ZBW CTLR DESCRIBED MULTIPLE FALSE MODE C EVENTS RESULTING IN FALSE ALT WARNINGS; ACFT ID; REPORTED TO FSDO AND GROUNDED.

Date: 2008-04 · Phase: initial_climb

Anomalies: aircraft-equipment-problem-less-severe|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-far|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-published-material-policy

Synopsis

ZBW CTLR DESCRIBED MULTIPLE FALSE MODE C EVENTS RESULTING IN FALSE ALT WARNINGS; ACFT ID; REPORTED TO FSDO AND GROUNDED.

Narrative

FOR SEVERAL MONTHS; BOS DEPS EXITING THE TERMINAL AREA TO THE S INTO ZBW'S CAPE SECTOR WOULD ENCOUNTER AN ERRONEOUS MODE C ON AN ACFT THAT WAS OBVIOUSLY DOWN LOW. THE MODE C WOULD ALWAYS READ 215 STEADY. EACH TIME THE CTLR AT THE SECTOR HAD THIS SIT; HE/SHE WOULD ALERT THE SUPVR OF THE TARGET. THIS HAPPENED TO ME PERSONALLY AT LEAST A DOZEN TIMES. THIS WOULD REQUIRE US TO CALL THE TFC TO JET DEPS THAT WOULD BE CLBING THROUGH THAT ALT THIS ALSO OFTEN REQUIRED THE USE OF VERT SEPARATION OR VECTORS TO AVOID. USUALLY THE TFC WOULD ACKNOWLEDGE THE EXISTENCE OF THE TARGET ON THEIR TCAS. THIS BECAME A HUGE NUISANCE AND WAS A SAFETY ISSUE SINCE AT TIMES THE TARGET WOULD APPEAR INTERMITTENTLY. AROUND XA00; I WAS WORKING THE SECTOR AND WAS FED UP THAT NOTHING WAS BEING DONE TO TRACK THIS PROB ACFT. I PERSONALLY TRACKED THE TARGET TO THE ZZZ) ARPT WHEN IT DISAPPEARED. I PROMPTLY TOLD THE SUPVR TO GET THE EMER BINDER AND CALL ZZZ ARPT'S FBO; WHICH HE DID. HE ASKED THE GENTLEMAN ON THE OTHER END OF THE PHONE TO ADVISE THE ACFT THAT HIS MODE C WAS BAD AND TO GET IT CHKED RIGHT AWAY OR FLY WITHOUT IT TURNED ON. AT THE MOMENT; I WAS SATISFIED THAT THE ACFT WAS IDENTED ALTHOUGH NOBODY HAD A TAIL NUMBER. I WAS AT WORK THE NEXT MORNING. AROUND XS00 THE TARGET WAS FLYING AGAIN AND THE MODE C READ 215. THIS WAS OBVIOUSLY THE SAME GUY. THIS TIME; I TOOK IT UPON MYSELF TO WATCH HIM FROM ANOTHER SECTOR. I TRACKED HIM AGAIN TO THE ZZZ ARPT AND IT WAS EVIDENT THAT TOUCH-AND-GOES WERE IN PROGRESS. I CALLED THE FBO AND ASKED THAT HE GIVE ME THE TAIL NUMBER OF THE ACFT IN THE PATTERN. I CALLED WHEN IT WAS ON SHORT FINAL SO I COULD TELL THE FBO PERSON WHERE THE ACFT WAS. HE SAID HE WOULD GET THAT INFO AND CALL US BACK. I INFORMED THE (DIFFERENT) SUPVR THAT HE WOULD BE GETTING A CALL AT THE DESK WITH THE TAIL NUMBER OF THIS NUISANCE ACFT. SEVERAL MINS LATER THE CALL CAME IN AND THE TAIL NUMBER WAS X; A C152 TRAINING ACFT BASED AT ZZZ. THIS SUPVR TOLD ME HE ADVISED THE CALLER THAT THIS ACFT SHOULD NOT OPERATE WITH HIS MODE C IN THE 'ON' POS AND IT SHOULD BE FIXED RIGHT AWAY. KNOWING THAT THIS DID NOT HELP THE PREVIOUS DAY; I ASKED THAT THE SUPVR CONTACT BOSTON FSDO AND INFORM THEM OF THE SITUATION SINCE THEY WOULD BE THE PROPER AUTH AND NOT US. AFTER ALL; SIMPLY ADVISING THE ACFT THROUGH THE FBO WAS NOT EFFECTIVE; ESPECIALLY SINCE THIS WAS A TRAINING ACFT WITH MULTIPLE PLTS. MR X THEN GAVE ME SOME SONG AND DANCE ABOUT THESE PEOPLE BEING OUR CUSTOMERS AND THAT THIS WAS A MORE USER FRIENDLY VENUE FOR FIXING THE ISSUE THAN HAVING THE 'HVY HAND OF THE FAA COME DOWN ON THIS GUY.' TRANSLATION: SUPVR REFUSED TO CALL FSDO WITH THE INFO. WHEN I WAS RELIEVED FROM POS; I FOUND FSDO'S NUMBER THANKS TO INTERNET AND WAS ABLE TO CONTACT THE INDIVIDUAL THAT HANDLES BAD MODE C ACFT. I LEFT HIM A MESSAGE. HE RETURNED MY CALL WITHIN ABOUT 10 MINS AND TOLD ME THIS ACFT WAS RPTED BY PVD APCH AND WAS ORDERED TO FIX THE PROB. HE ADVISED ME THAT RIGHT AFTER HE GOT MY MESSAGE; HE GNDED THE ACFT. WHEN I TOLD MY PEERS WHAT I HAD DONE; THEY ALL EXPRESSED HUGE RELIEF THAT THE TARGET WOULD NO LONGER BE APPEARING IN FRONT OF OUR BOSTON DEPS. THIS WAS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE THAT WENT UNCHKED BY FAA MGMNT FOR MONTHS AND WOULD LIKELY HAVE NEVER BEEN RESOLVED EXCEPT FOR MY ACTION TO BRING IT TO A CLOSE. THIS SITUATION HIGHLIGHTS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN; AS IN THE CURRENT FAA; YOU ISOLATE CTLRS ON THE FRONT LINES AND MGMNT RUNS AMUCK IN THE BACKGND; OUT OF TOUCH WITH THE REALITY OF LIVE ATC.

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