CTLR CLAIMS THAT TELEPHONE COMPANY LAND LINES BTWN THE TWR AND APCH CTL FACILITY ARE OLD AND DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN BY TECHNICIANS. AS A RESULT; THE LAND LINES FREQUENTLY BECOME UNUSABLE.

Date: 1997-10

Anomalies: other-unspecified

Synopsis

CTLR CLAIMS THAT TELEPHONE COMPANY LAND LINES BTWN THE TWR AND APCH CTL FACILITY ARE OLD AND DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN BY TECHNICIANS. AS A RESULT; THE LAND LINES FREQUENTLY BECOME UNUSABLE.

Narrative

SHREVEPORT RAPCON/TWR IS A 'SPLIT' FACILITY. THE TWR IS LOCATED AT SHREVEPORT REGIONAL ARPT; WHILE THE RAPCON (RADAR APCH CTL) IS LOCATED ON BARKSDALE MIL BASE 10 MI TO THE E. WE ARE PLAGUED WITH CHRONIC LAND LINE PROBS. ALL OUR LAND LINES MUST PASS THROUGH A MIL TELEPHONE VAULT BEFORE THEY GO TO THE TWR OR THE RAPCON. THE MIL EQUIP AND TECHNOLOGY IS ANCIENT AND DILAPIDATED. OUR TELEPHONE PROTOCOL FOLLOWS A RUBE GOLDBERG CHAIN OF CUSTODY; PASSING THROUGH PHONE COMPANY A AND PHONE COMPANY B EQUIP BEFORE GOING THROUGH THE MIL EQUIP. WHEN WE HAVE A PROB; THESE ENTITIES WASTE OUR TIME TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WITH WHOSE EQUIP THE FAULT LIES. MEANWHILE; WE ARE HELD HOSTAGE BY MIL TECHNICIANS AND EQUIP THAT CAN'T KEEP UP WITH THE CURRENT TECHNOLOGY. ON THE DATE AND TIME MENTIONED ABOVE; THE LINE IN THE TWR HAD SO MUCH FEEDBACK AS TO BE UNUSABLE FOR 24 MINS. 14 MINS OF THAT TIME WAS AFTER THE APCH CTL HAD BEEN REMOTED TO THE TWR FOR THE NEXT SHIFT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 383320: ON THE DATE AND TIME MENTIONED ABOVE; OUR PHONE LINES WERE SEVERED; RENDERING FIVE LINES OTS. THESE LINES ARE USED TO COORDINATE BTWN THE TWR AND THE RAPCON AND BTWN THE RAPCON AND ADJACENT FACILITIES.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.