Flight crew failed to turn on transponder on departure. Pilot deviation. Departure controller failed...

Attributes
ACN	126935
Time
Date	198910
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : nkx
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 11000 msl bound upper : 11000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : san artcc : zid
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Experimental
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other
Route In Use	departure sid : sid
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : departure
Qualification	controller : radar
ASRS Report	126935
Person 2
Affiliation	government : military
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : military
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation Operational Deviation

Narrative:

I was working miramar departure control when military aircraft X departed on a jli 7 departure. I said radar contact even though there was no transponder return from the aircraft. Things at work were hectic. There were construction people in the TRACON working on wiring next to me and I was working under medication for a heart arrhythmia. I then forgot about this aircraft for 5-6 mins. I fortunately remembered later that something was not right. I found the discarded flight strip and asked if military aircraft X was on frequency. He was and I found him still in my airspace. I then manually started a track and told him to turn on his transponder. I feel that the medication I'm on, a beta blocker, should be removed for ATC duties. Some of the side effects are very subtle and I can tell I have a decreased alertness and light-headedness from it. I promptly asked for relief and am now awaiting the awp flight surgeon's ruling on whether I should return to ATC duties.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW FAILED TO TURN ON TRANSPONDER ON DEP. PLT DEVIATION. DEP CTLR FAILED TO INSTRUCT MIL ACFT X TO TURN ON TRANSPONDER. OPERATIONAL DEVIATION.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING MIRAMAR DEP CTL WHEN MIL ACFT X DEPARTED ON A JLI 7 DEP. I SAID RADAR CONTACT EVEN THOUGH THERE WAS NO XPONDER RETURN FROM THE ACFT. THINGS AT WORK WERE HECTIC. THERE WERE CONSTRUCTION PEOPLE IN THE TRACON WORKING ON WIRING NEXT TO ME AND I WAS WORKING UNDER MEDICATION FOR A HEART ARRHYTHMIA. I THEN FORGOT ABOUT THIS ACFT FOR 5-6 MINS. I FORTUNATELY REMEMBERED LATER THAT SOMETHING WAS NOT RIGHT. I FOUND THE DISCARDED FLT STRIP AND ASKED IF MIL ACFT X WAS ON FREQ. HE WAS AND I FOUND HIM STILL IN MY AIRSPACE. I THEN MANUALLY STARTED A TRACK AND TOLD HIM TO TURN ON HIS XPONDER. I FEEL THAT THE MEDICATION I'M ON, A BETA BLOCKER, SHOULD BE REMOVED FOR ATC DUTIES. SOME OF THE SIDE EFFECTS ARE VERY SUBTLE AND I CAN TELL I HAVE A DECREASED ALERTNESS AND LIGHT-HEADEDNESS FROM IT. I PROMPTLY ASKED FOR RELIEF AND AM NOW AWAITING THE AWP FLT SURGEON'S RULING ON WHETHER I SHOULD RETURN TO ATC DUTIES.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.

Flight crew failed to turn on transponder on departure. Pilot deviation. Departure controller failed to instruct military aircraft X to turn on transponder. Operational deviation.