Eri TRACON controller concerned with failure of the emergency obstruction video mapper, perceiving p...

Attributes
ACN	438970
Time
Date	199905
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : eri.tracon
State Reference	PA
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller limited radar : 15 controller military : 4 controller radar : 20
ASRS Report	438970
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	maintenance : technician
Events
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	FAA
Primary Problem	FAA
Situations
ATC Facility	radar equipment : eri.tracon

Narrative:

Erie approach control was forced to work with no radar emergency obstruction video mapper. In the event of an emergency this could have proven fatal to any aircraft requiring the lowest possible safe altitude in the airspace under our jurisdiction. Erie tower local orders list the radar emergency obstruction video mapper as a callback item for facilities. Numerous attempts were made to have facilities called out to repair the mapper, but they were denied at the national level, due to budget constraints. The repair would have taken 5 mins and cost 2 hours overtime, as a technician was called in a few days earlier for the same problem, which was a simple fix, and overtime was authorized. The bottom line here is the safety of the flying public was put in jeopardy to save a couple hours of overtime.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ERI TRACON CTLR CONCERNED WITH FAILURE OF THE EMER OBSTRUCTION VIDEO MAPPER, PERCEIVING POTENTIAL SAFETY ISSUE. MAINT UNABLE TO RESPOND TO WKEND FAILURE DUE BUDGET CONSTRAINTS.

Narrative: ERIE APCH CTL WAS FORCED TO WORK WITH NO RADAR EMER OBSTRUCTION VIDEO MAPPER. IN THE EVENT OF AN EMER THIS COULD HAVE PROVEN FATAL TO ANY ACFT REQUIRING THE LOWEST POSSIBLE SAFE ALT IN THE AIRSPACE UNDER OUR JURISDICTION. ERIE TWR LCL ORDERS LIST THE RADAR EMER OBSTRUCTION VIDEO MAPPER AS A CALLBACK ITEM FOR FACILITIES. NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS WERE MADE TO HAVE FACILITIES CALLED OUT TO REPAIR THE MAPPER, BUT THEY WERE DENIED AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL, DUE TO BUDGET CONSTRAINTS. THE REPAIR WOULD HAVE TAKEN 5 MINS AND COST 2 HRS OVERTIME, AS A TECHNICIAN WAS CALLED IN A FEW DAYS EARLIER FOR THE SAME PROB, WHICH WAS A SIMPLE FIX, AND OVERTIME WAS AUTHORIZED. THE BOTTOM LINE HERE IS THE SAFETY OF THE FLYING PUBLIC WAS PUT IN JEOPARDY TO SAVE A COUPLE HRS OF OVERTIME.

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.

Eri TRACON controller concerned with failure of the emergency obstruction video mapper, perceiving potential safety issue. Maintenance unable to respond to wkend failure due budget constraints.