Tlh TRACON controller reports radar outage for a day requiring the use of cenrap; resulting in non r...

Narrative:

On oct/sun/06; at XA10Z the radar at tallahassee discontinued working. Cenrap procedures were initiated. At tallahassee we have to use non-radar procedures below 4000 ft MSL due to the limitations of cenrap. The southern region aocc was called about this outage and the controllers were expecting an airways facility technician to be called in and fix the radar and return tallahassee approach to normal operating status. The airways facility technician never reported to the facility to make repairs and tallahassee remained in cenrap until oct/mon/06 at XN30Z. I have found out that the FAA callback order has been changed regarding fixing equipment. My concern is that the FAA has placed a higher priority on saving money than safety (not calling in an airways facility technician for overtime to fix the radar). With this new way of business (no overtime) tallahassee approach could be without radar from close of businesses on friday until opening on monday; if we have another outage. In my opinion this is a safety/security issue and adds unnecessary workload to controllers just to save money. I think when there is a radar outage at tallahassee it should be a high priority to return it to service.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TLH TRACON CTLR RPTS RADAR OUTAGE FOR A DAY REQUIRING THE USE OF CENRAP; RESULTING IN NON RADAR PROCS BELOW 4000 FT. RPTR STATES OUTAGE WAS SO LENGTHY AS REPAIR PERSONNEL WERE NOT CALLED AS A COST SAVING MEASURE.

Narrative: ON OCT/SUN/06; AT XA10Z THE RADAR AT TALLAHASSEE DISCONTINUED WORKING. CENRAP PROCS WERE INITIATED. AT TALLAHASSEE WE HAVE TO USE NON-RADAR PROCS BELOW 4000 FT MSL DUE TO THE LIMITATIONS OF CENRAP. THE SOUTHERN REGION AOCC WAS CALLED ABOUT THIS OUTAGE AND THE CTLRS WERE EXPECTING AN AIRWAYS FACILITY TECHNICIAN TO BE CALLED IN AND FIX THE RADAR AND RETURN TALLAHASSEE APCH TO NORMAL OPERATING STATUS. THE AIRWAYS FACILITY TECHNICIAN NEVER RPTED TO THE FACILITY TO MAKE REPAIRS AND TALLAHASSEE REMAINED IN CENRAP UNTIL OCT/MON/06 AT XN30Z. I HAVE FOUND OUT THAT THE FAA CALLBACK ORDER HAS BEEN CHANGED REGARDING FIXING EQUIP. MY CONCERN IS THAT THE FAA HAS PLACED A HIGHER PRIORITY ON SAVING MONEY THAN SAFETY (NOT CALLING IN AN AIRWAYS FACILITY TECHNICIAN FOR OVERTIME TO FIX THE RADAR). WITH THIS NEW WAY OF BUSINESS (NO OVERTIME) TALLAHASSEE APCH COULD BE WITHOUT RADAR FROM CLOSE OF BUSINESSES ON FRIDAY UNTIL OPENING ON MONDAY; IF WE HAVE ANOTHER OUTAGE. IN MY OPINION THIS IS A SAFETY/SECURITY ISSUE AND ADDS UNNECESSARY WORKLOAD TO CTLRS JUST TO SAVE MONEY. I THINK WHEN THERE IS A RADAR OUTAGE AT TALLAHASSEE IT SHOULD BE A HIGH PRIORITY TO RETURN IT TO SVC.

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.

Attributes
ACN	712104
Time
Date	200610
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : tlh.tracon
State Reference	FL
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : pit.tower
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Experience	controller radar : 12
ASRS Report	712104
Events
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Supplementary
Problem Areas	FAA Navigational Facility
Primary Problem	Navigational Facility
Situations
ATC Facility	radar equipment : tlh.tracon

Tlh TRACON controller reports radar outage for a day requiring the use of cenrap; resulting in non radar procedures below 4000 ft. Reporter states outage was so lengthy as repair personnel were not called as a cost saving measure.