Narrative:

A massive thunderstorm system was impacting the entire midwest from near canada south through texas. One hole in storm east of mck. Almost all east/west aircraft were funneled towards this hole. A complete system failure was underway. Every sector in our area was saturated with planes. Every controller working at the time in our area was plugged in. Numerous other controllers were summoned from other areas to help with strip delivery. Numerous management personnel were in the area as witnesses to what was happening. This in itself was dangerous, but far worse was happening. There were numerous aircraft deviations occurring. Ie, intruder aircraft planes flying through our airspace, untracked, uncontrolled and we were unable to identify them. Why? Because center-to-center computers are not fully interfaced. Why? Costs too much! We almost had midair collisions that night. If we did, the FAA would spend the money to interface these computers. Thank god we didn't! This situation can and will happen again. Currently our computer displays limited data blocks in other ctrs, showing us beacon codes and altitude. But we cannot access the flight data we need. Why? The computers are not properly interfaced. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states the night in question required serious aircraft WX deviations. The reporter's concern is that flight plan processing of aircraft not destined to transit ZDV's airspace do not provide, or make available, any flight route data to ZDV for that aircraft. A limited data block is displayed with altitude as an 'intruder' data tag. The reporter stated that he felt that any aircraft flying in the ATC NAS system should be able to be accessed by any controller. The controller stated that this type of flight data access processing is already available at the traffic management position, but not for the controllers. The night of concern, traffic deviating from ZKC into ZMP received appropriate coordination. But when aircraft deviated out of ZMP into ZDV due to WX, then back into ZKC, ZDV received only some of the required pointouts.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZDV CTLR CONCERNED WITH RADAR COMPUTER LIMITATIONS WHEN ENCOUNTERING WX DIVERSION SIT.

Narrative: A MASSIVE TSTM SYS WAS IMPACTING THE ENTIRE MIDWEST FROM NEAR CANADA S THROUGH TEXAS. ONE HOLE IN STORM E OF MCK. ALMOST ALL E/W ACFT WERE FUNNELED TOWARDS THIS HOLE. A COMPLETE SYS FAILURE WAS UNDERWAY. EVERY SECTOR IN OUR AREA WAS SATURATED WITH PLANES. EVERY CTLR WORKING AT THE TIME IN OUR AREA WAS PLUGGED IN. NUMEROUS OTHER CTLRS WERE SUMMONED FROM OTHER AREAS TO HELP WITH STRIP DELIVERY. NUMEROUS MGMNT PERSONNEL WERE IN THE AREA AS WITNESSES TO WHAT WAS HAPPENING. THIS IN ITSELF WAS DANGEROUS, BUT FAR WORSE WAS HAPPENING. THERE WERE NUMEROUS ACFT DEVS OCCURRING. IE, INTRUDER ACFT PLANES FLYING THROUGH OUR AIRSPACE, UNTRACKED, UNCTLED AND WE WERE UNABLE TO IDENT THEM. WHY? BECAUSE CTR-TO-CTR COMPUTERS ARE NOT FULLY INTERFACED. WHY? COSTS TOO MUCH! WE ALMOST HAD MIDAIR COLLISIONS THAT NIGHT. IF WE DID, THE FAA WOULD SPEND THE MONEY TO INTERFACE THESE COMPUTERS. THANK GOD WE DIDN'T! THIS SIT CAN AND WILL HAPPEN AGAIN. CURRENTLY OUR COMPUTER DISPLAYS LIMITED DATA BLOCKS IN OTHER CTRS, SHOWING US BEACON CODES AND ALT. BUT WE CANNOT ACCESS THE FLT DATA WE NEED. WHY? THE COMPUTERS ARE NOT PROPERLY INTERFACED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THE NIGHT IN QUESTION REQUIRED SERIOUS ACFT WX DEVS. THE RPTR'S CONCERN IS THAT FLT PLAN PROCESSING OF ACFT NOT DESTINED TO TRANSIT ZDV'S AIRSPACE DO NOT PROVIDE, OR MAKE AVAILABLE, ANY FLT RTE DATA TO ZDV FOR THAT ACFT. A LIMITED DATA BLOCK IS DISPLAYED WITH ALT AS AN 'INTRUDER' DATA TAG. THE RPTR STATED THAT HE FELT THAT ANY ACFT FLYING IN THE ATC NAS SYS SHOULD BE ABLE TO BE ACCESSED BY ANY CTLR. THE CTLR STATED THAT THIS TYPE OF FLT DATA ACCESS PROCESSING IS ALREADY AVAILABLE AT THE TFC MGMNT POS, BUT NOT FOR THE CTLRS. THE NIGHT OF CONCERN, TFC DEVIATING FROM ZKC INTO ZMP RECEIVED APPROPRIATE COORD. BUT WHEN ACFT DEVIATED OUT OF ZMP INTO ZDV DUE TO WX, THEN BACK INTO ZKC, ZDV RECEIVED ONLY SOME OF THE REQUIRED POINTOUTS.

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.