Narrative:

I work at dtw ATC tower. There are several equipment problems that have been reported, but not corrected. We have a 'conflict alert feature' on the radar. We continuously get alerts between aircraft on the ground and aircraft on final. This disrupts traffic. It blocks my radar screen with unnecessary data. It causes a safety problem when I cannot see the radar targets. This has been ongoing for over 4 yrs. Also, our emergency frequency for 119.45 blocks out other frequencys when it is keyed up. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that the problem with the false alerts still exists. Asked if it was all of the time. He said no it wasn't, maybe 4 or 5 times a day, but not every day. Asked to verify how long this has been going on. He said about 4 yrs. He also said that they seemed to fix it about 1 1/2 yrs ago. Then it started up again. He said he has submitted a ucr. He also stated that the previous maintenance person that fixed it the last time is no longer there, and doesn't feel the present people really know what they are doing. He did say that he's the only one that seems to be pursuing this, most of the work force doesn't believe it's a problem. Asked what type of radar the facility has, mode south or ARTS 3A. He said he doesn't know. I mentioned about the fixes that other facilities have tried. He said he was unaware of any of these fixes. Asked what is management saying. He said they keep telling him that they're working on it. Asked about the frequency problem. Reporter stated that the emergency frequency antenna is on the tower roof next to the other antennas. The backup frequency is their ground control east. When they key it, it blocks out the other frequencys. Asked how many times does this happen. Reporter said they have never had to use it in a real backup situation, so far. His concern is, in the event they may have to use it, then the problem is there. Asked what management is saying. Reporter stated they have started to implement a plan to relocate the said antenna to another site.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR COMPLAINED ABOUT FALSE ALERTS GENERATED BY THEIR CONFLICT ALERT SYS, WHICH HE SAYS IS INTERFERING WITH HIS RADAR. RPTR ALSO STATES THIS HAS BEEN A PROB FOR MANY YRS. RPTR ALSO RPTED THAT THEIR EMER XMITTER ON ONE OF THE TWR FREQS BLOCKS OUT OTHER FREQS.

Narrative: I WORK AT DTW ATC TWR. THERE ARE SEVERAL EQUIP PROBS THAT HAVE BEEN RPTED, BUT NOT CORRECTED. WE HAVE A 'CONFLICT ALERT FEATURE' ON THE RADAR. WE CONTINUOUSLY GET ALERTS BTWN ACFT ON THE GND AND ACFT ON FINAL. THIS DISRUPTS TFC. IT BLOCKS MY RADAR SCREEN WITH UNNECESSARY DATA. IT CAUSES A SAFETY PROB WHEN I CANNOT SEE THE RADAR TARGETS. THIS HAS BEEN ONGOING FOR OVER 4 YRS. ALSO, OUR EMER FREQ FOR 119.45 BLOCKS OUT OTHER FREQS WHEN IT IS KEYED UP. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THE PROB WITH THE FALSE ALERTS STILL EXISTS. ASKED IF IT WAS ALL OF THE TIME. HE SAID NO IT WASN'T, MAYBE 4 OR 5 TIMES A DAY, BUT NOT EVERY DAY. ASKED TO VERIFY HOW LONG THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON. HE SAID ABOUT 4 YRS. HE ALSO SAID THAT THEY SEEMED TO FIX IT ABOUT 1 1/2 YRS AGO. THEN IT STARTED UP AGAIN. HE SAID HE HAS SUBMITTED A UCR. HE ALSO STATED THAT THE PREVIOUS MAINT PERSON THAT FIXED IT THE LAST TIME IS NO LONGER THERE, AND DOESN'T FEEL THE PRESENT PEOPLE REALLY KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING. HE DID SAY THAT HE'S THE ONLY ONE THAT SEEMS TO BE PURSUING THIS, MOST OF THE WORK FORCE DOESN'T BELIEVE IT'S A PROB. ASKED WHAT TYPE OF RADAR THE FACILITY HAS, MODE S OR ARTS 3A. HE SAID HE DOESN'T KNOW. I MENTIONED ABOUT THE FIXES THAT OTHER FACILITIES HAVE TRIED. HE SAID HE WAS UNAWARE OF ANY OF THESE FIXES. ASKED WHAT IS MGMNT SAYING. HE SAID THEY KEEP TELLING HIM THAT THEY'RE WORKING ON IT. ASKED ABOUT THE FREQ PROB. RPTR STATED THAT THE EMER FREQ ANTENNA IS ON THE TWR ROOF NEXT TO THE OTHER ANTENNAS. THE BACKUP FREQ IS THEIR GND CTL EAST. WHEN THEY KEY IT, IT BLOCKS OUT THE OTHER FREQS. ASKED HOW MANY TIMES DOES THIS HAPPEN. RPTR SAID THEY HAVE NEVER HAD TO USE IT IN A REAL BACKUP SIT, SO FAR. HIS CONCERN IS, IN THE EVENT THEY MAY HAVE TO USE IT, THEN THE PROB IS THERE. ASKED WHAT MGMNT IS SAYING. RPTR STATED THEY HAVE STARTED TO IMPLEMENT A PLAN TO RELOCATE THE SAID ANTENNA TO ANOTHER SITE.

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.