Narrative:

Small aircraft X is a regular parachute aircraft that works over the 5a9 airport. Usually these aircraft are assigned a squawk code on their first flight of the day and on each subsequent flight we re-enter the code into the ARTS computer rather than assigning a new squawk each time. After they drop below radar coverage, the ARTS tag goes to a nb (no beacon) status for about 15 mins and then disappears. Our procedure is to place a flight progress strip on top of the radar scope with the call sign and assigned beacon code so that each controller will know what code each aircraft was assigned. The strip is rarely placed on the active board when one of the aircraft is airborne. On this day, the radar man acknowledged small aircraft X climbing off of 5a9 but never entered the beacon code and call sign so that a tag would associate with the aircraft on the radar scope. All that appeared was a triangle to indicate that a non-mode C transponder was on one of our 0100 codes. The radar man made numerous transmissions to the aircraft but never tagged him. At xx:30 local, the radar controller was relieved. I was talking on a landline with another facility and did not hear the position relief briefing. A min or two after the briefing, small aircraft X called 'one min prior to jumpers away'. I saw a blank look on the new radar man's face as he scanned the scope. I asked if he had been briefed on that aircraft and he said that he had not. I showed him where the aircraft was and placed an ARTS data block on it. Contributing factors: radar man's apathy and disregard of the requirement to tag all transponder aircraft that you are working. I should have found the time to do it for him even though he had plenty of time to do so. Poor position relief briefing and the former controller's leaving the position and room west/O observing the position for a few mins after giving it up. The flight progress strip should be put on the active board with other active aircraft when the aircraft is in the air.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: IMPROPER POSITION RELIEF BRIEFING. OPDEV.

Narrative: SMA X IS A REGULAR PARACHUTE ACFT THAT WORKS OVER THE 5A9 ARPT. USUALLY THESE ACFT ARE ASSIGNED A SQUAWK CODE ON THEIR FIRST FLT OF THE DAY AND ON EACH SUBSEQUENT FLT WE RE-ENTER THE CODE INTO THE ARTS COMPUTER RATHER THAN ASSIGNING A NEW SQUAWK EACH TIME. AFTER THEY DROP BELOW RADAR COVERAGE, THE ARTS TAG GOES TO A NB (NO BEACON) STATUS FOR ABOUT 15 MINS AND THEN DISAPPEARS. OUR PROC IS TO PLACE A FLT PROGRESS STRIP ON TOP OF THE RADAR SCOPE WITH THE CALL SIGN AND ASSIGNED BEACON CODE SO THAT EACH CTLR WILL KNOW WHAT CODE EACH ACFT WAS ASSIGNED. THE STRIP IS RARELY PLACED ON THE ACTIVE BOARD WHEN ONE OF THE ACFT IS AIRBORNE. ON THIS DAY, THE RADAR MAN ACKNOWLEDGED SMA X CLBING OFF OF 5A9 BUT NEVER ENTERED THE BEACON CODE AND CALL SIGN SO THAT A TAG WOULD ASSOCIATE WITH THE ACFT ON THE RADAR SCOPE. ALL THAT APPEARED WAS A TRIANGLE TO INDICATE THAT A NON-MODE C TRANSPONDER WAS ON ONE OF OUR 0100 CODES. THE RADAR MAN MADE NUMEROUS TRANSMISSIONS TO THE ACFT BUT NEVER TAGGED HIM. AT XX:30 LCL, THE RADAR CTLR WAS RELIEVED. I WAS TALKING ON A LANDLINE WITH ANOTHER FAC AND DID NOT HEAR THE POS RELIEF BRIEFING. A MIN OR TWO AFTER THE BRIEFING, SMA X CALLED 'ONE MIN PRIOR TO JUMPERS AWAY'. I SAW A BLANK LOOK ON THE NEW RADAR MAN'S FACE AS HE SCANNED THE SCOPE. I ASKED IF HE HAD BEEN BRIEFED ON THAT ACFT AND HE SAID THAT HE HAD NOT. I SHOWED HIM WHERE THE ACFT WAS AND PLACED AN ARTS DATA BLOCK ON IT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: RADAR MAN'S APATHY AND DISREGARD OF THE REQUIREMENT TO TAG ALL TRANSPONDER ACFT THAT YOU ARE WORKING. I SHOULD HAVE FOUND THE TIME TO DO IT FOR HIM EVEN THOUGH HE HAD PLENTY OF TIME TO DO SO. POOR POS RELIEF BRIEFING AND THE FORMER CTLR'S LEAVING THE POS AND ROOM W/O OBSERVING THE POS FOR A FEW MINS AFTER GIVING IT UP. THE FLT PROGRESS STRIP SHOULD BE PUT ON THE ACTIVE BOARD WITH OTHER ACTIVE ACFT WHEN THE ACFT IS IN THE AIR.

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.