Narrative:

I was on an IFR proficiency flight in my aircraft from dwh to cll. I was in radar contact with houston approach and handed off to ZHU who handles IFR traffic at cll. I learned later that center's radar was inoperative, but was never advised by the controller that I was not in radar contact. Controller kept asking for position reports while en route to cll and during the ILS-DME runway 34 approach and even while I was holding at the published missed approach holding point. I was flying the full procedure arcing southwest on the DME arc and his continuous requests for my position distraction me, led to increased workload in IMC, degraded my situational awareness and caused me to wonder if maybe I was off course. All this was compounded by poor radio reception during the approach. Shortly after joining the localizer the controller once again asked my position. When I told him I was localizer inbound (thinking why can't he see me on radar?) he got upset saying 'well it sure would have been nice to know that, I told you to report estimate on the localizer!' I did not recall hearing him request that earlier, and was unable to respond before being handed off to tower. After the low approach I flew the published missed, was handed back to center and once again had communications problems/poor radio reception during the climb to the holding point. While holding, I heard the controller tell another aircraft his radar was down. Had I been advised of this, I would have seen the 'big picture' and understood all the position queries and would have reported localizer inbound even though I did not hear him request it of me earlier. My situational awareness would have remained high and the self-doubt over my position would not have occurred. After the hold, I requested another approach, this time arcing southeast. This was approved, but the controller admonished me again for not reporting localizer inbound earlier, but still no mention that he had no radar coverage. While on the arc, I lost the cll VOR signal, cancelled my IFR clearance and proceeded back to dwh in VFR conditions, so I could investigate my radio reception problem. My understanding of the pilot controller glossary requires the controller to advise when radar contact is lost. Had this rule been followed, the situation I described would not have occurred and I would not be faced with a potential violation after 16 yrs of accident and violation free flying.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LANCAIR 360 IS SURPRISED TO DISCOVER THAT ATC IS WORKING WITHOUT RADAR DURING IFR FLT.

Narrative: I WAS ON AN IFR PROFICIENCY FLT IN MY ACFT FROM DWH TO CLL. I WAS IN RADAR CONTACT WITH HOUSTON APCH AND HANDED OFF TO ZHU WHO HANDLES IFR TFC AT CLL. I LEARNED LATER THAT CTR'S RADAR WAS INOP, BUT WAS NEVER ADVISED BY THE CTLR THAT I WAS NOT IN RADAR CONTACT. CTLR KEPT ASKING FOR POS RPTS WHILE ENRTE TO CLL AND DURING THE ILS-DME RWY 34 APCH AND EVEN WHILE I WAS HOLDING AT THE PUBLISHED MISSED APCH HOLDING POINT. I WAS FLYING THE FULL PROC ARCING SW ON THE DME ARC AND HIS CONTINUOUS REQUESTS FOR MY POS DISTR ME, LED TO INCREASED WORKLOAD IN IMC, DEGRADED MY SITUATIONAL AWARENESS AND CAUSED ME TO WONDER IF MAYBE I WAS OFF COURSE. ALL THIS WAS COMPOUNDED BY POOR RADIO RECEPTION DURING THE APCH. SHORTLY AFTER JOINING THE LOC THE CTLR ONCE AGAIN ASKED MY POS. WHEN I TOLD HIM I WAS LOC INBOUND (THINKING WHY CAN'T HE SEE ME ON RADAR?) HE GOT UPSET SAYING 'WELL IT SURE WOULD HAVE BEEN NICE TO KNOW THAT, I TOLD YOU TO RPT ESTIMATE ON THE LOC!' I DID NOT RECALL HEARING HIM REQUEST THAT EARLIER, AND WAS UNABLE TO RESPOND BEFORE BEING HANDED OFF TO TWR. AFTER THE LOW APCH I FLEW THE PUBLISHED MISSED, WAS HANDED BACK TO CTR AND ONCE AGAIN HAD COMS PROBS/POOR RADIO RECEPTION DURING THE CLB TO THE HOLDING POINT. WHILE HOLDING, I HEARD THE CTLR TELL ANOTHER ACFT HIS RADAR WAS DOWN. HAD I BEEN ADVISED OF THIS, I WOULD HAVE SEEN THE 'BIG PICTURE' AND UNDERSTOOD ALL THE POS QUERIES AND WOULD HAVE RPTED LOC INBOUND EVEN THOUGH I DID NOT HEAR HIM REQUEST IT OF ME EARLIER. MY SITUATIONAL AWARENESS WOULD HAVE REMAINED HIGH AND THE SELF-DOUBT OVER MY POS WOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED. AFTER THE HOLD, I REQUESTED ANOTHER APCH, THIS TIME ARCING SE. THIS WAS APPROVED, BUT THE CTLR ADMONISHED ME AGAIN FOR NOT RPTING LOC INBOUND EARLIER, BUT STILL NO MENTION THAT HE HAD NO RADAR COVERAGE. WHILE ON THE ARC, I LOST THE CLL VOR SIGNAL, CANCELLED MY IFR CLRNC AND PROCEEDED BACK TO DWH IN VFR CONDITIONS, SO I COULD INVESTIGATE MY RADIO RECEPTION PROB. MY UNDERSTANDING OF THE PLT CTLR GLOSSARY REQUIRES THE CTLR TO ADVISE WHEN RADAR CONTACT IS LOST. HAD THIS RULE BEEN FOLLOWED, THE SIT I DESCRIBED WOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED AND I WOULD NOT BE FACED WITH A POTENTIAL VIOLATION AFTER 16 YRS OF ACCIDENT AND VIOLATION FREE FLYING.

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.