Narrative:

When I arrived at work there was a NOTAM posted saying that all local FSS frequencys were OTS. I doublechked this online at the FAA NOTAM site and there was a published NOTAM saying 122.55; 122.2 and their UHF equivalents were OTS at montgomery. It was generally IMC with low ceilings over the wkend and we had to issue numerous sigmets and other WX advisories; plus field questions from pilots as to why they couldn't reach AFSS. A few days later; I asked the supervisor if he had any idea when this issue was going to be fixed. He called leesburg AFSS which also seems to be known as washington AFSS but is located in ashburn; va; and services our area by sometimes calling itself anniston AFSS or even nashville AFSS. He initially got no answer when he called a commercial number; so he called the 800 number and asked for a briefer; then for a supervisor. The briefer told him to call the first number again and when my supervisor told him that the commercial number had gone unanswered; the briefer said that they were short-staffed at the AFSS and to try again. My supervisor finally got an AFSS supervisor on the phone and asked about the equipment outage. The AFSS supervisor told him that they were just waiting on FAA technicians to fix it. My supervisor then called the atlantic operations control center (aocc) which schedules maintenance. The atlantic operations control center told him that they had no knowledge of the frequencys being out; but would check into it. Within 30 mins; we were notified that the frequencys were back in service. 1) apparently; there is an issue between AFSS and FAA relating to equipment outages. I don't know if the equipment was ever out or if it was out and got repaired without follow-up notification. 2) there is apparently nobody in the entire system who has the responsibility to compare NOTAMS to real life. If I hadn't inquired about this; AFSS might not have used those frequencys ever again for the remainder of history. 3) apparently AFSS is now too short-handed to answer its own phone now that they are contractors. I wonder how much busier they got when they turned on these frequencys. This is a safety issue because pilots were unable to contact AFSS on the radio for proper WX information and flight plan processing for over 3 days. It also distraction the controllers at my facility and at ZTL as we had to perform some of these functions that AFSS is paid to do for over 3 days.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MGM CTLR VOICED CONCERN REGARDING ONGOING FSS FREQ OUTAGE ISSUE AND THE DIFFICULTY OF CONTACTING FSS FOR REPAIR AND STATUS INFO.

Narrative: WHEN I ARRIVED AT WORK THERE WAS A NOTAM POSTED SAYING THAT ALL LCL FSS FREQS WERE OTS. I DOUBLECHKED THIS ONLINE AT THE FAA NOTAM SITE AND THERE WAS A PUBLISHED NOTAM SAYING 122.55; 122.2 AND THEIR UHF EQUIVALENTS WERE OTS AT MONTGOMERY. IT WAS GENERALLY IMC WITH LOW CEILINGS OVER THE WKEND AND WE HAD TO ISSUE NUMEROUS SIGMETS AND OTHER WX ADVISORIES; PLUS FIELD QUESTIONS FROM PLTS AS TO WHY THEY COULDN'T REACH AFSS. A FEW DAYS LATER; I ASKED THE SUPVR IF HE HAD ANY IDEA WHEN THIS ISSUE WAS GOING TO BE FIXED. HE CALLED LEESBURG AFSS WHICH ALSO SEEMS TO BE KNOWN AS WASHINGTON AFSS BUT IS LOCATED IN ASHBURN; VA; AND SVCS OUR AREA BY SOMETIMES CALLING ITSELF ANNISTON AFSS OR EVEN NASHVILLE AFSS. HE INITIALLY GOT NO ANSWER WHEN HE CALLED A COMMERCIAL NUMBER; SO HE CALLED THE 800 NUMBER AND ASKED FOR A BRIEFER; THEN FOR A SUPVR. THE BRIEFER TOLD HIM TO CALL THE FIRST NUMBER AGAIN AND WHEN MY SUPVR TOLD HIM THAT THE COMMERCIAL NUMBER HAD GONE UNANSWERED; THE BRIEFER SAID THAT THEY WERE SHORT-STAFFED AT THE AFSS AND TO TRY AGAIN. MY SUPVR FINALLY GOT AN AFSS SUPVR ON THE PHONE AND ASKED ABOUT THE EQUIP OUTAGE. THE AFSS SUPVR TOLD HIM THAT THEY WERE JUST WAITING ON FAA TECHNICIANS TO FIX IT. MY SUPVR THEN CALLED THE ATLANTIC OPS CTL CTR (AOCC) WHICH SCHEDULES MAINT. THE ATLANTIC OPS CTL CTR TOLD HIM THAT THEY HAD NO KNOWLEDGE OF THE FREQS BEING OUT; BUT WOULD CHK INTO IT. WITHIN 30 MINS; WE WERE NOTIFIED THAT THE FREQS WERE BACK IN SVC. 1) APPARENTLY; THERE IS AN ISSUE BTWN AFSS AND FAA RELATING TO EQUIP OUTAGES. I DON'T KNOW IF THE EQUIP WAS EVER OUT OR IF IT WAS OUT AND GOT REPAIRED WITHOUT FOLLOW-UP NOTIFICATION. 2) THERE IS APPARENTLY NOBODY IN THE ENTIRE SYS WHO HAS THE RESPONSIBILITY TO COMPARE NOTAMS TO REAL LIFE. IF I HADN'T INQUIRED ABOUT THIS; AFSS MIGHT NOT HAVE USED THOSE FREQS EVER AGAIN FOR THE REMAINDER OF HISTORY. 3) APPARENTLY AFSS IS NOW TOO SHORT-HANDED TO ANSWER ITS OWN PHONE NOW THAT THEY ARE CONTRACTORS. I WONDER HOW MUCH BUSIER THEY GOT WHEN THEY TURNED ON THESE FREQS. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE PLTS WERE UNABLE TO CONTACT AFSS ON THE RADIO FOR PROPER WX INFO AND FLT PLAN PROCESSING FOR OVER 3 DAYS. IT ALSO DISTR THE CTLRS AT MY FACILITY AND AT ZTL AS WE HAD TO PERFORM SOME OF THESE FUNCTIONS THAT AFSS IS PAID TO DO FOR OVER 3 DAYS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.