Section 5, Chapter 5 - EFPS Failures / Outages

Question 1

How is the health of the EFPS system conveyed on the WACOM display, and what does a non-green color indicate?

Answer 1

• Health Indication: The health of EFPS is conveyed using the background color of the Role on the bottom left of the WACOM display and the colors of each field in the bottom right-hand cluster.
• Non-Green Color: If any of the individual fields are any color other than green, that part of the system is unserviceable.

Question 2

What are the procedures for handling Wacom monitor failures in various ATC positions?

Answer 2

ADC/RiT Wacom Fails:

• Select loudspeaker on and move to GMC position with headset.
• Select Role as ADC or RiT.
• Select frequency and cross coupling.
• Continue operation.
• Inform DEO (initiate ENG call out).

GMC Wacom Fails - Not In Use:

• Continue operation.
• Inform DEO / initiate ENG call out.

GMC Wacom Fails - When In Use:

• Select loudspeaker on and move to OSS position with headset.
• Select Role as ADC or RiT.
• Select frequency and cross coupling.
• Continue operation.
• Inform DEO / initiate ENG call out.

Radar Wacom Fails When Only INT is Open:

• Move to FIN position with headset.
• Select Role as INT.
• Select frequency.
• Continue operation.
• Inform DEO (initiate ENG call out).

Radar Wacom Fails When INT & FIN are Open:

FIN Fails:

• Revert to paper pro forma.
• Manage traffic on frequency.
• Do not accept further traffic.
• Once traffic is off frequency, close the position.
• FIN ATCO assists INT as required.
• Inform DEO (initiate ENG call out).

INT Fails:

• All departures are stopped and inbounds are sent to the hold.
• FIN reverts to paper pro forma, swaps positions with INT, selects 120.905, and continues operation.
• INT controller moves to FIN position.
• Select Role as INT.
• Select frequency.
• Continue operation.
• FIN ATCO assists INT as required.
• Inform DEO (initiate ENG call out).

Question 3

What actions should be taken during a total EFPS failure at EGAC when EGAA EFPS is serviceable, and during a total EFPS failure at EGAA when EGAC EFPS is serviceable?

Answer 3

Total EFPS Failure at EGAC (EGAA EFPS Serviceable):

EXPECT:

• EGAC will inform via telephone.
• EGAC will apply zero flow rate until their paper operation is established.
• EGAC to request SSR codes for outbounds.

ACTIONS:

• Route EGAC inbounds to MAGEE.
• Inbounds already transferred may be transferred back.
• When EGAC paper operation is established:
• Radar releases for both inbounds and outbounds revert to telephone.
• Pass inbound estimates and SSR codes to EGAC.

TSM Actions:

• TSM will endeavor to call within 15 minutes to state awareness of the fault and any resolution action.
• Controllers may contact TSM sooner if necessary, understanding TSM may handle multiple calls.

Total EFPS Failure at EGAA (EGAC EFPS Serviceable):

ACTIONS - ADC and Radar Open:

• INT will stop all departures from EGAA and EGAC.
• INT will inform PC Ops Supervisor/GS Scotland Lower and hold all further pending arrivals.
• ADC and RAD will use pro-forma to manage live traffic.
• Outbounds held on the ground until paper strips are in use.
• Inbounds already in contact with ADC/INT may continue and land.
• Commence Copperchase strip production in ADC.
• Engage use of strip boards and populate with strips (handwrite if required).
• Coordination between ADC and RAD to recommence the operation.
• Establish appropriate flow control.
• Resume EGAA operations.
• Inform EGAC and PC to resume arrivals and departures once paper strips are in place.
• Radar releases for both inbounds and outbounds revert to telephone.
• Inform GM.

ACTIONS - RiT:

• Stop all departures from EGAA and EGAC.
• Inform PC Ops Supervisor/GS Scotland Lower and hold all arrivals.
• Use pro-forma to manage live traffic.
• Outbounds held on the ground until paper strips are in use.
• Inbounds already in contact may continue and land.
• Commence Copperchase strip production in ADC.
• Engage use of strip board and populate with strips (handwrite if required).
• Recommence the operation.
• Establish appropriate flow control.
• Resume EGAA operations.
• Inform EGAC and PC to resume arrivals and departures once paper strips are in place.
• Radar releases for both inbounds and outbounds revert to telephone.
• Inform GM.

TSM Actions:

• TSM will endeavor to call within 15 minutes to state awareness of the fault and any resolution action.
• Controllers may contact TSM sooner if necessary, understanding TSM may handle multiple calls.

Question 4

What are the steps to be taken during a planned EFPS outage?

Answer 4

• Establish appropriate flow control if required.
• At a suitable time, commence Copperchase strip production.
• Engage use of strip boards and populate with strips (handwrite if required).
• Swap to the paper system when appropriate.
• After the outage, populate EFPS with current data in the GMC position under the ADC Role.
• When ready, remove the paper-based solution and select ADC Role in the ADC position.

Question 5

What are the impacts and actions required when NAS fails, and what can be expected from the TSM?

Answer 5

Impacts:

• Loss of estimates
• Loss of SSR codes
• Loss of departure warnings
• Loss of PC electronic coordination and flight plan data
• EGAC arrivals need to be manually activated from the activate list

Actions:

• Pass departure warnings to PC and request SSR codes.
• Pass airborne times to PC.
• For RAD, PC will pass estimates and squawks via telephone.

Expectations:

• TSM (Technical Services Manager) will telephone stating awareness of the fault and that resolution action is being taken. If they don’t call within 15 minutes, contact them.

Note:
PC derives SSR codes from CCAMs (Centralised Code Assigned and Management System) in Brussels and has a methodology in place if this system fails.

Question 6

What are the impacts and actions required when an AFTN failure occurs, and what can be expected from UK FMP and TSM?

Answer 6

Impacts:

• Current data retained.
• Loss of any VFR flight plans.
• No slot revisions unless local AFTN is still functional.

Actions:

• Manual entry of VFR flight plans into EFPS.

Expectations:

• UK FMP will phone with slots and updates.
• TSM (Technical Services Manager) will telephone stating awareness of the fault and that resolution action is being taken. If they don’t call within 15 minutes, contact them.

Question 7

What are the impacts and actions required when both NAS and AFTN fail, and what can be expected from the TSM?

Answer 7

Impacts:

• Loss of future flight information (approx. 40 minutes of traffic retained but no further updates; information goes stale from the time of failure).
• Possibility of outbounds returning.

Actions:

• Stop departures at EGAA and EGAC.
• Transfer outbounds to PC.
• Apply zero flow rate.

Expectations:

• TSM (Technical Services Manager) will telephone stating awareness of the fault and that resolution action is being taken. If they don’t call within 15 minutes, contact them.
• This failure will most likely affect all airports within the UK.

Question 8

What are the impacts and actions required in the event of a single server failure, and what can be expected from the TSM?

Answer 8

Impacts:

• If ASA or ASB fails, they will respectively go RED.
• No operational impact.

Actions:

• None required.

Expectations:

• TSM (Technical Services Manager) will telephone stating awareness of the fault and that resolution action is being taken. If they don’t call within 15 minutes, contact them.

Question 9

What are the impacts and actions required in the event of a double server failure (including data management failure), and what can be expected from the TSM?

Answer 9

Impacts:

• ASA and ASB, and the Role Indicator will go RED.
• The EFPS screen will freeze, displaying the picture at the time of failure and becoming unresponsive.
• This failure will affect all Hub & Spoke EFPS Airfields.
• EGAC will be carrying out similar recovery actions.

Actions:

• RAD will stop all departures from EGAA and EGAC.
• RAD will inform PC Ops Supervisor.
• Establish zero flow rate.
• ADC and RAD will use pro-forma to manage live traffic.
• Outbounds will be held on the ground until paper strips are in use.
• Inbounds already in contact with ADC/INT may continue and land.
• Commence Copperchase strip production in ADC.
• Engage use of strip boards and populate with strips (handwrite if required).
• Coordination between ADC and RAD to recommence the operation.
• Establish appropriate flow control.
• Inform GM.
• Resume EGAA operations.
• Liaise with EGAC and approve the recommencement of their operation when ready.

Expectations:

• TSM (Technical Services Manager) will telephone stating awareness of the fault and that resolution action is being taken. If they don’t call within 15 minutes, contact them.
• EGAC will request SSR codes for outbounds.
• Radar releases for both inbounds and outbounds will revert to telephone.
• Pass inbound estimates and SSR codes to EGAC.

Question 10

What are the impacts and actions required in the event of a double BT line failure, and what can be expected from the TSM?

Answer 10

Impacts:

• The Role Indicator (bottom left) and every system monitor (bottom right) will go RED.
• The EFPS screen will freeze, displaying the picture at the time of failure and becoming unresponsive.

Actions:

• RAD will stop all departures from EGAA and EGAC.
• RAD will inform PC Ops Supervisor.
• Establish zero flow rate.
• ADC and RAD will use pro-forma to manage live traffic.
• Outbounds will be held on the ground until paper strips are in use.
• Inbounds already in contact with ADC/INT may continue and land.
• Commence Copperchase strip production.
• Engage use of strip boards and populate with strips (handwrite if required).
• Coordination between ADC and RAD to recommence the operation.
• Establish appropriate flow control.
• Inform GM.

Expectations:

• TSM (Technical Services Manager) will telephone stating awareness of the fault and that resolution action is being taken. If they don’t call within 15 minutes, contact them.

Question 11

What happens if the TIME system fails, and what actions or expectations are associated with it?

Answer 11

Impacts and Actions:

• There will be no local indication if the TIME system fails.
• TSM (Technical Services Manager) will telephone stating awareness of the fault and that resolution action is being taken.
• The system will continue to work on its internal clock.
• When the clock re-establishes connection, the TIME will re-sync.
• If the Time feed “jumps” by more than 5 minutes, the system will ignore the input and continue running on the internal clock.

Question 12

What is the importance of using Paper Pro Forma or paper strips operations, and how long must they be kept?

Answer 12

Importance:

• When using the Paper Pro Forma or reverting to paper strips operations, these documents constitute legal documents.

Retention Period:

• They must be kept for at least 30 days in accordance with CAP670.