AGC CTLR CONCERNED WITH MAINT MGMNT RESPONSE TO FLT DATA INPUT OUTPUT (FDIO) OUTAGE.

Date: 2000-10

Anomalies: other-f-d-i-o-equip-prob

Synopsis

AGC CTLR CONCERNED WITH MAINT MGMNT RESPONSE TO FLT DATA INPUT OUTPUT (FDIO) OUTAGE.

Narrative

ON OR ABOUT XA00 ON OCT/XA/00; OUR FDIO (FLT DATA INPUT/OUTPUT) SYS WENT OFF LINE. ALL EFFORTS TO RESTORE THE SYS LOCALLY PROVED UNSUCCESSFUL. AIRWAYS FACILITIES TECHNICIANS WERE CALLED IN. THE PROB WAS DEEMED TO BE AT ZOB. ON THE FOLLOWING MONDAY THE TWR SUPVR ADVISED THE AIRWAYS FACILITIES TECHNICIAN THAT WAS FIXING THE PROB COULD WAIT UNTIL TUESDAY. ON TUESDAY; WHEN AIRWAYS FACILITIES RETURNED TO WORK SEVERAL PROBS WERE IDENTED AND THE FDIO WAS NOT RETURNED TO SVC. A PART WAS ORDERED TO BE OVERNIGHT DELIVERED ON TUESDAY NIGHT. THIS TURNED OUT NOT TO BE THE PROB. IT IS NOW FRIDAY AND STILL NO FDIO. THE THINKING OF MGMNT MAY BE TO LET IT GO AGAIN FOR THE WKEND. HOW DOES THIS AFFECT ATC: 1) IFR FLT PLANS; BOTH DEPS AND ARRS; DO NOT COME TO THE TWR. ALL STRIPS NOW MUST BE HAND WRITTEN. THIS INCREASES POTENTIAL FOR ERROR; SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASES WORKLOAD AT AGC AND PIT; SIGNIFICANT OR DANGEROUS WX MAY NOT BE ISSUED TO PLTS IN A TIMELY MANNER; AND PRE TAXI CLRNCS CANNOT BE ISSUED IN A TIMELY MANNER INCREASING GND CTL; FLT DATA; APCH CTL AND COCKPIT WORKLOAD. 2) WE ARE WORKING MANY TIMES WITH GND CTL; CLRNC DELIVERY AND FLT DATA COMBINED. THIS; FOR THE MOST PART IS DUE TO STAFFING PROBS LOCALLY. WITH THE AVAILABILITY OF FDIO; PS PROCEED MUCH SMOOTHER. MY PERSONAL FEELING IS HAD THEY WORKED WHEN THE PROB FIRST OCCURRED; IT MAY HAVE BEEN EASIER TO ISOLATE. AS FOR NOW; AND WE GET NO UPDATES FROM MGMNT; IT APPEARS NO CLOSER TO BEING FIXED THAN WHEN IT FIRST OCCURRED.

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