MSP CTLR CONCERNED WITH CONSTANT ASDE (ARPT SFC DETECTION EQUIP) FALSE TARGETS WHICH ARE CONSISTENTLY IGNORED.
Synopsis
MSP CTLR CONCERNED WITH CONSTANT ASDE (ARPT SFC DETECTION EQUIP) FALSE TARGETS WHICH ARE CONSISTENTLY IGNORED.
Narrative
THERE ARE ALWAYS FALSE TARGETS ON THE ASDE (ARPT SURFACE DETECTION EQUIP). WHEN THE WX IS GOOD; IT'S NOT A BOTHER BECAUSE WE CAN VISUALLY SCAN THE RWYS. WHEN THE WX IS BAD; WE CONSISTENTLY IGNORE THE FALSE TARGET. THERE'S NO WAY TO DISCERN IF IT'S A VEHICLE; ACFT; OR A LOST ACFT. WE DO NOT SEND ACFT ON FINAL AROUND AND ONE DAY; THIS COULD PROVE FATAL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR ADVISED THAT FALSE TARGETS HAVE BEEN A NOTED PROB SINCE 1995 WITHOUT RESOLUTION. THE POORER THE WX; THE MORE THE FALSE ALERTS. RPTR STATED THAT CTLRS 'GENERALLY IGNORE' ALL ASDE ALARMS. THE CTLR IS AWARE OF A NMAC LAST YEAR BETWEEN AN ISSUED GAR AND AN IFR DEP DUE TO A FALSE ASDE ALERT. ATTEMPTS AT 'RADAR FILTERING' HAVE NOT HELPED. THE CTLR ADVISED THAT PRIMARY TARGETS ARE BARELY VISIBLE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO: TWR SPECIALIST ADVISED THAT CTLRS ARE REQUIRED TO EVALUATE EACH ALARM. SINCE THERE ARE MANY FALSE ALERTS TARGETS NOT AT KNOWN/PUBLISHED INTXN CROSSING POINTS 'CAN BE IGNORED.' WHAT IS CAUSING THE FALSE MULTIPATH REFLECTION ALERTS IS NOT EXACTLY KNOWN. CONSIDERATION ARE THE CLOSENESS OF THE ASDE ANTENNA TO THE TERMINAL; THE SOFTWARE PROGRAM AND/OR ANTENNA ANGLE. IMPLEMENTATION OF AMASS HAD BEEN DELAYED DUE TO ITS OWN SOFTWARE PROBS AS WELL AS BEING UNABLE TO FILTER OUT FALSE ASDE ALERTS.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.