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Dtw controller expressed concern regarding the amass equipment's failure to display a PA60 on a close in pattern procedure.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 721840 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200612 |
| Local Time Of Day | 0001 To 0600 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : dtw.airport |
| State Reference | MI |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : dtw.tower |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | PA-60 600 Aerostar |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Route In Use | approach : visual |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : local |
| Qualification | controller : radar controller : military |
| Experience | controller limited radar : 18 controller military : 5 controller radar : 7 |
| ASRS Report | 721840 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Navigational Facility FAA |
| Primary Problem | Navigational Facility |
| Situations | |
| ATC Facility | computer equipment : dtw.tower radar equipment : dtw.tower |
Narrative:
Amass was configured properly and showed runways 22L/runway 21R/runway 21L/runway 27L and runway 27R closed. An aerostar was cleared to land on runway 22R off of a left base east of the field. Local controller observed the aircraft on a close in left base to runway 22R. The aerostar turned a 3/4 to 1 mi final to runway 22L (closed). All runway lights were on as requested by the county. The amass never alarmed alerting the local controller to the pilot's error. There have been other issues with amass such as clutter causing false warnings; tags dropping off of the screen on inbound aircraft and no raw radar targets at all on aircraft at certain areas of the airport. The amass did not operate properly and would have avoided the entire situation. To my knowledge nothing has or is being done to correct the problem. Audit the entire amass system to include tech operations and air traffic logs to track the issues and how and what maintenance has been performed. Recalibrate the system; adjust gains and perform any other maintenance to ensure proper operation of amass.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: DTW CTLR EXPRESSED CONCERN REGARDING THE AMASS EQUIP'S FAILURE TO DISPLAY A PA60 ON A CLOSE IN PATTERN PROC.
Narrative: AMASS WAS CONFIGURED PROPERLY AND SHOWED RWYS 22L/RWY 21R/RWY 21L/RWY 27L AND RWY 27R CLOSED. AN AEROSTAR WAS CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 22R OFF OF A L BASE E OF THE FIELD. LCL CTLR OBSERVED THE ACFT ON A CLOSE IN L BASE TO RWY 22R. THE AEROSTAR TURNED A 3/4 TO 1 MI FINAL TO RWY 22L (CLOSED). ALL RWY LIGHTS WERE ON AS REQUESTED BY THE COUNTY. THE AMASS NEVER ALARMED ALERTING THE LCL CTLR TO THE PLT'S ERROR. THERE HAVE BEEN OTHER ISSUES WITH AMASS SUCH AS CLUTTER CAUSING FALSE WARNINGS; TAGS DROPPING OFF OF THE SCREEN ON INBOUND ACFT AND NO RAW RADAR TARGETS AT ALL ON ACFT AT CERTAIN AREAS OF THE ARPT. THE AMASS DID NOT OPERATE PROPERLY AND WOULD HAVE AVOIDED THE ENTIRE SITUATION. TO MY KNOWLEDGE NOTHING HAS OR IS BEING DONE TO CORRECT THE PROB. AUDIT THE ENTIRE AMASS SYS TO INCLUDE TECH OPS AND AIR TFC LOGS TO TRACK THE ISSUES AND HOW AND WHAT MAINT HAS BEEN PERFORMED. RECALIBRATE THE SYS; ADJUST GAINS AND PERFORM ANY OTHER MAINT TO ENSURE PROPER OP OF AMASS.
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.