RADAR AND FDEP FAILURE DUE TO MAIN PWR BEING TURNED OFF ACCIDENTALLY.
Synopsis
RADAR AND FDEP FAILURE DUE TO MAIN PWR BEING TURNED OFF ACCIDENTALLY.
Narrative
A MAINT LADDER WAS KNOCKED OVER AND FELL INTO THE HOST COMPUTER; SHUTTING OFF THE MAIN CIRCUIT BREAKER SWITCH. ZNY LOST ALL ITS RADAR CAPABILITY. (BOTH RDP AND DARC PLUS THE FDEP.) ALL 3 SYS ARE ON THE SAME SWITCH! WE LOST THE PRIMARY RADAR (RDP) FOR APPROX 2 HRS. THE BACKUP CAME ON AFTER ABOUT 30 MINS; AND THE FLT DATA (FDEP) PROCESSOR WAS OUT FOR ABOUT 1 HR AND 45 MINS. SINCE THE CTLRS NO LONGER KNOW HOW TO WORK NON RADAR; ALL TFC WAS STOPPED UNTIL THE DARC WAS BROUGHT UP. ALL THE FLT DATA HAD TO BE WRITTEN MANUALLY AND PHONED IN TO THE ADJACENT FACILITIES. I FIND IT INCONCEIVABLE THAT ALL THE SYS INCLUDING BACKUPS; ARE ON 1 CIRCUIT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THE MAIN PWR SWITCH WAS COVERED WITH A GLASS COVER TO PREVENT ACCIDENTAL SHUTOFF. THE MAINT LADDER BROKE THE GLASS COVER AND SHUT OFF THE PWR. RPTR DID NOT KNOW WHY THE PWR COULD NOT BE TURNED BACK ON FOR 2 HRS. UCR HAS BEEN FILED. FACILITY MGMNT IS DOING SOMETHING TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN; BUT THE RPTR DOES NOT KNOW WHAT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 272060: COMPLETE; TOTAL RADAR AND COMPUTER FAILURE AT NEW YORK ARTCC. I.E.; NO COMPUTER PRINTED INFO; NO RADAR; NO BACKUP RADAR. CTLRS HAD NO INFO TO SEPARATE AIRPLANES EXCEPT POS RPTS FROM ACFT.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.