MIA ATCT CTLR WORKING WHEN ARTS III FAILED TWICE. SYS RECOVERY TOOK 8 MINS. RPTR STATES ARTS FAILED ON THE PREVIOUS DAY; REQUIRING A 'COLD START' PROCESS.

Narrative

ON JUL/XB/99; THE MIA ARTS III FAILED TWICE IN RAPID SUCCESSION. THE SYS DID NOT AUTO-RECOVER AND IT TOOK APPROX 8 MINS TO FULLY RECOVER. THE ARTS ALSO FAILED TWICE ON JUL/XA/99; REQUIRING A 'COLD START' OF THE PROGRAM TO RECOVER. THE ARTS HAS FAILED MANY TIMES IN THE PAST 30 DAYS. DURING TONIGHT'S INCIDENT; WE WERE UTILIZING EXPANDED ARR AND DEP SPACING BECAUSE OF THE UNRELIABILITY OF THE ARTS SYS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR ADVISED THAT A NEW SYS PATCH (CONTENT UNKNOWN) HAD BEEN INSTALLED A WK PRIOR TO THE BEGINNING OF MULTIPLE ARTS III FAILURES. INVESTIGATION DETERMINED THAT THE PROB WAS FOCUSED AT TRACON'S WITH DUAL RADAR SITES. MIA APCH CTL HAS 1 SITE AT MIA ARPT AND ANOTHER AT FLL. A CONDITION MUST EXIST WITH AN ACFT THAT IS HANDED OFF TO ZMA; CLBING ABOVE 16000 FT (TOP OF MIA DELEGATED AIRSPACE); BUT REMAINS WITHIN THE TRACON AURODROP BOUNDARY -- 55 MI; AND THEN IS AGAIN HANDED OFF BACK TO ANY OF THE MIA TRACON SECTORS. THE TECHNICAL CTR HAD TO SEND SOMEONE DOWN; SINCE UNDER FAA REORGANIZATION; THE FACILITY DSS'S HAD BEEN ELIMINATED. MID AUG/99; THE PATCH WAS REMOVED AND HAS NOT YET BEEN REINSTALLED.