"Catastrophic failure" of ATC system
Thread Starter
Joined: Sep 2015
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From: HK
"Catastrophic failure" of ATC system
Reported in a local newspaper Ming Pao, there are serious safety concerns over our new ATC system AT3 which is under testing.
Quoted from sources from "internal CAD document", the testing of AT3 suffered a "catastrophic failure" in late July and the system was "paralyzed" during testing. Despiste of this, people from the "higher level" insisted the reliability test be given a "pass".
According to the report, a local legislator received annonymous complaint letters, allegedly sent from CAD staff, stated serious concerns over the new ATC system.
Sorry it is only available in Chinese but the point illustrated below is one of the issues which is overlapping of labels. And the texts on the left contrasted the views between "frontline staff" and "CAD response", and it is not hard to guess who is on which side.
Can we trust this new system?
Quoted from sources from "internal CAD document", the testing of AT3 suffered a "catastrophic failure" in late July and the system was "paralyzed" during testing. Despiste of this, people from the "higher level" insisted the reliability test be given a "pass".
According to the report, a local legislator received annonymous complaint letters, allegedly sent from CAD staff, stated serious concerns over the new ATC system.
Sorry it is only available in Chinese but the point illustrated below is one of the issues which is overlapping of labels. And the texts on the left contrasted the views between "frontline staff" and "CAD response", and it is not hard to guess who is on which side.
Can we trust this new system?
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 508
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From: HK- A little bit of industrial China in every breath you take.
You don't need a crystal ball...
Overdue, over budget and under spec. Is anyone really surprised? ATC front line staff will be forced to separate us with an inadequate piece of kit, and no one does anything but give lip service to their legitimate concerns until two of us collide. They sack the controller, everyone calls it a shocking tragic unavoidable event, and the guys that took a kick back to get the substandard system up and running deny all knowledge of the "fault" to the sham inquiry. Did I miss anything?
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 1,040
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From: 3.5 from TD
the point illustrated below is one of the issues which is overlapping of labels.
Looks like the CAD is run by the same people running CPA. No surprise there.
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 451
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From: the land of chocolate
Good time to update your spectacles and look out of that cockpit window again...
At least we still have tcas too.
Have a feeling this will also add to the airspace congestion and subsequent delays we are facing at the moment.
At least we still have tcas too.
Have a feeling this will also add to the airspace congestion and subsequent delays we are facing at the moment.
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 438
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From: Here ---> X
I thought Raytheon had thrown the towel with the CAD who had ridiculous custom specifications for it rather than buying the turn-key system...?
By the by, here's another article, slightly older but in English, about the whole fiasco:
http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/a...ystem?page=all
By the by, here's another article, slightly older but in English, about the whole fiasco:
http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/a...ystem?page=all
Joined: Sep 2015
Posts: 1
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From: HK
frontline staff have written over hundreds of concerns over the system, those real concerns not " oh i dont like the color of the acft c/s " but management give a !!!!. They are so determined to make this done and retire with their pension safe in pocket. 
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 24
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From: somewhere out there
vhhhatc, why should a system under test was being alarmed to such extent. The simulator said to be the same software crashed from time to time. It is time for all of us to become normalised and be prepared for our d day. There is no "Back to the Future" car.
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 15
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From: US
Of course no coverage from the media as they already consider FDP failure is not a catastrophic failure then why simulator. The training officers dawdled three days to finish the pilot course today. All the "tamed" harbinger for this pilot course were happy and gave a green light for the start of the conversion training next week. Shame of you guys! 
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 370
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From: 1313 Mockingbird Lane
QUOTE: All the "tamed" harbinger for this pilot course were happy and gave a green light for the start of the conversion training next week
Not what we heard over the road.
Approach side and regulator very unhappy with the "final" course.
"woeful" was the term we heard.
How's the Chiefs shadowing plan going now???
Not what we heard over the road.
Approach side and regulator very unhappy with the "final" course.
"woeful" was the term we heard.
How's the Chiefs shadowing plan going now???
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 18
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From: tsimshatsui
A.Titanic.3 course meal:
Appetizer (conversion training)
Main course (shadowing)
Desserts (ghosting)
If you still have qualms, you can order extra desserts (back word) to make your day
You don't need to settle your bill at the end of the day as the boss will do it for you provided you consume all the meal and do not leave the restaurant even if you have diarrhoea. Boss is good, they will give you diapers.....unlimited supply.
Appetizer (conversion training)
Main course (shadowing)
Desserts (ghosting)
If you still have qualms, you can order extra desserts (back word) to make your day
You don't need to settle your bill at the end of the day as the boss will do it for you provided you consume all the meal and do not leave the restaurant even if you have diarrhoea. Boss is good, they will give you diapers.....unlimited supply.
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 23
Likes: 0
From: nowhere
Chiefs, why not attend the conversion training and tell us the system is anywhere near to a usable system for live traffic operation. You can still lie to us but you will not lie to yourself. There are lots of pilots in this forum watching us posting worries which are real. You can still force us to attend conversion training with simulated targets that we can ask the simulator pilot "delete the flight". But, you will have a big big mistake if you send us to attend shadowing with live traffic. Once you do that with such an unready system, the confidence of us will drop to abyss that you will not be able to rescue the situation....not to mention there is a high possibility of system hiccup during the shadowing.
One step further back and look at what are available in the system, the current provisions are not suitable to our mode of operations. If you are so stubborn for your "grand" agenda, 50 years unchanged fragrant harbour would have an early kick start from the sky. Those beyond 55 can start counting your fingers and I have a weblink to help:
Civil Service Bureau - Pension calculator & pension benefits formulae
One step further back and look at what are available in the system, the current provisions are not suitable to our mode of operations. If you are so stubborn for your "grand" agenda, 50 years unchanged fragrant harbour would have an early kick start from the sky. Those beyond 55 can start counting your fingers and I have a weblink to help:
Civil Service Bureau - Pension calculator & pension benefits formulae