RADAR FACILITY AT N90 LOST PRIMARY RADAR AND CONTINUED USING SECONDARY RADAR BUT DID NOT MAKE REQUIRED NOTIFICATIONS TO USERS OR BRIEFINGS TO CTLRS.

Narrative

A LIGHTNING STRIKE TOOK OUT THE PRIMARY RADAR AT ISP; A CLASS C ARPT. SOME SORT OF MAJOR MISCOM OCCURRED BTWN MAINT (AIRWAYS FACILITIES); THE AREA MGR IN CHARGE; AND THE ISP AREA SUPVR; BECAUSE THE ISP SECTOR CONTINUED TO CTL LIVE TFC USING SECONDARY RADAR ONLY. APPARENTLY NONE OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR USING SECONDARY RADAR ONLY WERE DONE. (IE; NOTAM ON ATIS; ADVISORIES TO VFR'S; SUSPENSION OF CLASS C SVCS; ETC; FAAO 7110.65; 5-1-3A2B.) ALSO AIRWAYS FACILITIES WAS PERFORMING MAINT ON THE ISP RADAR SYS THROUGHOUT THIS PERIOD. AIRWAYS FACILITIES THOUGHT THE SYS WAS RELEASED; BUT AIR TFC FACILITIES OBVIOUSLY WASN'T AWARE OF THIS. ALSO; IT APPEARS THAT THE FAA'S LACK OF TRAINING FOR CTLRS (BOTH CERTIFICATION TRAINING AND REFRESHER) CONTRIBUTED; BECAUSE APPARENTLY NONE OF THE CTLRS; THE MOST INEXPERIENCED CREW IN THE AREA; EITHER REALIZED THE PRIMARY RADAR WAS OUT; OR IF THEY DID; HAD NO CLUE AS TO THE IMPACT OF A PRIMARY RADAR OUTAGE; NOR WHAT THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES WERE. A BACK UP RADAR SYS (HPN) WAS AVAILABLE FOR USE THE ENTIRE TIME.