 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
N90 controller described incident where maintenance took control of an active frequency with live traffic without prior coordination.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 697424 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200605 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : n90.tracon |
| State Reference | NY |
| Environment | |
| Light | Daylight |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : approach |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Experience | controller radar : 16 |
| ASRS Report | 697424 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | FAA Maintenance Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | FAA |
Narrative:
Uncoord loss of frequency due to maintenance. Extremely dangerous with possible catastrophic life-endangering consequences. While working position (beads/I-308; frequency 132.25 #1 transmitter and receiver). With no advance notice; frequency suddenly stopped working. Told controller in charge; who notified airways facilities system engineer desk; airways facilities system engineer told controller in charge that 'they' (we believe this to mean the contractor) took the circuit on which frequency 132.25 transmits and receives. I was working live traffic! This is not the first time that there have been poorly coordination releases or no coordination whatsoever between maintenance and ATC. This is becoming the 'normal' way of 'doing business.' safety is being compromised on too many levels! This event could have had life-threatening catastrophic consequences had I been dealing with an emergency or safety alert.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: N90 CTLR DESCRIBED INCIDENT WHERE MAINT TOOK CTL OF AN ACTIVE FREQ WITH LIVE TFC WITHOUT PRIOR COORD.
Narrative: UNCOORD LOSS OF FREQ DUE TO MAINT. EXTREMELY DANGEROUS WITH POSSIBLE CATASTROPHIC LIFE-ENDANGERING CONSEQUENCES. WHILE WORKING POS (BEADS/I-308; FREQ 132.25 #1 XMITTER AND RECEIVER). WITH NO ADVANCE NOTICE; FREQ SUDDENLY STOPPED WORKING. TOLD CIC; WHO NOTIFIED AIRWAYS FACILITIES SYS ENGINEER DESK; AIRWAYS FACILITIES SYS ENGINEER TOLD CIC THAT 'THEY' (WE BELIEVE THIS TO MEAN THE CONTRACTOR) TOOK THE CIRCUIT ON WHICH FREQ 132.25 XMITS AND RECEIVES. I WAS WORKING LIVE TFC! THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THAT THERE HAVE BEEN POORLY COORD RELEASES OR NO COORD WHATSOEVER BTWN MAINT AND ATC. THIS IS BECOMING THE 'NORMAL' WAY OF 'DOING BUSINESS.' SAFETY IS BEING COMPROMISED ON TOO MANY LEVELS! THIS EVENT COULD HAVE HAD LIFE-THREATENING CATASTROPHIC CONSEQUENCES HAD I BEEN DEALING WITH AN EMER OR SAFETY ALERT.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.