Tower and approach control facilities at roc lost most ATC receivers due to unknown static source.

Attributes
ACN	401544
Time
Date	199805
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : roc
State Reference	NY
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : roc
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : clearance delivery controller : flight data
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller radar : 11
ASRS Report	401544
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

At XA06Z, on may/mon/98, rochester ATCT and approach had a failure of nearly all radio receivers used in the separation of air traffic in approach, departure and tower airspace. The static of unknown origin rendered most frequencys unusable. The failure lasted until XA40Z, a total of 34 mins. Technicians were unable to locate the cause of the interference when it stopped. Several aircraft were affected by the problem. Some were on the movement area in taxi, and others were in-flight in roc airspace. Fortunately, no incidents or loss of separation occurred before backup gonsets could be used.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TWR AND APCH CTL FACILITIES AT ROC LOST MOST ATC RECEIVERS DUE TO UNKNOWN STATIC SOURCE.

Narrative: AT XA06Z, ON MAY/MON/98, ROCHESTER ATCT AND APCH HAD A FAILURE OF NEARLY ALL RADIO RECEIVERS USED IN THE SEPARATION OF AIR TFC IN APCH, DEP AND TWR AIRSPACE. THE STATIC OF UNKNOWN ORIGIN RENDERED MOST FREQS UNUSABLE. THE FAILURE LASTED UNTIL XA40Z, A TOTAL OF 34 MINS. TECHNICIANS WERE UNABLE TO LOCATE THE CAUSE OF THE INTERFERENCE WHEN IT STOPPED. SEVERAL ACFT WERE AFFECTED BY THE PROB. SOME WERE ON THE MOVEMENT AREA IN TAXI, AND OTHERS WERE INFLT IN ROC AIRSPACE. FORTUNATELY, NO INCIDENTS OR LOSS OF SEPARATION OCCURRED BEFORE BACKUP GONSETS COULD BE USED.

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.