Narrative:

We are experiencing increasing problems with certain frequencys not being able to reach aircraft within or approaching certain airspace. The problem appears to be part technical, part managerial. The new york TRACON, located in westbury, ny (the western part of long island) has an antenna array on its roof. Recently a new 'high volume air handler' (hvac) system has been added. The original hvac system has become obsolete, but in order to repair it, a new hvac system -- independent of the old one -- had to be installed first. The new hvac system has been installed on the roof among the antennas for air/ground ATC frequencys. The new hvac system has 1 50-ton (cfh air volume) unit and 1 10-ton unit next to it. Thermal duct work around 6-8 ft diameter crosses through the antenna array, which is located on the 'low roof' (administrative area adjacent to operations room). The 'high roof' (operations room) is approximately 12 ft higher than the low roof. The thermal duct work (double-walled steel tubes with insulation between the walls) rises up on the other side of the antenna array and then branches out across the high roof to 12 ducts that pass through the roof into the operations room. Before this new hvac system was installed, the antennas stood approximately 10-12 ft above the high roof. Now they only reach 3-4 ft above the steel duct work across the roof. Frequency 133.1 is assigned to the 'seall' airspace, which is located from approximately 10 mi south of bdr to 15 mi northeast of bdr to 25 mi north of bdr to 30 mi northwest of bdr to 10 mi southwest of bdr. The transmitter/receiver for 133.1 is located on the roof of the new york TRACON. Ever since the position was created some 5 yrs ago, there have been problems reaching aircraft on the northern fringes of seall's airspace. Air/ground frequencys normally have a usable range of 40-50 NM. It can be more than 65 mi to reach aircraft approaching from the north towards seall's airspace. Ever since the new hvac duct work was erected, frequency 133.1 is completely unusable. The receiver/transmitter needs to be located to (or near) hpn, but the FAA's eastern region refuses to move it. We are now using frequency 127.95, based at isp airport, for seall, but the same out-of-range issues continue to plague us. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter returned call and stated that since the report was submitted, the facility is in the process of relocating the 133.1 transmitter/receiver. The new site is approximately 40 mi from its presents location and should resolve the problem.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: APCH CTLR AT N90 TRACON CLAIMS A NUMBER OF RADIO FREQS ARE NOT ABLE TO REACH ACFT WITHIN OR APCHING SOME AREAS OF THE FACILITY'S NORTHERN AIRSPACE.

Narrative: WE ARE EXPERIENCING INCREASING PROBS WITH CERTAIN FREQS NOT BEING ABLE TO REACH ACFT WITHIN OR APCHING CERTAIN AIRSPACE. THE PROB APPEARS TO BE PART TECHNICAL, PART MANAGERIAL. THE NEW YORK TRACON, LOCATED IN WESTBURY, NY (THE WESTERN PART OF LONG ISLAND) HAS AN ANTENNA ARRAY ON ITS ROOF. RECENTLY A NEW 'HIGH VOLUME AIR HANDLER' (HVAC) SYS HAS BEEN ADDED. THE ORIGINAL HVAC SYS HAS BECOME OBSOLETE, BUT IN ORDER TO REPAIR IT, A NEW HVAC SYS -- INDEPENDENT OF THE OLD ONE -- HAD TO BE INSTALLED FIRST. THE NEW HVAC SYS HAS BEEN INSTALLED ON THE ROOF AMONG THE ANTENNAS FOR AIR/GND ATC FREQS. THE NEW HVAC SYS HAS 1 50-TON (CFH AIR VOLUME) UNIT AND 1 10-TON UNIT NEXT TO IT. THERMAL DUCT WORK AROUND 6-8 FT DIAMETER CROSSES THROUGH THE ANTENNA ARRAY, WHICH IS LOCATED ON THE 'LOW ROOF' (ADMINISTRATIVE AREA ADJACENT TO OPS ROOM). THE 'HIGH ROOF' (OPS ROOM) IS APPROX 12 FT HIGHER THAN THE LOW ROOF. THE THERMAL DUCT WORK (DOUBLE-WALLED STEEL TUBES WITH INSULATION BTWN THE WALLS) RISES UP ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ANTENNA ARRAY AND THEN BRANCHES OUT ACROSS THE HIGH ROOF TO 12 DUCTS THAT PASS THROUGH THE ROOF INTO THE OPS ROOM. BEFORE THIS NEW HVAC SYS WAS INSTALLED, THE ANTENNAS STOOD APPROX 10-12 FT ABOVE THE HIGH ROOF. NOW THEY ONLY REACH 3-4 FT ABOVE THE STEEL DUCT WORK ACROSS THE ROOF. FREQ 133.1 IS ASSIGNED TO THE 'SEALL' AIRSPACE, WHICH IS LOCATED FROM APPROX 10 MI S OF BDR TO 15 MI NE OF BDR TO 25 MI N OF BDR TO 30 MI NW OF BDR TO 10 MI SW OF BDR. THE XMITTER/RECEIVER FOR 133.1 IS LOCATED ON THE ROOF OF THE NEW YORK TRACON. EVER SINCE THE POS WAS CREATED SOME 5 YRS AGO, THERE HAVE BEEN PROBS REACHING ACFT ON THE NORTHERN FRINGES OF SEALL'S AIRSPACE. AIR/GND FREQS NORMALLY HAVE A USABLE RANGE OF 40-50 NM. IT CAN BE MORE THAN 65 MI TO REACH ACFT APCHING FROM THE N TOWARDS SEALL'S AIRSPACE. EVER SINCE THE NEW HVAC DUCT WORK WAS ERECTED, FREQ 133.1 IS COMPLETELY UNUSABLE. THE RECEIVER/XMITTER NEEDS TO BE LOCATED TO (OR NEAR) HPN, BUT THE FAA'S EASTERN REGION REFUSES TO MOVE IT. WE ARE NOW USING FREQ 127.95, BASED AT ISP ARPT, FOR SEALL, BUT THE SAME OUT-OF-RANGE ISSUES CONTINUE TO PLAGUE US. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR RETURNED CALL AND STATED THAT SINCE THE RPT WAS SUBMITTED, THE FACILITY IS IN THE PROCESS OF RELOCATING THE 133.1 XMITTER/RECEIVER. THE NEW SITE IS APPROX 40 MI FROM ITS PRESENTS LOCATION AND SHOULD RESOLVE THE PROB.

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.