C90 controller voiced concern regarding an ord ASR-9 failure that limited traffic flow; recommending...

Attributes
ACN	781488
Time
Date	200804
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : c90.tracon
State Reference	IL
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Weather Elements	Turbulence Rain Fog
Light	Night
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller military : 3 controller radar : 23 controller time certified in position1 : 11
ASRS Report	781488
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Maintenance Human Performance Navigational Facility FAA
Primary Problem	Navigational Facility

Narrative:

From XA12Z-XB36Z; ord lost use of its only ASR9 radar site. Preventive maintenance is not regularly done on this very valuable piece of equipment. The TRACON (C90) does have another radar site (qxm); but it is not located at ord; but rather 15-20 mi south of ord. As a result; all spacing in and out of ord was severely restr. User delays were high. The WX during the outage was IFR. Visibility was 2 SM rabr; the ceiling was overcast 008 and the wind was 080 degrees at 20 KTS gusting to 24 KTS. There were also thunderstorms in the area. New south departure procedures also went into effect today out of ord and mdw. Instead of utilizing 3 departure fixes south; 5 departure fixes went into use. Controllers were just starting to get a feel for these new procedures when the ASR9 radar site being used stopped working. There have been many unsatisfactory condition reports and NASA reports filed on the fact that chicago TRACON only has 1 radar site located at ord. Recommendation solution: install another radar site at ord.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C90 CTLR VOICED CONCERN REGARDING AN ORD ASR-9 FAILURE THAT LIMITED TFC FLOW; RECOMMENDING AN ADDITIONAL RADAR UNIT AT THE ORD SITE AS BACK-UP.

Narrative: FROM XA12Z-XB36Z; ORD LOST USE OF ITS ONLY ASR9 RADAR SITE. PREVENTIVE MAINT IS NOT REGULARLY DONE ON THIS VERY VALUABLE PIECE OF EQUIP. THE TRACON (C90) DOES HAVE ANOTHER RADAR SITE (QXM); BUT IT IS NOT LOCATED AT ORD; BUT RATHER 15-20 MI S OF ORD. AS A RESULT; ALL SPACING IN AND OUT OF ORD WAS SEVERELY RESTR. USER DELAYS WERE HIGH. THE WX DURING THE OUTAGE WAS IFR. VISIBILITY WAS 2 SM RABR; THE CEILING WAS OVCST 008 AND THE WIND WAS 080 DEGS AT 20 KTS GUSTING TO 24 KTS. THERE WERE ALSO TSTMS IN THE AREA. NEW S DEP PROCS ALSO WENT INTO EFFECT TODAY OUT OF ORD AND MDW. INSTEAD OF UTILIZING 3 DEP FIXES S; 5 DEP FIXES WENT INTO USE. CTLRS WERE JUST STARTING TO GET A FEEL FOR THESE NEW PROCS WHEN THE ASR9 RADAR SITE BEING USED STOPPED WORKING. THERE HAVE BEEN MANY UNSATISFACTORY CONDITION RPTS AND NASA RPTS FILED ON THE FACT THAT CHICAGO TRACON ONLY HAS 1 RADAR SITE LOCATED AT ORD. RECOMMENDATION SOLUTION: INSTALL ANOTHER RADAR SITE AT ORD.

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.

C90 controller voiced concern regarding an ord ASR-9 failure that limited traffic flow; recommending an additional radar unit at the ord site as back-up.