ATC EQUIP PROB RADAR SHUT DOWN FOR MAINT. NON DETECTION OF ACFT BY OVERLAPPING RADAR SYS.

Narrative

EACH SUNDAY; IT IS NORMAL PRACTICE FOR THE HAYLEYVILLE; AL; (QPC) RADAR SITE TO BE SHUT DOWN FOR MAINT FOR 4 HRS. THE RADAR SITE IS 70 MI NW OF BIRMINGHAM; AL. WITH THIS OUTAGE; RADAR SERVICE IS NON EXISTENT BETWEEN BIRMINGHAM; HUNTSVILLE; MUSCLE SHOALS; COLUMBUS; MS AND TUSCALOOSA; AL. WITH THE INCREASING AMOUNT OF TFC IN THE AREA; THIS OUTAGE IS CREATING MORE AND MORE PROBS; NOT ONLY FOR ATLANTA CTR; BUT MEMPHIS CTR AND THE AIR TFC INVOLVED. MOST TFC IS BEING RESTR TO BEING HELD DOWN TO VERY LOW ALTS FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME. MANY TIMES SEPARATION IS BEING DELEGATED TO APCH CTLS TO SEPARATE ENRTE TFC VS THEIR DEPS UNTIL CTR CAN IDENTIFY THE ACFT ON RADAR. RESTRS ARE PUT IN PLACE BTWN ATLANTA AND MEMPHIS TO REQUIRE ALL ACFT AT OR BELOW 14000 FT TO BE CLRED VIA AIRWAYS; BUT MANY TIMES THIS WILL NOT COVER THE TFC DUE TO THE IRREGULAR TRACKING FROM THE RADAR SITES TRYING TO COVER THE AREA. ONE INSTANCE OCCURRED WHEN A CESSNA CITATION DEPARTED BHM GOING TO MEMPHIS; TN. THE ACFT WAS CLBED TO 16000 DUE TO TFC AT 17000; EVEN THOUGH THE CITATION IS A FAST CLBER AND WAS REQUESTING ABOVE 23000. THE TFC AT 17000 WAS RADAR IDENTED BUT NO TARGET WAS ACQUIRED ON THE CITATION UNTIL IT WAS 80 MI NW OF BHM LEVEL AT 16000. THE OUTAGES FOR QPC SHOULD BE SCHEDULED ON THE MIDNIGHT SHIFT OR FOR 4 HOURS EARLIER ON SUNDAY MORNINGS BEFORE THE TFC VOLUME HAS INCREASED; I.E. 0500 EST - 0900 EST. TFC IN THIS AREA BEGINS TO BUILD AFTER 0900 ON SUNDAYS.