Narrative:

While working the position, 2 aircraft appeared to have less than appropriate separation. Aircraft #1 was put on a vector to go behind aircraft #2. I became distraction by resequencing strips and discussing a new arrival sequence to the airport. I was attempting to modify the scratch pad entry on aircraft #2 arriving to pbi runway 13. The new equipment is very cumbersome at this point because there is no standard procedure as of yet due to the fact ARTS iie was recently brought on line at pbi and is still in operational readiness demonstration. The data entries are also very different from the previous ARTS program. I was also consumed with the fact my annual leave had been disapproved, but the supervisor had managed to approve someone else's leave. This upset me tremendously. Conflict alert was activated but did not aural alarm. Neither the supervisor nor myself heard this alarm. The conflict alert appears to have been activated after separation was lost. It must be noted that this new ARTS (ARTS iie) is still in ord and has not been certified. There are many problems including erroneous altitude readouts and target jumps.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TRACON APCH CTLR ASSUMES, BUT DOES NOT ENSURE, ISSUED VECTOR HDGS WILL PROVIDE SEPARATION BTWN BE58 AND HS25. COMPUTER DETECTS LOSS OF SEPARATION.

Narrative: WHILE WORKING THE POS, 2 ACFT APPEARED TO HAVE LESS THAN APPROPRIATE SEPARATION. ACFT #1 WAS PUT ON A VECTOR TO GO BEHIND ACFT #2. I BECAME DISTR BY RESEQUENCING STRIPS AND DISCUSSING A NEW ARR SEQUENCE TO THE ARPT. I WAS ATTEMPTING TO MODIFY THE SCRATCH PAD ENTRY ON ACFT #2 ARRIVING TO PBI RWY 13. THE NEW EQUIP IS VERY CUMBERSOME AT THIS POINT BECAUSE THERE IS NO STANDARD PROC AS OF YET DUE TO THE FACT ARTS IIE WAS RECENTLY BROUGHT ON LINE AT PBI AND IS STILL IN OPERATIONAL READINESS DEMONSTRATION. THE DATA ENTRIES ARE ALSO VERY DIFFERENT FROM THE PREVIOUS ARTS PROGRAM. I WAS ALSO CONSUMED WITH THE FACT MY ANNUAL LEAVE HAD BEEN DISAPPROVED, BUT THE SUPVR HAD MANAGED TO APPROVE SOMEONE ELSE'S LEAVE. THIS UPSET ME TREMENDOUSLY. CONFLICT ALERT WAS ACTIVATED BUT DID NOT AURAL ALARM. NEITHER THE SUPVR NOR MYSELF HEARD THIS ALARM. THE CONFLICT ALERT APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN ACTIVATED AFTER SEPARATION WAS LOST. IT MUST BE NOTED THAT THIS NEW ARTS (ARTS IIE) IS STILL IN ORD AND HAS NOT BEEN CERTIFIED. THERE ARE MANY PROBS INCLUDING ERRONEOUS ALT READOUTS AND TARGET JUMPS.

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.