ACFT X PREMATURE DSCNT ON NDB APCH. FAA MAINT TECHNICIANS FAIL TO REPAIR EQUIP IN A TIMELY MANNER.

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ON 5/TUE/94 WE WERE LNDG RWY 12R; BUT DUE TO FLT CHK THE LOC WAS SWITCHED TO RWY 30L FOR INSPECTION. AFTER FINALLY GETTING THE INSPECTION COMPLETED; OUR MAINT GUYS SWITCHED THE LOC BACK TO OUR LNDG RWY 12R. IT DID NOT WORK. AFTER SEVERAL ACFT RPTED THE ILS INTERMITTENT; THE ARPT FACILITIES PERSONNEL SAID THAT IT COULD NOT BE THEIR EQUIP. IT MUST BE THE LAS 12 ACFT THAT ALL HAD THE SAME PROB. ON 5/WED/94 I WAS WORKING FINAL; WITH AN NDB RWY 12R APCH IN USE. ACFT X WAS TURNED ON THE APCH (IMC) APPROX 8 MI OUT FROM NDB. AT 3 MI OUT ACFT X STARTED OUT OF 3000 FT; THE PLT WAS GIVEN A LOW ALT ALERT IMMEDIATELY AND CLBED BACK TO 2800 FT FROM 2400 FT; THE PLT SAID HE HAD HAD A COMPLETE NEEDLE SWING WHICH HE THOUGHT HE WAS PASSING THE NDB. APPROX 1 MI OUTSIDE THE NDB IS AN ANTENNA OF APPROX 1794 FT RIGHT ON FINAL. WE (THE CTLRS) DO NOT LIKE USING THIS APCH. APPROX 5 TO 7 OTHER ACFT RPTED THIS APCH TO BE UNRELIABLE. WE WANTED TO GO TO SURVEILLANCE APCH'S BUT I WAS INFORMED BY THE SUPVR WE DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH FPL'S TO OPEN ANOTHER SCOPE TO RUN THESE APCH'S. I PERSONALLY HAD TO GIVE SURVEILLANCE TO A COUPLE ACFT BECAUSE I DID NOT BELIEVE THEY WOULD MAKE IT INTO SAT ON THAT NDB APCH. SUPVR CALLED ARPT OPS TO TRY AND GET THE APCH (ILS RWY 3); OPS SAID IT WOULD TAKE 1 TO 2 HRS TO GET IT ON LINE. ALSO; RWY 3 IS ONLY 6260 FT DUE TO THE LAST 1245 FT BEING CLOSED. WE DID NOT GET THE ILS TO RWY 12R BACK UNTIL 5/TUES/94. WE HAVE AND HAVE HAD FOR A LONG TIME A REAL PROB WITH OUR TECHNICIANS. ALSO; OUR FACILITY HAS BEEN SHORT OF FPL'S FOR OVER 8 MONTHS. THIS IS OF GREAT CONCERN DUE TO THE FACT THAT WE ARE STARTING DAY AND EVENING SHIFTS 2 AND 3 BODIES SHORT AT TIMES. WHEN WE NEED TO OPEN ANOTHER RADAR SCOPE; WE CAN'T. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR SAID THAT THE ILS FOR RWY 12R IS BACK IN SVC. IT WAS OTS FOR 2 DAYS BEFORE IT WAS FINALLY FIXED. THE NDB IS THE BACKUP APCH PROC FOR THE ILS; HOWEVER; THE RPTR DOES NOT THINK THAT IT PROVIDES A POSITIVE ENOUGH APCH. RPTR ALSO STATED THAT THIS ILS WAS OTS FOR APPROX 1 MONTH LAST YR. HE BELIEVES ONE OF THE CAUSES OF THEIR OUTAGES IS THE LACK OF EQUIP KNOWLEDGE BY AIRWAY FACILITIES PERSONNEL. IT APPEARS THAT THEY HAVE CUT BACK ON THEIR COVERAGE HRS IN ORDER TO HELP REDUCE THE BUDGET. RPTR IS ALSO CRITICAL OF THEIR STAFFING LEVEL. THEY ARE USUALLY 2 TO 3 CTLRS SHORT ON THE DAY AND SWING SHIFTS. THE PRIMARY REASON FOR THIS IS THAT THERE IS NO PCS MONEY TO MOVE TRANSFEREES FROM ONE FACILITY TO ANOTHER. IT'S POSSIBLE THAT IT MAY GET BETTER WHEN THEY GET INTO THE NEW FISCAL YR IN OCT.