Tmb local controller concerned with intermittent BRITE radar target loss.

Attributes
ACN	541265
Time
Date	200203
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : tmb.airport
State Reference	FL
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller radar : 11
ASRS Report	541265
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : brite radar other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	faa : investigated
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Navigational Facility Maintenance Human Performance FAA
Primary Problem	Navigational Facility
Situations
ATC Facility	computer equipment : mia.tracon other physical facility radar equipment : tmb.tower

Narrative:

Targets have been dropping off of the radar scope. Several aircraft will be in the pattern but do not appear on the BRITE. This has been going on for 3 days. When called into maintenance, they said it was a coverage problem due to the 2 towers in mia. The towers have been there for yrs and we have never experienced this type of failure before. This is a very unsafe condition and should be looked into as expeditiously as possible.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TMB LCL CTLR CONCERNED WITH INTERMITTENT BRITE RADAR TARGET LOSS.

Narrative: TARGETS HAVE BEEN DROPPING OFF OF THE RADAR SCOPE. SEVERAL ACFT WILL BE IN THE PATTERN BUT DO NOT APPEAR ON THE BRITE. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR 3 DAYS. WHEN CALLED INTO MAINT, THEY SAID IT WAS A COVERAGE PROB DUE TO THE 2 TWRS IN MIA. THE TWRS HAVE BEEN THERE FOR YRS AND WE HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED THIS TYPE OF FAILURE BEFORE. THIS IS A VERY UNSAFE CONDITION AND SHOULD BE LOOKED INTO AS EXPEDITIOUSLY AS POSSIBLE.

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.