FOR 3 HRS WHEN THE STANDBY GENERATOR DID NOT WORK. A TECHNICIAN HAD TO BE CALLED OUT TO GO TO THE SITE SOME 9 MI FROM THE FACILITY BEFORE THE PROB WAS CORRECTED AND THE RADAR WAS RESTORED.

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.