Narrative:

The military TA4 had no sids available, and was UHF only. Was read a full-route IFR clearance to an eastbound destination including runway heading on departure (runway 13L). The jet departed and was switched to departure then made an immediate left turn within 1/2 mi of the departure end presumably to join the first eastbound VOR radial. The pilot turned on his own and also failed to turn on his transponder -- leading to the second problem. When the military TA4 jet departed, there was no primary or secondary radar target until the aircraft was 5 mi east of dal leaving 3400 ft MSL. I was unable to handoff the jet as the dfw radar controller also had no target. I just gave an approximately (visual) location, and heading. This dangerous loss of radar targets is a nearly daily occurrence and has been reported for several months. Had there been one of the many dfw eastbound overflts crossing dal at 3000-4000 ft this would have been tragic. Possible solutions: 1) require all military aircraft to carry and be familiar with sids. 2) require all military aircraft flying into civilian airports to be VHF equipped. This compounded the problems. 3) several software and hardware changes to the dfw radar have been made in the past yr causing many glitches -- loss of primary targets is one of them. The technicians cannot find the cause or correlation why a transponder not being turned on would cause the lack of a primary target also. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: analyst learned in the callback that there has been no change to the radar problem, that the reporter filed a ucr on the radar. The radar has been flight checked but reporter is unaware of the results. Reporter is aware that attempts are being made to resolve the problem. Reporter stated that the problem began about a yr ago when dfw implemented their metroplex plan. Reporter stated that if the aircraft transponder is on when it departs, a primary target is displayed followed a short time later with the ARTS tag. Analyst learned that a TA4 is the training version of the A4.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MIL TA4 DEVIATED FROM THE DEP PROC AS ISSUED. ACFT'S PRIMARY OR BEACON TARGET NOT DISPLAYED OR TRACKED ON THE RADAR UNTIL 5 MI FROM THE ARPT.

Narrative: THE MIL TA4 HAD NO SIDS AVAILABLE, AND WAS UHF ONLY. WAS READ A FULL-RTE IFR CLRNC TO AN EBOUND DEST INCLUDING RWY HEADING ON DEP (RWY 13L). THE JET DEPARTED AND WAS SWITCHED TO DEP THEN MADE AN IMMEDIATE L TURN WITHIN 1/2 MI OF THE DEP END PRESUMABLY TO JOIN THE FIRST EBOUND VOR RADIAL. THE PLT TURNED ON HIS OWN AND ALSO FAILED TO TURN ON HIS XPONDER -- LEADING TO THE SECOND PROB. WHEN THE MIL TA4 JET DEPARTED, THERE WAS NO PRIMARY OR SECONDARY RADAR TARGET UNTIL THE ACFT WAS 5 MI E OF DAL LEAVING 3400 FT MSL. I WAS UNABLE TO HDOF THE JET AS THE DFW RADAR CTLR ALSO HAD NO TARGET. I JUST GAVE AN APPROX (VISUAL) LOCATION, AND HEADING. THIS DANGEROUS LOSS OF RADAR TARGETS IS A NEARLY DAILY OCCURRENCE AND HAS BEEN RPTED FOR SEVERAL MONTHS. HAD THERE BEEN ONE OF THE MANY DFW EBOUND OVERFLTS XING DAL AT 3000-4000 FT THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN TRAGIC. POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS: 1) REQUIRE ALL MIL ACFT TO CARRY AND BE FAMILIAR WITH SIDS. 2) REQUIRE ALL MIL ACFT FLYING INTO CIVILIAN ARPTS TO BE VHF EQUIPPED. THIS COMPOUNDED THE PROBS. 3) SEVERAL SOFTWARE AND HARDWARE CHANGES TO THE DFW RADAR HAVE BEEN MADE IN THE PAST YR CAUSING MANY GLITCHES -- LOSS OF PRIMARY TARGETS IS ONE OF THEM. THE TECHNICIANS CANNOT FIND THE CAUSE OR CORRELATION WHY A XPONDER NOT BEING TURNED ON WOULD CAUSE THE LACK OF A PRIMARY TARGET ALSO. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: ANALYST LEARNED IN THE CALLBACK THAT THERE HAS BEEN NO CHANGE TO THE RADAR PROB, THAT THE RPTR FILED A UCR ON THE RADAR. THE RADAR HAS BEEN FLT CHKED BUT RPTR IS UNAWARE OF THE RESULTS. RPTR IS AWARE THAT ATTEMPTS ARE BEING MADE TO RESOLVE THE PROB. RPTR STATED THAT THE PROB BEGAN ABOUT A YR AGO WHEN DFW IMPLEMENTED THEIR METROPLEX PLAN. RPTR STATED THAT IF THE ACFT XPONDER IS ON WHEN IT DEPARTS, A PRIMARY TARGET IS DISPLAYED FOLLOWED A SHORT TIME LATER WITH THE ARTS TAG. ANALYST LEARNED THAT A TA4 IS THE TRAINING VERSION OF THE A4.

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.