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P31 approach controller had problem establishing and maintaining radar contact with 3 aircraft between cew and a location 16 NM of cew.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 563796 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200210 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : p31.tracon |
| State Reference | FL |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Weather Elements | Rain |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Cardinal 177/177RG |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : p31.tracon |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | PA-31 Navajo Chieftan/Mojave/Navajo T1020 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : vacating altitude |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : approach |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Experience | controller radar : 13 |
| ASRS Report | 563796 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera other flight crewa other flight crewb other other : 4 |
| Resolutory Action | controller : separated traffic other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Maintenance Human Performance Navigational Facility ATC Human Performance Airspace Structure ATC Facility FAA |
| Primary Problem | ATC Facility |
| Situations | |
| ATC Facility | procedure or policy : p31.tracon radar equipment : p31.tracon |
Narrative:
Working the 'K' position (destin sector) having little to no radar coverage. We were on whiting radar and, after 3 aircraft in a row, non radar (first aircraft 16 NM northeast of the cew VOR at 4000 ft, second aircraft 6 northeast cew VOR, departing crestview/bob sikes airport, drop-tagged on departure end at 1400 ft and went non radar leaving 4200 ft and didn't retag until reaching 11000 ft. Third aircraft dropped over cew VOR at 7000 ft and did not retag). However, the pns radar, which is 16 mi further southwest than whiting radar, maintains coverage in that area. We had to go to pns radar for the entire airspace which has a large non radar area outside of 50 NM from the antenna. We were not that busy, so it didn't cause much of a problem, but it seems to happen regularly and it can be an extremely difficult airspace, especially when radar coverage is reduced and it doesn't have to be IFR. Sometimes when it's great WX, the radar coverage is bad, without any reason.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: P31 APCH CTLR HAD PROB ESTABLISHING AND MAINTAINING RADAR CONTACT WITH 3 ACFT BTWN CEW AND A LOCATION 16 NM OF CEW.
Narrative: WORKING THE 'K' POS (DESTIN SECTOR) HAVING LITTLE TO NO RADAR COVERAGE. WE WERE ON WHITING RADAR AND, AFTER 3 ACFT IN A ROW, NON RADAR (FIRST ACFT 16 NM NE OF THE CEW VOR AT 4000 FT, SECOND ACFT 6 NE CEW VOR, DEPARTING CRESTVIEW/BOB SIKES ARPT, DROP-TAGGED ON DEP END AT 1400 FT AND WENT NON RADAR LEAVING 4200 FT AND DIDN'T RETAG UNTIL REACHING 11000 FT. THIRD ACFT DROPPED OVER CEW VOR AT 7000 FT AND DID NOT RETAG). HOWEVER, THE PNS RADAR, WHICH IS 16 MI FURTHER SW THAN WHITING RADAR, MAINTAINS COVERAGE IN THAT AREA. WE HAD TO GO TO PNS RADAR FOR THE ENTIRE AIRSPACE WHICH HAS A LARGE NON RADAR AREA OUTSIDE OF 50 NM FROM THE ANTENNA. WE WERE NOT THAT BUSY, SO IT DIDN'T CAUSE MUCH OF A PROB, BUT IT SEEMS TO HAPPEN REGULARLY AND IT CAN BE AN EXTREMELY DIFFICULT AIRSPACE, ESPECIALLY WHEN RADAR COVERAGE IS REDUCED AND IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE IFR. SOMETIMES WHEN IT'S GREAT WX, THE RADAR COVERAGE IS BAD, WITHOUT ANY REASON.
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.