MKE LCL CTLR EXPERIENCED RADIO FAILURE WITH DEP TFC ON THE RWY AND ARR TFC EXECUTING GAR; REPORTER FEELING FREQ JAMMING WAS A FACTOR.
Synopsis
MKE LCL CTLR EXPERIENCED RADIO FAILURE WITH DEP TFC ON THE RWY AND ARR TFC EXECUTING GAR; REPORTER FEELING FREQ JAMMING WAS A FACTOR.
Narrative
WHILE WORKING LCL CTL AT MKE I HAD JUST DEPARTED A SBOUND E145 AND PUT ANOTHER E145 INTO POS AND HOLD. THE AIRBUS WAS ON A 5 MI FINAL. I WAS WAITING TO GET SOME EXTRA SPACING FOR THE ACFT ON THE RWY AS HE WAS GOING OUT THE SAME DEP TRACK. WHEN THE AIRBUS WAS ON A 3 MI FINAL I CLRED THE E145 FOR TKOF. THERE WAS NO RESPONSE. I TRIED AGAIN WITH NO RESPONSE. I THEN GAVE THE AIRBUS INSTRUCTIONS TO GO AROUND WITH NO RESPONSE. THE AIRBUS TRIED TO CONTACT ME. I COULD HEAR HIM BUT COULD NOT TALK TO HIM. I THEN TRIED THE OTHER PHONE JACK AT MY POS WITH NO LUCK. I THEN PLUGGED INTO THE VOICE SWITCH BYPASS WITH NO RESPONSE. THE AIRBUS THEN DECIDED TO GO AROUND. AT THIS TIME THE SUPVR WAS ABLE TO GET THE PET 2000 RADIO ON AND DIALED INTO LCL FREQ AND GAVE GAR INSTRUCTIONS TO THE AIRBUS. I WORKED OFF THE PET 2000 FOR APPROX 2 MINS. WE TRIED OUR REGULAR JACKS AND THEY WORKED FINE. WE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING TO FIX THEM; THEY JUST CAME BACK. AT THE SAME TIME THIS WAS GOING ON W RADAR HAD A LOUD SQUEAL ON THEIR POS; AND THEY CALLED THE TWR TO STOP DEPS TO THE W. E RADAR WAS GETTING BLEED THROUGH OF AN ACFT THAT I BELIEVE WAS ON LCL FREQ. I; OF COURSE; HAVE NO IDEA WHAT CAUSED THIS TO HAPPEN. OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS WE SEEM TO BE HAVING AN EXORBITANT AMOUNT OF FREQ OUTAGES. BUT THEY ARE OUT UNTIL MAINT FIXES THEM. HOWEVER; LAST NIGHT EVERYTHING RETURNED TO NORMAL BY ITSELF. IT WAS NOT A STUCK MIKE. THIS SCENARIO IS UNEXPLAINABLE. IT SEEMS STRANGE; BECAUSE OF THE TIMING OF THE EVENT. (WITH THE AIRBUS ON CLOSE IN FINAL AND AN ACFT ON THE RWY; WHEN IT WENT OUT; AND THEN COMING BACK AFTER THE AIRBUS HAD GONE AROUND.) I FEEL THAT SOMEHOW I WAS BEING JAMMED. IF THIS IS THE CASE; IT MAKES ME WONDER WHAT WOULD HAPPEN AT ANOTHER LARGER ARPT. IN MY EXPERIENCE THIS WAS FAR FROM AN ORDINARY FREQ MALFUNCTION.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.