Narrative:

Pns TRACON lost radar due to a power fluctuation. This outage has occurred before under similar circumstances. These sits erode controller confidence in radar/performance and equipment capabilities. It also decreases safety. Problem: icss malfunction. Description of problem: the u-ar override light illuminated at the a-ar position. Neither u-ar nor a-ar controllers activated circuit. The u-ar controller's casual conversations and control instructions could be heard by the a-ar controller through headset/icss and the a-ar controller could hear his own conversation through headset, all as if in the override format, except neither controller could talk with one another. In an attempt to correct problem override button was selected on each position the released, corrective action, negative. Operational supervisor advised that the 'IA60' function would remedy, but traffic load would not allow this procedure since it disables radios/landlines and interphones during the time it takes to reset. All a-ar tasks, including listening for al readbacks from numerous foreign students, had to be accomplished while constantly being overridden by the u-ar controller's xmissions/conversations. Once traffic slowed the IA60 entry was made and the interference no longer was noticed. This repeat performance of the icss at pns TRACON increases danger and erodes controller confidence in equipment capabilities and dependability.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: P31 TRACON CTLR POINTS OUT PROBS THE FACILITY IS HAVING WITH RADAR AND COM.

Narrative: PNS TRACON LOST RADAR DUE TO A PWR FLUCTUATION. THIS OUTAGE HAS OCCURRED BEFORE UNDER SIMILAR CIRCUMSTANCES. THESE SITS ERODE CTLR CONFIDENCE IN RADAR/PERFORMANCE AND EQUIP CAPABILITIES. IT ALSO DECREASES SAFETY. PROB: ICSS MALFUNCTION. DESCRIPTION OF PROB: THE U-AR OVERRIDE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AT THE A-AR POS. NEITHER U-AR NOR A-AR CTLRS ACTIVATED CIRCUIT. THE U-AR CTLR'S CASUAL CONVERSATIONS AND CTL INSTRUCTIONS COULD BE HEARD BY THE A-AR CTLR THROUGH HEADSET/ICSS AND THE A-AR CTLR COULD HEAR HIS OWN CONVERSATION THROUGH HEADSET, ALL AS IF IN THE OVERRIDE FORMAT, EXCEPT NEITHER CTLR COULD TALK WITH ONE ANOTHER. IN AN ATTEMPT TO CORRECT PROB OVERRIDE BUTTON WAS SELECTED ON EACH POS THE RELEASED, CORRECTIVE ACTION, NEGATIVE. OPERATIONAL SUPVR ADVISED THAT THE 'IA60' FUNCTION WOULD REMEDY, BUT TFC LOAD WOULD NOT ALLOW THIS PROC SINCE IT DISABLES RADIOS/LANDLINES AND INTERPHONES DURING THE TIME IT TAKES TO RESET. ALL A-AR TASKS, INCLUDING LISTENING FOR AL READBACKS FROM NUMEROUS FOREIGN STUDENTS, HAD TO BE ACCOMPLISHED WHILE CONSTANTLY BEING OVERRIDDEN BY THE U-AR CTLR'S XMISSIONS/CONVERSATIONS. ONCE TFC SLOWED THE IA60 ENTRY WAS MADE AND THE INTERFERENCE NO LONGER WAS NOTICED. THIS REPEAT PERFORMANCE OF THE ICSS AT PNS TRACON INCREASES DANGER AND ERODES CTLR CONFIDENCE IN EQUIP CAPABILITIES AND DEPENDABILITY.

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.