FACILITY EXPERIENCED A PWR FAILURE. STANDBY ENG GENERATOR FAILED TO WORK. ALL EQUIP OTS EXCEPT FOR 2 SMALL EMER TRANSCEIVERS.

Narrative

MRY ATCT/TRACON SUFFERED COMMERCIAL PWR FAILURE RESULTING IN RADAR LOSS. IN ADDITION; THE PWR FAILURE WAS THROUGHOUT WESTERN UNITED STATES. MONTEREY ENG GENERATOR FAILED LEAVING MONTEREY TRACON WITH NO RADAR AND NO OPERABLE RADIOS. (THE PORTABLE EMER TRANSCEIVER WAS UNUSABLE INDOORS.) WITH NO PWR; THE TELEPHONES (INCLUDING EMER 'CRASH' PHONE) DID NOT OPERATE; NOR DID THE FLT DATA INPUT/OUTPUT TO ZOA HOST COMPUTER; NOR THE WIND INSTS; ALTIMETER SETTING INDICATOR; APCH STATUS INDICATOR LIGHTS; CLOCKS; LIGHT SIGNAL GUN; OR INTERPOS COM (ICSS). IN SHORT; THE ONLY THINGS IN THE ENTIRE FACILITY WORKING WERE 2 SMALL EMER TRANSCEIVERS AND THE AIR TFC CTLRS. ALL THE CTLRS EXCEPT ME WERE WORKING BLIND; DEAF; AND DUMB. THE CONTINGENCY PLAN CALLS FOR ASSISTANCE FROM ZOA (WHO WE WERE UNABLE TO CONTACT). A CTLR FROM THE TRACON WAS ABLE TO REACH ME AND RELAY TO A MOONEY IFR OFF WVI THAT HE MUST MAINTAIN VFR (AS THERE WAS NO WAY TO PROVIDE ANY KIND OF SEPARATION). THIS SEEMS TO ME TO BE A TOTAL BREAKDOWN OF THE SYS DUE TO INADEQUATE BACKUP SYS. WITH BUSY TFC ON INST CONDITIONS WHO KNOWS WHAT MIGHT HAVE HAPPENED. WE WERE VERY LUCKY. WHEN I LEFT WORK XX45L AUG/MON/96 THERE WAS STILL NO BACKUP PWR AND PACIFIC GAS AND ELECTRIC WAS STILL CONCERNED ABOUT THE STATUS OF THE PWR GRID IN CALIFORNIA.