Reporter claims that a new ARTS iie ATC radar system installed at msn approach control approximately...

Attributes
ACN	431858
Time
Date	199903
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : msn
State Reference	WI
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Experience	controller military : 4 controller radar : 14
ASRS Report	431858
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : unspecified other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified
Navigational Aid	Unspecified

Narrative:

During the last several weeks, the ARTS iie has failed for short periods of time. Today, the ARTS failed several times. Local radar technicians are unable to diagnose the problem that is causing the outages. This chronic, recurring problem is definitely jeopardizing safety, however, little attention seems to be focused on it outside of the ATC facility. Local radar technicians seem to be on their own, getting little or no support from national or regional sources. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that most of the problems with the ARTS iie at msn have been fixed and that the equipment so far has been completely reliable. The reporter was not sure what had caused the problems. He said the new radar was installed approximately 1 yr ago. Initially, there were no problems with the system and the base line software. However, as site specific software was added, the radar failures began to occur. The reporter added that a number of other facilities had similar failures but have also been fixed.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR CLAIMS THAT A NEW ARTS IIE ATC RADAR SYS INSTALLED AT MSN APCH CTL APPROX 1 YR AGO HAS FAILED SEVERAL TIMES FOR SHORT PERIODS.

Narrative: DURING THE LAST SEVERAL WKS, THE ARTS IIE HAS FAILED FOR SHORT PERIODS OF TIME. TODAY, THE ARTS FAILED SEVERAL TIMES. LCL RADAR TECHNICIANS ARE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE PROB THAT IS CAUSING THE OUTAGES. THIS CHRONIC, RECURRING PROB IS DEFINITELY JEOPARDIZING SAFETY, HOWEVER, LITTLE ATTN SEEMS TO BE FOCUSED ON IT OUTSIDE OF THE ATC FACILITY. LCL RADAR TECHNICIANS SEEM TO BE ON THEIR OWN, GETTING LITTLE OR NO SUPPORT FROM NATIONAL OR REGIONAL SOURCES. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT MOST OF THE PROBS WITH THE ARTS IIE AT MSN HAVE BEEN FIXED AND THAT THE EQUIP SO FAR HAS BEEN COMPLETELY RELIABLE. THE RPTR WAS NOT SURE WHAT HAD CAUSED THE PROBS. HE SAID THE NEW RADAR WAS INSTALLED APPROX 1 YR AGO. INITIALLY, THERE WERE NO PROBS WITH THE SYS AND THE BASE LINE SOFTWARE. HOWEVER, AS SITE SPECIFIC SOFTWARE WAS ADDED, THE RADAR FAILURES BEGAN TO OCCUR. THE RPTR ADDED THAT A NUMBER OF OTHER FACILITIES HAD SIMILAR FAILURES BUT HAVE ALSO BEEN FIXED.

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.

Reporter claims that a new ARTS iie ATC radar system installed at msn approach control approximately 1 yr ago has failed several times for short periods.