Narrative:

I was working the nse arrival sector (K/ar) at P31 when I noticed 'la' flashing in the data block of a military T34. I called nse tower and advised them of the low altitude alert. I then called the supervisor and informed him that no aural alarm had sounded. The data tag flashed 'la' from about a 4 mi final until touchdown; but never sounded to alert me (confirmed by the controller working beside me). When I asked our automation specialist about this; she said the computer showed that the aural alarm sounded on about a 4 mi final. At P31; we have had this problem for a long time. A few weeks ago air carrier X tried to land at nun instead of pns accidentally. The controller didn't catch the mistake immediately because the aural alarm did not sound. In the air carrier X situation; 3 controllers and the supervisor confirmed that the aural alarm didn't sound; but the automation specialist said that the computer showed that the aural alarm had sounded. There have been several other controllers that have reported problems with the aural alarm not sounding to their supervisors; but the equipment has not been fixed yet and the incidents are not being reported on our 'daily facility log.' this makes the problem difficult to track because the incidents are written on strips and passed to the supervisor who hopefully gets the information to the automation specialist.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: P31 CTLR VOICED CONCERN REGARDING THE FAILURE OF THE AURAL ALARM ON THE MSAW SYSTEM; ALLEGING PRIOR PROBLEMS.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING THE NSE ARR SECTOR (K/AR) AT P31 WHEN I NOTICED 'LA' FLASHING IN THE DATA BLOCK OF A MIL T34. I CALLED NSE TWR AND ADVISED THEM OF THE LOW ALT ALERT. I THEN CALLED THE SUPVR AND INFORMED HIM THAT NO AURAL ALARM HAD SOUNDED. THE DATA TAG FLASHED 'LA' FROM ABOUT A 4 MI FINAL UNTIL TOUCHDOWN; BUT NEVER SOUNDED TO ALERT ME (CONFIRMED BY THE CTLR WORKING BESIDE ME). WHEN I ASKED OUR AUTOMATION SPECIALIST ABOUT THIS; SHE SAID THE COMPUTER SHOWED THAT THE AURAL ALARM SOUNDED ON ABOUT A 4 MI FINAL. AT P31; WE HAVE HAD THIS PROB FOR A LONG TIME. A FEW WKS AGO ACR X TRIED TO LAND AT NUN INSTEAD OF PNS ACCIDENTALLY. THE CTLR DIDN'T CATCH THE MISTAKE IMMEDIATELY BECAUSE THE AURAL ALARM DID NOT SOUND. IN THE ACR X SITUATION; 3 CTLRS AND THE SUPVR CONFIRMED THAT THE AURAL ALARM DIDN'T SOUND; BUT THE AUTOMATION SPECIALIST SAID THAT THE COMPUTER SHOWED THAT THE AURAL ALARM HAD SOUNDED. THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL OTHER CTLRS THAT HAVE RPTED PROBS WITH THE AURAL ALARM NOT SOUNDING TO THEIR SUPVRS; BUT THE EQUIP HAS NOT BEEN FIXED YET AND THE INCIDENTS ARE NOT BEING RPTED ON OUR 'DAILY FACILITY LOG.' THIS MAKES THE PROB DIFFICULT TO TRACK BECAUSE THE INCIDENTS ARE WRITTEN ON STRIPS AND PASSED TO THE SUPVR WHO HOPEFULLY GETS THE INFO TO THE AUTOMATION SPECIALIST.

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.