RPTR STATES THAT THE ZFW'S ODESSA LONG RANGE RADAR IS GENERATING AN EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF FALSE TARGETS; WHICH RPTR BELIEVES ADVERSELY IMPACTS BOTH THE USER AND SAFETY.

Date: 1999-06

Anomalies: other-radar-false-returns

Synopsis

RPTR STATES THAT THE ZFW'S ODESSA LONG RANGE RADAR IS GENERATING AN EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF FALSE TARGETS; WHICH RPTR BELIEVES ADVERSELY IMPACTS BOTH THE USER AND SAFETY.

Narrative

STARTING AROUND XA30 LCL; A LARGE NUMBER OF FALSE TARGETS; TRACKS; AND OTHER RADAR DATA WERE OBSERVED AROUND THE ODESSA LRR SITE. ONGOING PROBS WITH FALSE WX DEPICTION HAVE BEEN A CONCERN FOR SOME TIME NOW; BUT THIS IS MUCH MORE SERIOUS. THE PROB WAS/IS GENERATING A GREAT NUMBER OF FALSE TARGETS. THIS IS CAUSING GREAT ADDITIONAL CTLR WORKLOAD. THIS IS ESPECIALLY TRUE SINCE SEVERAL RECENT INCIDENTS IN ZFW HAVE BEEN LINKED TO 'LIMITED DATA BLOCKS' TRANSITING SECTORS WITHOUT BEING OBSERVED. WE HAVE BEEN BRIEFED TO BE VIGILANT; BUT WHEN 20+ FALSE TARGETS ARE JUMPING ABOUT IN A SECTOR (A COUNT TAKEN AT MID MORNING ON ZFW-40); THE CTLR IS FORCED TO TAKE ATTN FROM HIS ADDITIONAL SVCS AND SOME OF HIS SECONDARY SVCS TO ENSURE HIS PRIMARY DUTY -- SEPARATION. I WAS COMPELLED TO EVALUATE MANY FALSE TRACKS TO SEE IF THEY COULD POSSIBLY BE AN IFR ACFT; NOT HANDED OFF TO ME IN ERROR. THIS SIT GREATLY INCREASES SECTOR WORKLOAD AND ADVERSELY IMPACTS BOTH SAFETY AND THE USER. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THIS ANOMALY HAD BEEN RARE IN THE PAST; NOT LIKE THE PROB THAT WAS RPTED TO US. RPTR INDICATED THAT SOMETHING HAD BEEN DONE; JUST AFTER HIS ASRS RPT WAS SENT; TO THE ODESSA RADAR TO REDUCE THE FALSE TARGETS; BUT NOT ENOUGH TO TOTALLY ELIMINATE THE PROB. RPTR INFORMED ANALYST THAT 2 FACILITY UCR'S HAVE BEEN FILED RECENTLY CITING THE SAME PROB. ONE WAS FILED BY THE RPTR AND THE OTHER BY ANOTHER CTLR. THEY ARE STILL WAITING FOR THE OFFICIAL FACILITY RESPONSE; PRIMARILY FROM AIRWAYS FACILITIES RADAR MAINT. RPTR SAID THAT HIS UNION REPRESENTATIVE IS AWARE OF THIS PROB AND WILL TRY TO GET SOMETHING STARTED USING THAT AVENUE.

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