CMA CTLR EXPRESSED CONCERN REGARDING D-BRITE FAILURES DURING WEEKENDS WHEN REPAIRS ARE PROHIBITED BECAUSE OF MIL POLICY.

Date: 2007-02

Synopsis

CMA CTLR EXPRESSED CONCERN REGARDING D-BRITE FAILURES DURING WEEKENDS WHEN REPAIRS ARE PROHIBITED BECAUSE OF MIL POLICY.

Narrative

THE CMA D-BRITE PERIODICALLY FAILS AND THE FAILURE IS USUALLY WX RELATED. THE RADAR ANTENNA AND OTHER EQUIP IS CTLED BY THE MIL WHICH DOES NOT ALLOW ACCESS TO THE EQUIP BY FAA TECHNICIANS ON WEEKENDS. CONSEQUENTLY; WHEN THIS FAILURE OCCURS NEAR THE END OF THE WORK WEEK; THE CMA RADAR IS OUT FOR THE ENTIRE WEEKEND; THE BUSIEST TIME PERIODS FOR AIR TFC ACTIVITY AT CMA. THE FAILURE OF THIS RADAR AT ANY TIME CAN COMPROMISE SAFETY BUT THE CONTINUED NON-OP DURING THE WEEKEND IS ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS. THIS FAILURE MODE HAS BEEN EXPERIENCED ON AT LEAST 2 RECENT WEEKENDS DURING WHICH BUSY TFC WAS EXPERIENCED. AT CMA RECENTLY; THERE WAS AN NMAC IN WHICH THE CTLR ACTIVELY PREVENTED WHAT LIKELY WOULD HAVE BEEN AN ACTUAL COLLISION AFTER THE CTLR OBSERVED THE CONFLICTING TARGETS ON THE BRITE RADAR. IF THE RADAR HAD BEEN OTS; A COLLISION WOULD HAVE BEEN LIKELY. ADDITIONALLY; THE RADAR OUTAGE PREVENTS THE CTLR FROM OBSERVING IFR ACFT ON APCH TO CMA. WHILE DATA BLOCKS ARE NOT PRESENT ON THE CMA BRITE; THE POS OF TARGETS ASSISTS THE CMA CTLR IN VERIFYING THE POS OF ACFT AND SEQUENCING ACFT. THE RADAR OUTAGE PROB COULD BE SIGNIFICANTLY ALLEVIATED IF FAA TECHNICIANS POSSESSED THE KEYS AND SECURITY CLRNCS TO ACCESS THE EQUIP ON A CONTINUAL BASIS OR IF MIL PERSONNEL WERE AVAILABLE ON WEEKENDS TO ALLOW ACCESS. ALTERNATIVELY; A CONTINUOUS PWR SUPPLY MIGHT CORRECT THE PROB. IN MY CONVERSATIONS WITH FAA MGMNT AND WITH TECHNICIANS; I HAVE NOT RECEIVED A SINGLE INTELLIGENT ANSWER AS TO WHY THIS PROB IS TOLERATED.

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