Narrative:

At approximately XA00 local, aug/xx/97, the radar scope at the seall position in the islip sector at the new york TRACON was reported to be unusable by the controller working the position, due to the radar display 'spasming' and distorting. The airways facilities technicians arrived in the sector promptly, and began running diagnostic checks of the radar scope. The airways facilities technicians found a printed circuit board which had gone bad. They went to their stock room and got a replacement printed circuit board, which they had recently received from the repair contractor, and was still in the sealed container. When they installed this 'new' printed circuit board, they discovered that the original problem with the printed circuit board was still there! Whatever repairs the contractor made did not fix the problem that the new york TRACON airways facilities technicians had originally idented. The airways facilities technicians were forced to cannibalize from another radar scope in order to return this one to operational service.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE RADAR SCOPE BECAME UNUSABLE AT THE POS. TECHNICIANS REPLACED A PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD WITH A REBUILT BOARD. THE REBUILT BOARD DID NOT WORK.

Narrative: AT APPROX XA00 LCL, AUG/XX/97, THE RADAR SCOPE AT THE SEALL POS IN THE ISLIP SECTOR AT THE NEW YORK TRACON WAS RPTED TO BE UNUSABLE BY THE CTLR WORKING THE POS, DUE TO THE RADAR DISPLAY 'SPASMING' AND DISTORTING. THE AIRWAYS FACILITIES TECHNICIANS ARRIVED IN THE SECTOR PROMPTLY, AND BEGAN RUNNING DIAGNOSTIC CHKS OF THE RADAR SCOPE. THE AIRWAYS FACILITIES TECHNICIANS FOUND A PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD WHICH HAD GONE BAD. THEY WENT TO THEIR STOCK ROOM AND GOT A REPLACEMENT PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD, WHICH THEY HAD RECENTLY RECEIVED FROM THE REPAIR CONTRACTOR, AND WAS STILL IN THE SEALED CONTAINER. WHEN THEY INSTALLED THIS 'NEW' PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD, THEY DISCOVERED THAT THE ORIGINAL PROB WITH THE PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD WAS STILL THERE! WHATEVER REPAIRS THE CONTRACTOR MADE DID NOT FIX THE PROB THAT THE NEW YORK TRACON AIRWAYS FACILITIES TECHNICIANS HAD ORIGINALLY IDENTED. THE AIRWAYS FACILITIES TECHNICIANS WERE FORCED TO CANNIBALIZE FROM ANOTHER RADAR SCOPE IN ORDER TO RETURN THIS ONE TO OPERATIONAL SVC.

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.