Narrative:

On the morning of aug/xa/97 I was assigned an opening shift for the gregg county tower/longview approach control facility. When I started to open the facility, I discovered that the only operational piece of equipment was the outside telephone, and a portable radio. All concerned were notified and the tower/approach did not open at XA00 am. Airways facilities were concerned with a new facility generator and had stayed up all night with the installation which was 1 month past date of completion. We could have opened as a VFR tower but our portable radios do not have an outside/external antenna to plug in to. A supervisor showed up and agreed to my course of action. The pps and manager showed up and ordered our facility open even though maintenance personnel couldn't solve a continuing cascade failure throughout our computer, radio, landline, radar, d-brite equipment. I think we should have a minimum list of equipment outage for service provided.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: IT WAS ALLEGED BY THE RPTR THAT THE FACILITY MGR ORDERED THE FACILITY OPEN WITH ONLY AN OUTSIDE PHONE AND A PORTABLE RADIO WITHOUT AN EXTERNAL ANTENNA. FACILITY EXPERIENCED AN EQUIP OUTAGE DUE TO A MAINT INSTALLATION PROB WITH A NEW GENERATOR.

Narrative: ON THE MORNING OF AUG/XA/97 I WAS ASSIGNED AN OPENING SHIFT FOR THE GREGG COUNTY TWR/LONGVIEW APCH CTL FACILITY. WHEN I STARTED TO OPEN THE FACILITY, I DISCOVERED THAT THE ONLY OPERATIONAL PIECE OF EQUIP WAS THE OUTSIDE TELEPHONE, AND A PORTABLE RADIO. ALL CONCERNED WERE NOTIFIED AND THE TWR/APCH DID NOT OPEN AT XA00 AM. AIRWAYS FACILITIES WERE CONCERNED WITH A NEW FACILITY GENERATOR AND HAD STAYED UP ALL NIGHT WITH THE INSTALLATION WHICH WAS 1 MONTH PAST DATE OF COMPLETION. WE COULD HAVE OPENED AS A VFR TWR BUT OUR PORTABLE RADIOS DO NOT HAVE AN OUTSIDE/EXTERNAL ANTENNA TO PLUG IN TO. A SUPVR SHOWED UP AND AGREED TO MY COURSE OF ACTION. THE PPS AND MGR SHOWED UP AND ORDERED OUR FACILITY OPEN EVEN THOUGH MAINT PERSONNEL COULDN'T SOLVE A CONTINUING CASCADE FAILURE THROUGHOUT OUR COMPUTER, RADIO, LANDLINE, RADAR, D-BRITE EQUIP. I THINK WE SHOULD HAVE A MINIMUM LIST OF EQUIP OUTAGE FOR SVC PROVIDED.

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.