CTLR STATES THAT THERE IS A RADAR BLIND SPOT OVER SLI VORTAC THAT ALLEGEDLY IMPACTS SAFETY.
Synopsis
CTLR STATES THAT THERE IS A RADAR BLIND SPOT OVER SLI VORTAC THAT ALLEGEDLY IMPACTS SAFETY.
Narrative
BLIND SPOT OVER SLI VORTAC APPROX 3 1/2 MI RADIUS. ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION; I HAVE HAD PLTS OF BOTH VFR AND IFR ACFT RPT NEAR MISSES WITH ACFT IN THIS BLIND SPOT; SOME REQUIRING EVASIVE ACTION. IN NEARLY ALL CASES; THE PLT(S) WANT TO KNOW WHY I DIDN'T CALL THE TFC. OF COURSE; I NEVER SAW THE TFC. ON AT LEAST ONE OCCASION; THE CIVIL ACFT (VFR; NOT TALKING TO ME) WHO CAUSED THE NEAR MISS COULD NOT BE SEEN ENTERING THE BLIND SPOT EVEN ON THE RADAR PLAYBACK. THESE VFR ACFT ARE NOT REQUIRED TO CALL ME; THIS WOULD BE NO PROBLEM IF I COULD SEE THEM. THE REAL PROBLEM; IN MY OPINION; IS THAT PLTS ARE UNAWARE THAT THEY (AND POTENTIAL CONFLICTING TFC) ARE NOT IN RADAR CONTACT FOR ABOUT 7 FLT MI OVER THE VORTAC. THEY TRUST ME TO CALL THE TFC FOR THEM. THE SAME PROBLEM EXISTS OVER NZJ VORTAC. MIL JETS DEPARTING NZJ EXECUTE A R CLBING TURN OVER THE VORTAC TO 13000. ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION; THEY HAVE BUSTED THEIR ALT RESTRICTION; AND THE CTLR COULDN'T CATCH IT OR WARN ZLA BECAUSE ACFT WAS IN BLIND SPOT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. CALL TO FACILITY REVEALED THAT BOTH VORTAC'S ARE IN THE SAME LOCATION AS THE RADAR ANTENNA'S AND THAT LOSS OF RADAR DOES OCCUR AS THE RPTR STATES. THIS IS COMMON TO ALL RADAR ANTENNA SITES. WHEN LOSS OF RADAR OCCURS; THE CTLR IS REQUIRED TO ADVISE THE PLT. THERE ARE NO IFR ROUTING PROCS THAT TAKE ACFT OVER EITHER VORTAC; HOWEVER; THEY DO HAVE A LOT OF VFR TFC IN THE VICINITY OF SLI VORTAC. THE RADAR ANTENNA AT SLI IS AN ASR-8; BUT WILL SOON BE UPGRADED TO AN ASR-9. THE FACILITY HAS NO PLANS TO CHANGE PROCS.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.