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Maui ATCT occasionally unable to pick up data blocks on traffic handed off to them by approach control.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 404090 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199806 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : ogg |
| State Reference | HI |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 1500 msl bound upper : 1500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : ogg tower : ogg |
| Operator | common carrier : air taxi |
| Make Model Name | Helicopter |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 135 |
| Flight Phase | cruise other descent : approach |
| Route In Use | enroute : direct enroute airway : ogg |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | DC-9 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Route In Use | arrival other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | other personnel other |
| Experience | controller non radar : 15 controller radar : 15 flight time total : 400 |
| ASRS Report | 404090 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | oversight : supervisor |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | atc equipment other atc equipment : unspecified other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
Atx X, an AS50 helicopter, called maui ATCT for a transition wbound from the lighthouse 7 mi northeast of kahului airport. Since the tour helicopters usually call maui approach located at the honolulu cerap first and receive radar contact and then the radar identify is transferred to maui ATCT via the quick look/modify function, both myself and the operational supervisor (who was signed on and working local control) looked for this aircraft's radar target, there was none. Thinking that the pilot had called directly to maui ATCT, a randomly generated code from maui ATCT code blocks was attempted, an error message was received indicating that a data block already existed for this helicopter. At about this same time the pilot said he had been switched from approach, both of us looked and no data block existed, but this time we noticed a primary target at the approximately location and possibly a secondary target, but due to the closeness to the radar antenna it was hard to tell if it was a secondary radar slash. I called maui approach on the landline and asked if they had a target, they said yes they had a full data block with the target and then a short time later stated it switched from their control symbol (an 'north') to maui ATCT symbol (an 'O'). All this time no display on maui ATCT radar scope. The xfer of radar identify was correct on the controller's scope. This aircraft transition through maui ATCT airspace but the xfer of radar identify had never been accomplished as per the documented procedure. Also during this time the second aircraft, air carrier Y, a DC9, was 7-8 mi south with only the 'north' symbol displayed, upon slew to the target and entering the associated data block was displayed.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: MAUI ATCT OCCASIONALLY UNABLE TO PICK UP DATA BLOCKS ON TFC HANDED OFF TO THEM BY APCH CTL.
Narrative: ATX X, AN AS50 HELI, CALLED MAUI ATCT FOR A TRANSITION WBOUND FROM THE LIGHTHOUSE 7 MI NE OF KAHULUI ARPT. SINCE THE TOUR HELIS USUALLY CALL MAUI APCH LOCATED AT THE HONOLULU CERAP FIRST AND RECEIVE RADAR CONTACT AND THEN THE RADAR IDENT IS TRANSFERRED TO MAUI ATCT VIA THE QUICK LOOK/MODIFY FUNCTION, BOTH MYSELF AND THE OPERATIONAL SUPVR (WHO WAS SIGNED ON AND WORKING LCL CTL) LOOKED FOR THIS ACFT'S RADAR TARGET, THERE WAS NONE. THINKING THAT THE PLT HAD CALLED DIRECTLY TO MAUI ATCT, A RANDOMLY GENERATED CODE FROM MAUI ATCT CODE BLOCKS WAS ATTEMPTED, AN ERROR MESSAGE WAS RECEIVED INDICATING THAT A DATA BLOCK ALREADY EXISTED FOR THIS HELI. AT ABOUT THIS SAME TIME THE PLT SAID HE HAD BEEN SWITCHED FROM APCH, BOTH OF US LOOKED AND NO DATA BLOCK EXISTED, BUT THIS TIME WE NOTICED A PRIMARY TARGET AT THE APPROX LOCATION AND POSSIBLY A SECONDARY TARGET, BUT DUE TO THE CLOSENESS TO THE RADAR ANTENNA IT WAS HARD TO TELL IF IT WAS A SECONDARY RADAR SLASH. I CALLED MAUI APCH ON THE LANDLINE AND ASKED IF THEY HAD A TARGET, THEY SAID YES THEY HAD A FULL DATA BLOCK WITH THE TARGET AND THEN A SHORT TIME LATER STATED IT SWITCHED FROM THEIR CTL SYMBOL (AN 'N') TO MAUI ATCT SYMBOL (AN 'O'). ALL THIS TIME NO DISPLAY ON MAUI ATCT RADAR SCOPE. THE XFER OF RADAR IDENT WAS CORRECT ON THE CTLR'S SCOPE. THIS ACFT TRANSITION THROUGH MAUI ATCT AIRSPACE BUT THE XFER OF RADAR IDENT HAD NEVER BEEN ACCOMPLISHED AS PER THE DOCUMENTED PROC. ALSO DURING THIS TIME THE SECOND ACFT, ACR Y, A DC9, WAS 7-8 MI S WITH ONLY THE 'N' SYMBOL DISPLAYED, UPON SLEW TO THE TARGET AND ENTERING THE ASSOCIATED DATA BLOCK WAS DISPLAYED.
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.