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P31 incurs communication equipment failure, is unable to issue traffic, which results in a TCASII maneuver by a B737 on approach to pns.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 538616 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200202 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : pns.airport |
| State Reference | FL |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 6000 msl bound upper : 9000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : p31.tracon |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737-500 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | other |
| Flight Phase | descent : intermediate altitude |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : approach |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Experience | controller military : 8 controller radar : 22 controller supervisory : 4 controller time certified in position1 : 4 |
| ASRS Report | 538616 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | atc equipment other atc equipment : com other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : took evasive action |
| Consequence | faa : investigated |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 6000 vertical : 500 |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Navigational Facility ATC Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Navigational Facility |
| Situations | |
| ATC Facility | communication equipment : p31.tracon |
Narrative:
P31 TRACON icss communication equipment malfunctioned during a map change. This caused an unexpected global reconfign without my knowledge. I experienced complete transmitter loss. During this, I received a conflict alert with air carrier X inbound to pns airport. The intruder was squawking VFR at 7500 ft, converging. I was unable to issue a TA. Thankfully, the aircraft received an RA and suspended its descent and visually acquired the aircraft 'at the last moment.' this situation could have resulted in a possible near midair collision. The TCASII equipment definitely was effective in this situation. Apparently, having spoke with a peer who is knowledgeable about the icss equipment, it seems our system is overloaded and this occasionally causes the event we experienced this evening. This is not acceptable and something should be done!
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: P31 INCURS COM EQUIP FAILURE, IS UNABLE TO ISSUE TFC, WHICH RESULTS IN A TCASII MANEUVER BY A B737 ON APCH TO PNS.
Narrative: P31 TRACON ICSS COM EQUIP MALFUNCTIONED DURING A MAP CHANGE. THIS CAUSED AN UNEXPECTED GLOBAL RECONFIGN WITHOUT MY KNOWLEDGE. I EXPERIENCED COMPLETE XMITTER LOSS. DURING THIS, I RECEIVED A CONFLICT ALERT WITH ACR X INBOUND TO PNS ARPT. THE INTRUDER WAS SQUAWKING VFR AT 7500 FT, CONVERGING. I WAS UNABLE TO ISSUE A TA. THANKFULLY, THE ACFT RECEIVED AN RA AND SUSPENDED ITS DSCNT AND VISUALLY ACQUIRED THE ACFT 'AT THE LAST MOMENT.' THIS SIT COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A POSSIBLE NMAC. THE TCASII EQUIP DEFINITELY WAS EFFECTIVE IN THIS SIT. APPARENTLY, HAVING SPOKE WITH A PEER WHO IS KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT THE ICSS EQUIP, IT SEEMS OUR SYS IS OVERLOADED AND THIS OCCASIONALLY CAUSES THE EVENT WE EXPERIENCED THIS EVENING. THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE AND SOMETHING SHOULD BE DONE!
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.