Narrative:

I was working as a new developmental controller on west sector (5 hours total time on position). Tower called with a departure rundown and it was acknowledged. Air carrier X (medium large transport) departed without the transponder operating. The flight crew checked in with me (departure control) and I observed a primary target within 1 mi of the runway and I subsequently radar identified the aircraft. As this situation is not uncommon (the secondary radar not interrogating the transponder at this low of an altitude), I was not yet concerned. Normally it takes 2-3 sweeps of the radar for a beacon to be interrogated and the associated data block to acquire. I was distracted by another aircraft calling and I forgot to verify if air carrier X's transponder was on. The aircraft flew all the way to sli VORTAC at 10,000 MSL (through coast and los angeles TRACON airspace) without a handoff or coordination. After a period of 10 mins or so, I was reviewing the departure strips and realized there was something wrong. San diego TRACON/lindbergh tower LOA states the tower will advise departure of any departing aircraft that fails to acquire. This procedure was not met, nor did the flight crew ever call departure again. (They did contact los angeles TRACON over sli.) had I not forgotten about the aircraft, or if tower had called with the required coordination, this wouldn't have occurred. However, a procedure that tower change aircraft to departure only after a transponder reply or data block is observed may remedy this situation. Supplemental information from acn 134178: lindbergh tower is supposed to call us if the target does not tag. Tower did not call us. Communications were weak, very brief with the pilot on first call up, so we did not have something to jog our memory back to him. We did not remember working the aircraft so we started looking for him. By the time we found him he was all ready in somebody else's airspace without a handoff. 1) the pilots should have been more diligent to insure transponder was on, and he should have called us again after a lapse of communication. Even though the pilots are not required to, they normally know when the frequency would have been changed. 2) we should have been more diligent and tagged the aircraft manually instead of relying on the computer to do it for us.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW FAILED TO TURN ON TRANSPONDER AT TKOF. PLT DEVIATION. ACR X PENETRATED ADJACENT FAC'S AIRSPACE WITHOUT HANDOFF OR COORD. OPERATIONAL DEVIATION.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING AS A NEW DEVELOPMENTAL CTLR ON W SECTOR (5 HRS TOTAL TIME ON POSITION). TWR CALLED WITH A DEP RUNDOWN AND IT WAS ACKNOWLEDGED. ACR X (MLG) DEPARTED WITHOUT THE XPONDER OPERATING. THE FLT CREW CHECKED IN WITH ME (DEP CTL) AND I OBSERVED A PRIMARY TARGET WITHIN 1 MI OF THE RWY AND I SUBSEQUENTLY RADAR IDENTIFIED THE ACFT. AS THIS SITUATION IS NOT UNCOMMON (THE SECONDARY RADAR NOT INTERROGATING THE XPONDER AT THIS LOW OF AN ALT), I WAS NOT YET CONCERNED. NORMALLY IT TAKES 2-3 SWEEPS OF THE RADAR FOR A BEACON TO BE INTERROGATED AND THE ASSOCIATED DATA BLOCK TO ACQUIRE. I WAS DISTRACTED BY ANOTHER ACFT CALLING AND I FORGOT TO VERIFY IF ACR X'S XPONDER WAS ON. THE ACFT FLEW ALL THE WAY TO SLI VORTAC AT 10,000 MSL (THROUGH COAST AND LOS ANGELES TRACON AIRSPACE) WITHOUT A HANDOFF OR COORD. AFTER A PERIOD OF 10 MINS OR SO, I WAS REVIEWING THE DEP STRIPS AND REALIZED THERE WAS SOMETHING WRONG. SAN DIEGO TRACON/LINDBERGH TWR LOA STATES THE TWR WILL ADVISE DEP OF ANY DEPARTING ACFT THAT FAILS TO ACQUIRE. THIS PROC WAS NOT MET, NOR DID THE FLT CREW EVER CALL DEP AGAIN. (THEY DID CONTACT LOS ANGELES TRACON OVER SLI.) HAD I NOT FORGOTTEN ABOUT THE ACFT, OR IF TWR HAD CALLED WITH THE REQUIRED COORD, THIS WOULDN'T HAVE OCCURRED. HOWEVER, A PROC THAT TWR CHANGE ACFT TO DEP ONLY AFTER A XPONDER REPLY OR DATA BLOCK IS OBSERVED MAY REMEDY THIS SITUATION. SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION FROM ACN 134178: LINDBERGH TWR IS SUPPOSED TO CALL US IF THE TARGET DOES NOT TAG. TWR DID NOT CALL US. COMS WERE WEAK, VERY BRIEF WITH THE PLT ON FIRST CALL UP, SO WE DID NOT HAVE SOMETHING TO JOG OUR MEMORY BACK TO HIM. WE DID NOT REMEMBER WORKING THE ACFT SO WE STARTED LOOKING FOR HIM. BY THE TIME WE FOUND HIM HE WAS ALL READY IN SOMEBODY ELSE'S AIRSPACE WITHOUT A HANDOFF. 1) THE PLTS SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE DILIGENT TO INSURE XPONDER WAS ON, AND HE SHOULD HAVE CALLED US AGAIN AFTER A LAPSE OF COM. EVEN THOUGH THE PLTS ARE NOT REQUIRED TO, THEY NORMALLY KNOW WHEN THE FREQ WOULD HAVE BEEN CHANGED. 2) WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE DILIGENT AND TAGGED THE ACFT MANUALLY INSTEAD OF RELYING ON THE COMPUTER TO DO IT FOR US.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.