Date: 201408
Local time of day: 1801-2400
Location: ELM.Airport, NY
Light: Daylight
Aircraft: Small Aircraft; Low Wing; 1 Eng; Retractable Gear
Operator: Personal
Operating under: Part 91
Flight plan: IFR
Flight phase: Descent
Airspace: Class E ELM
ATC / advisory: TRACON ELM
Reporter organization: Government
Reporter function: Approach
Reporter qualification: Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Human factors: Confusion; Situational Awareness; Training / Qualification; Troubleshooting
Anomaly: ATC Issue All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Detector: Person Air Traffic Control
When detected: In-flight
Result: Air Traffic Control Provided Assistance; Flight Crew Returned To Clearance; General Declared Emergency
Contributing factors: ATC Equipment / Nav Facility / Buildings; Human Factors; Procedure
Primary problem: ATC Equipment / Nav Facility / Buildings

Narrative: When I got onto the Approach position; The aircraft was at 5000 feet 5 NM south of the airport as reported by him but not on primary radar or secondary radar.  With the previous controller he tried an RNAV approach at a satellite uncontrolled airport and deviated to our airport.  There was no primary or secondary radar on him until a couple minutes into my session and he was 5 south of the airport and then it went away again immediately.  The radar was intermittent the entire time. I descended him to 4000 which is a safe altitude throughout the airspace where he was. He declared an emergency and his attitude indicator was not working and he was unable to pick up the localizer and was requesting help.  I asked him how much fuel he had on board and looked at several of the airports around our facility to check the ceiling.  BGM reported 400 [foot ceiling] and PEO was very low as well.  I tried to find somewhere I could have him go for a visual approach but the ceiling was OVC with poor weather.  I put him on a 060 heading because the altitude was safe and the terrain is a lot lower NE of the airport. I turned on the EOVM [Emergency Obstruction Video Map] map and was able to pick up his primary.  I did not say on the frequency that he was radar contact but I had him on radar and he was radar contact.  I descended him using his primary for position and brought him into the arrival corridor below the MVA and did not say at his discretion but I was using the EOVM map the entire time. He was able to get ground contact and then the airport in sight.  The aircraft landed without incident and normal operations resumed. The Elmira airport needs their radar fixed.  Without proper radar or radar coverage it makes the job much more difficult.  The aircraft was 30NM SW at 5000 and he was able to fly all the way to Elmira airport without any primary or secondary radar on him.  His equipment was failing but that would not affect the primary radar. While I was on position his radar was intermittent and I was unable to bring him into the approach corridor until I had a primary target on him.  I also will review emergency procedures in case this or any other emergency happens again.  I know when you descend someone it is at his discretion and you can not assign a hard altitude below the MVA and during operations you can't assign an altitude at all below the MVA.




Synopsis: ELM Approach Controller cannot identify an aircraft but sees an intermittent target and assists the aircraft into a landing at ELM airport.