<< >> NASA ASRS Report 405989, June 1998

Reporter claims maintenance technicians remove navaids, ARTS, and other equipment OTS without coordination with the ATC facility.

Attributes
ACN	405989
Time
Date	199806
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lex
State Reference	KY
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	oversight : supervisor
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller military : 4 controller radar : 13 controller supervisory : 10
ASRS Report	405989
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
ATC Facility	other physical facility procedure or policy : unspecified
Navigational Aid	Unspecified

Narrative:

The airways facility sector at lexington, ky, took the fft VOR OTS for maintenance without coordination with the watch supervisor on duty. This created a safety problem for aircraft that were using that NAVAID. This is a common occurrence at lex tower and approach. Airway facilities take down equipment without coordination with air traffic all the time, including the ARTS computer. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter, a supervisor, said the technicians at lex approach have been told by their chief to just take the equipment if they have to work on it. As far as traffic is concerned, the supervisor said, the airways facilities people just don't care. The air traffic chief has been involved in some serious personal problems for the last 2 yrs and, according to the supervisor, he doesn't seem to care about running the facility or the relationship with airways facilities management. Lex approach is a 24 hour facility, however the approximately 18 technicians only work a single shift.

Related reports:

• ATC equipment problem BRITE radar scope failure. Maintenance...

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR CLAIMS MAINT TECHNICIANS REMOVE NAVAIDS, ARTS, AND OTHER EQUIP OTS WITHOUT COORD WITH THE ATC FACILITY.

Narrative: THE AIRWAYS FACILITY SECTOR AT LEXINGTON, KY, TOOK THE FFT VOR OTS FOR MAINT WITHOUT COORD WITH THE WATCH SUPVR ON DUTY. THIS CREATED A SAFETY PROB FOR ACFT THAT WERE USING THAT NAVAID. THIS IS A COMMON OCCURRENCE AT LEX TWR AND APCH. AIRWAY FACILITIES TAKE DOWN EQUIP WITHOUT COORD WITH AIR TFC ALL THE TIME, INCLUDING THE ARTS COMPUTER. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR, A SUPVR, SAID THE TECHNICIANS AT LEX APCH HAVE BEEN TOLD BY THEIR CHIEF TO JUST TAKE THE EQUIP IF THEY HAVE TO WORK ON IT. AS FAR AS TFC IS CONCERNED, THE SUPVR SAID, THE AIRWAYS FACILITIES PEOPLE JUST DON'T CARE. THE AIR TFC CHIEF HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN SOME SERIOUS PERSONAL PROBS FOR THE LAST 2 YRS AND, ACCORDING TO THE SUPVR, HE DOESN'T SEEM TO CARE ABOUT RUNNING THE FACILITY OR THE RELATIONSHIP WITH AIRWAYS FACILITIES MGMNT. LEX APCH IS A 24 HR FACILITY, HOWEVER THE APPROX 18 TECHNICIANS ONLY WORK A SINGLE SHIFT.

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.