Narrative:

I relieved the approach controller from the approach/departure position. He briefed me on an IFR departure and did not say anything about another IFR aircraft inbound to gjt. (I may not have given him a chance to say anything because I was very quick to mention the arrival). I had just glanced at the arrival and saw a time of **18, assuming it was XX18Z. At approximately XX10Z I noticed the estimated arrival was 2 hours old. I looked at the position log to determine which controller was working the position and asked him if he knew what had happened to aircraft X. He said, 'I got a remove strip on him and then another strip, but he never showed up. I don't know what happened to him.' I immediately called ZDV and informed him of the situation. The center controller said he would have to do a paper search to find out. About 10 mins later, he called and said he could not determine what had occurred to the flight because the flight progress strips did not have any writing on them, and that he would call ZLC to conduct a paper search on the aircraft. I turned to another controller who was working the approach control position at the time, and asked if he knew anything about X. He said he didn't know. The center controller called me at approximately XX30Z to inform me the aircraft had diverted to slc. While I was conducting a search for this aircraft, one of the controllers (there were 5 of us on duty that day) said, 'who gives a XXXX what happened to him, he probably went somewhere else.' there was a 99.999 percent chance that aircraft went somewhere else, however, there remains a .001 percent chance that aircraft could have experienced a serious equipment malfunction and everyone on board that aircraft could have been burning somewhere in the utah desert. Common sense and good judgement dictates that an aircraft overdue at its estimate by more than 5 mins, should be immediately located. Especially when there are other IFR aircraft utilizing the same approach airspace. Not only does this situation involve common sense and good judgement, but the controller assigned to a position has been delegated the responsibility for all IFR aircraft departing, arriving, and/or traversing his assigned airspace, and should be aware of the position of all his aircraft in his/her airspace at any moment while assigned to that control position.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: IFR ACFT X OVERDUE ACFT SEARCH.

Narrative: I RELIEVED THE APCH CTLR FROM THE APCH/DEP POS. HE BRIEFED ME ON AN IFR DEP AND DID NOT SAY ANYTHING ABOUT ANOTHER IFR ACFT INBOUND TO GJT. (I MAY NOT HAVE GIVEN HIM A CHANCE TO SAY ANYTHING BECAUSE I WAS VERY QUICK TO MENTION THE ARR). I HAD JUST GLANCED AT THE ARR AND SAW A TIME OF **18, ASSUMING IT WAS XX18Z. AT APPROX XX10Z I NOTICED THE ESTIMATED ARR WAS 2 HRS OLD. I LOOKED AT THE POS LOG TO DETERMINE WHICH CTLR WAS WORKING THE POS AND ASKED HIM IF HE KNEW WHAT HAD HAPPENED TO ACFT X. HE SAID, 'I GOT A REMOVE STRIP ON HIM AND THEN ANOTHER STRIP, BUT HE NEVER SHOWED UP. I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM.' I IMMEDIATELY CALLED ZDV AND INFORMED HIM OF THE SIT. THE CTR CTLR SAID HE WOULD HAVE TO DO A PAPER SEARCH TO FIND OUT. ABOUT 10 MINS LATER, HE CALLED AND SAID HE COULD NOT DETERMINE WHAT HAD OCCURRED TO THE FLT BECAUSE THE FLT PROGRESS STRIPS DID NOT HAVE ANY WRITING ON THEM, AND THAT HE WOULD CALL ZLC TO CONDUCT A PAPER SEARCH ON THE ACFT. I TURNED TO ANOTHER CTLR WHO WAS WORKING THE APCH CTL POS AT THE TIME, AND ASKED IF HE KNEW ANYTHING ABOUT X. HE SAID HE DIDN'T KNOW. THE CTR CTLR CALLED ME AT APPROX XX30Z TO INFORM ME THE ACFT HAD DIVERTED TO SLC. WHILE I WAS CONDUCTING A SEARCH FOR THIS ACFT, ONE OF THE CTLRS (THERE WERE 5 OF US ON DUTY THAT DAY) SAID, 'WHO GIVES A XXXX WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM, HE PROBABLY WENT SOMEWHERE ELSE.' THERE WAS A 99.999 PERCENT CHANCE THAT ACFT WENT SOMEWHERE ELSE, HOWEVER, THERE REMAINS A .001 PERCENT CHANCE THAT ACFT COULD HAVE EXPERIENCED A SERIOUS EQUIP MALFUNCTION AND EVERYONE ON BOARD THAT ACFT COULD HAVE BEEN BURNING SOMEWHERE IN THE UTAH DESERT. COMMON SENSE AND GOOD JUDGEMENT DICTATES THAT AN ACFT OVERDUE AT ITS ESTIMATE BY MORE THAN 5 MINS, SHOULD BE IMMEDIATELY LOCATED. ESPECIALLY WHEN THERE ARE OTHER IFR ACFT UTILIZING THE SAME APCH AIRSPACE. NOT ONLY DOES THIS SIT INVOLVE COMMON SENSE AND GOOD JUDGEMENT, BUT THE CTLR ASSIGNED TO A POS HAS BEEN DELEGATED THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR ALL IFR ACFT DEPARTING, ARRIVING, AND/OR TRAVERSING HIS ASSIGNED AIRSPACE, AND SHOULD BE AWARE OF THE POS OF ALL HIS ACFT IN HIS/HER AIRSPACE AT ANY MOMENT WHILE ASSIGNED TO THAT CTL POS.

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.