RPTR STATES THERE IS A CONTINUOUS PROB WITH FALSE TARGETS ON THE ASR-9 RADAR. RPTR ALLEGES THAT SINCE A DEC 1996 MEETING WITH ALL CONCERNED PERSONNEL NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE. RPTR STATES THAT THE CTLR CONFIDENCE IN THE SYS IS DECREASING. RPTR ALLEGES THE CALLING OF TFC ON THE FALSE TARGETS MAY NOT RECEIVE THE PRIORITY IT SHOULD.

Narrative

WE HAVE HAD; FOR SOME TIME (SINCE SEP 1996); A CONTINUOUS PROB WITH FALSE TARGETS BEING DISPLAYED ON THE RADAR SCOPES; PARTICULARLY WITHIN 20 MI OF THE ANTENNA SITE. THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL DISCUSSION WITH AIR TFC MGMNT ABOUT THE NEED TO HAVE THIS PROB RESOLVED. AIR TFC MGMNT HAS HAD NUMEROUS DISCUSSION WITH AIRWAYS FACILITIES MGMNT; BUT TO NO AVAIL. ON DEC/WED/96; A MEETING WAS HELD INVOLVING AIR TFC MGMNT; AIR FACILITY MGMNT; AND REPRESENTATIVES FROM UNIONS. THE ISSUE WAS DISCUSSED AT LENGTH; AND SEVERAL COURSES OF ACTION WERE OUTLINED. TO DATE; TO MY KNOWLEDGE; NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE. RECENTLY; THE AIR TFC ASSISTANT MGR OF OPS (AMO) AGAIN DISCUSSED THE ISSUE WITH AIR FACILITY MGR TO ASCERTAIN WHAT PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE. THE RESPONSE WAS THAT 'DATA' NEEDED TO BE COLLECTED. WHEN ASKED WHAT HE WAS DOING TO COLLECT THE DATA; MR X RESPONDED THAT IT WAS NOT HIS RESPONSIBILITY TO COLLECT THE DATA. THE AMO WAS TOLD BY THE AIR FACILITY MGR'S BOSS THAT THERE WERE SEVERAL THINGS THAT COULD BE DONE TO COLLECT THE DATA. AGAIN; TO DATE; AND TO MY KNOWLEDGE; NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE. THIS ISSUE HAS CONSISTENTLY BEEN ADDRESSED; BY NATCA; AS A SAFETY PROB OF THE MOST SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES. AT EACH MEETING/DISCUSSION HELD TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE; I CONTINUOUSLY POINTED OUT THAT THE CTLR CONFIDENCE IN THE SYS IS DECREASING ON A DAILY BASIS; TO THE DEGREE THAT CALLING TFC ON THESE FALSE TARGETS MAY NOT RECEIVE THE PRIORITY IT SHOULD. WHEN A CTLR GETS BUSY; HE/SHE MUST PRIORITIZE THE DUTIES TO BE PERFORMED; AND IN DOING SUCH; MAY DECIDE NOT TO CALL TFC ASSUMING THAT IT IS A FALSE TARGET. EVENTUALLY THIS WILL NOT BE THE CASE; AND 2 OR MORE ACFT; AND THE PAX ON BOARD; WILL PAY THE PRICE FOR THE LACK OF ACTION ON THE PART OF AIR FACILITY MGMNT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THE FACILITY MADE UP A FORM WHICH THE SUPVRS AND CTLRS USED TO COLLECT ABOUT A WKS WORTH OF DATA -- TIME; DATE; RANGE AND AZIMUTH. THIS INFO WAS GIVEN TO AIR FACILITY. RPTR SAID HE IS UNAWARE OF ANY CHANGES; THE FALSE TARGETS ARE STILL THERE.