Narrative:

At approximately XX05 pm CST I relieved the R-3 specialist at ZME. He had sectors 1 & 2 combined at this position. During the relief briefing he pointed to a data block in coast track just northeast of the tulsa VOR. The aircraft call sign was mlt X and the data block indicated he was at 9000. The strip for mlt X showed a direct routing to hrt. The specialist I was relieving moved the data block to a position just south, and outside of, tul approachs airspace and told me that was his approximately position but told me I probably should get a position report to verify his exact position. The controller I relieved informed me mlt's transponder had failed. I accepted the sector and took immediate action to pinpoint mlt X by asking for a radial and DME from the rzc VORTAC. Mlt X replied he was crossing the rzc 192 radial at 30 DME. I displayed his route on my pvd and took a range bearing from rzc at approximately the rzc 192 radial. It took another couple of range bearings to pinpoint mlt X's position, just at fsm approachs boundary headed into their airspace. I was not receiving a primary target on mlt X as the radar site which serves northwest arkansas is beacon only. I immediately called fsm approach to coordination and the controller informed me he could see mlt X on his primary and he was already some 5 to 6 mis inside his airspace. If the radar site could be upgraded to include primary returns also we could avoid a similar situation in the future.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MIL ACFT ON IFR FLT DOES NOT HAVE TRANSPONDER AND ENTERS ADJACENT FAC AIRSPACE WITHOUT COORD.

Narrative: AT APPROX XX05 PM CST I RELIEVED THE R-3 SPECIALIST AT ZME. HE HAD SECTORS 1 & 2 COMBINED AT THIS POS. DURING THE RELIEF BRIEFING HE POINTED TO A DATA BLOCK IN COAST TRACK JUST NE OF THE TULSA VOR. THE ACFT CALL SIGN WAS MLT X AND THE DATA BLOCK INDICATED HE WAS AT 9000. THE STRIP FOR MLT X SHOWED A DIRECT ROUTING TO HRT. THE SPECIALIST I WAS RELIEVING MOVED THE DATA BLOCK TO A POS JUST S, AND OUTSIDE OF, TUL APCHS AIRSPACE AND TOLD ME THAT WAS HIS APPROX POS BUT TOLD ME I PROBABLY SHOULD GET A POS RPT TO VERIFY HIS EXACT POS. THE CTLR I RELIEVED INFORMED ME MLT'S TRANSPONDER HAD FAILED. I ACCEPTED THE SECTOR AND TOOK IMMEDIATE ACTION TO PINPOINT MLT X BY ASKING FOR A RADIAL AND DME FROM THE RZC VORTAC. MLT X REPLIED HE WAS XING THE RZC 192 RADIAL AT 30 DME. I DISPLAYED HIS RTE ON MY PVD AND TOOK A RANGE BEARING FROM RZC AT APPROX THE RZC 192 RADIAL. IT TOOK ANOTHER COUPLE OF RANGE BEARINGS TO PINPOINT MLT X'S POS, JUST AT FSM APCHS BOUNDARY HEADED INTO THEIR AIRSPACE. I WAS NOT RECEIVING A PRIMARY TARGET ON MLT X AS THE RADAR SITE WHICH SERVES NW ARKANSAS IS BEACON ONLY. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED FSM APCH TO COORD AND THE CTLR INFORMED ME HE COULD SEE MLT X ON HIS PRIMARY AND HE WAS ALREADY SOME 5 TO 6 MIS INSIDE HIS AIRSPACE. IF THE RADAR SITE COULD BE UPGRADED TO INCLUDE PRIMARY RETURNS ALSO WE COULD AVOID A SIMILAR SITUATION IN THE FUTURE.

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.