Narrative:

I had been working a midnight shift and was within a couple hours of going home. I had been relieved of position and was performing controller in charge duties. It was brought to my attention that the day shift was short staffed. The manager was called for overtime approval or to see what provisions had been made. The manager became angry with me on the phone. I told him that I needed to relieve west radar since there weren't any other radar controllers available and that I was toward the end of my shift. I then relieve west radar, but I was still upset with the exchange that had taken place with the manager. Some discussion with other controllers about staffing continued while I worked traffic. I released an aircraft X off of fdy IFR. I continued to be distraction by the staffing situation and I was very tired. When the aircraft reported airborne, I did not get a target (beacon or primary). I climbed the aircraft thinking I would see him as he climbed higher. The aircraft's transponder never registered and a primary was never spotted. The aircraft's next call was a request for higher. I asked his position. He reported well south of toledo's airspace. I checked with ZID and they didn't see aircraft's squawk. I asked the aircraft to reset the transponder. I checked with center and the aircraft once more. I asked aircraft X if he could maintain VFR at 10500 ft. Aircraft X agree to do so. Center advised that they spotted aircraft X 40 mi south of fdy in day approach airspace and that the transponder was now working. Center took action to reissue the IFR clearance. I then asked for relief and I reported the incident to the supervisor that had just reported for duty.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TRACON CTLR RELEASED AN IFR ACFT FROM ANOTHER ARPT AND FAILED TO RADAR IDENT THE ACFT DUE TO POSSIBLE XPONDER PROB. THE ACFT WENT UNNOTICED UNTIL AFTER IT HAD PENETRATED ANOTHER APCH CTL'S AIRSPACE.

Narrative: I HAD BEEN WORKING A MIDNIGHT SHIFT AND WAS WITHIN A COUPLE HRS OF GOING HOME. I HAD BEEN RELIEVED OF POS AND WAS PERFORMING CIC DUTIES. IT WAS BROUGHT TO MY ATTN THAT THE DAY SHIFT WAS SHORT STAFFED. THE MGR WAS CALLED FOR OVERTIME APPROVAL OR TO SEE WHAT PROVISIONS HAD BEEN MADE. THE MGR BECAME ANGRY WITH ME ON THE PHONE. I TOLD HIM THAT I NEEDED TO RELIEVE W RADAR SINCE THERE WEREN'T ANY OTHER RADAR CTLRS AVAILABLE AND THAT I WAS TOWARD THE END OF MY SHIFT. I THEN RELIEVE W RADAR, BUT I WAS STILL UPSET WITH THE EXCHANGE THAT HAD TAKEN PLACE WITH THE MGR. SOME DISCUSSION WITH OTHER CTLRS ABOUT STAFFING CONTINUED WHILE I WORKED TFC. I RELEASED AN ACFT X OFF OF FDY IFR. I CONTINUED TO BE DISTR BY THE STAFFING SIT AND I WAS VERY TIRED. WHEN THE ACFT RPTED AIRBORNE, I DID NOT GET A TARGET (BEACON OR PRIMARY). I CLBED THE ACFT THINKING I WOULD SEE HIM AS HE CLBED HIGHER. THE ACFT'S XPONDER NEVER REGISTERED AND A PRIMARY WAS NEVER SPOTTED. THE ACFT'S NEXT CALL WAS A REQUEST FOR HIGHER. I ASKED HIS POS. HE RPTED WELL S OF TOLEDO'S AIRSPACE. I CHKED WITH ZID AND THEY DIDN'T SEE ACFT'S SQUAWK. I ASKED THE ACFT TO RESET THE XPONDER. I CHKED WITH CTR AND THE ACFT ONCE MORE. I ASKED ACFT X IF HE COULD MAINTAIN VFR AT 10500 FT. ACFT X AGREE TO DO SO. CTR ADVISED THAT THEY SPOTTED ACFT X 40 MI S OF FDY IN DAY APCH AIRSPACE AND THAT THE XPONDER WAS NOW WORKING. CTR TOOK ACTION TO REISSUE THE IFR CLRNC. I THEN ASKED FOR RELIEF AND I RPTED THE INCIDENT TO THE SUPERVISOR THAT HAD JUST RPTED FOR DUTY.

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.