Narrative:

Aircraft was inbound in accordance with facility procedures, IFR at 6000 ft. I was busy with numerous other aircraft at williams gateway conducting practice approachs. 2 position combined, tempe sector and willy sector. Both sectors work a majority of VFR aircraft, very few IFR. Strip was delivered by south departure, but I don't remember receiving it. When the aircraft called I wasn't sure what routing he was on or if he was IFR or VFR. I questioned whether he was on a coded VFR routing. He responded no, but that he would accept it. I assigned the VFR routing and the pilot acknowledged receipt of the clearance. I treated him like he was VFR for the rest of the time he was on my frequency. I had no idea that he was on an IFR flight plan until the supervisor questioned me. My initial response to the supervisor was that the aircraft was on the VFR arrival. After the tower talked to the pilot, he confirmed that he had accepted the VFR coded arrival and proceeded in VMC conditions. I believe this was a poor procedure or technique on my part. I think that the position should have been decombined and most importantly, when the strip was delivered, that person should have placed the strip in front of me instead of off to the side and insured that I knew it was there. No loss of separation technically occurred, but this event/situation has happened before on this position as recently as 12/xa/97.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TRACON CTLR, DURING A BUSY TFC SESSION, ACCEPTED A RADAR HDOF OF A C208 INBOUND TO PHX ARPT. THE CTLR DID NOT REALIZE THE ACFT WAS ON AN IFR FLT PLAN, AND ASSIGNED HIM A VFR CLASS B RTE TO THE ARPT. THE PLT CALLED THE TWR, WHO COORD WITH THE TRACON SUPVR TO RESOLVE THE SIT. THE CTLR DID NOT REALIZE THAT AN IFR DATA STRIP HAD BEEN PLACED AT HIS CTL POS.

Narrative: ACFT WAS INBOUND IN ACCORDANCE WITH FACILITY PROCS, IFR AT 6000 FT. I WAS BUSY WITH NUMEROUS OTHER ACFT AT WILLIAMS GATEWAY CONDUCTING PRACTICE APCHS. 2 POS COMBINED, TEMPE SECTOR AND WILLY SECTOR. BOTH SECTORS WORK A MAJORITY OF VFR ACFT, VERY FEW IFR. STRIP WAS DELIVERED BY S DEP, BUT I DON'T REMEMBER RECEIVING IT. WHEN THE ACFT CALLED I WASN'T SURE WHAT ROUTING HE WAS ON OR IF HE WAS IFR OR VFR. I QUESTIONED WHETHER HE WAS ON A CODED VFR ROUTING. HE RESPONDED NO, BUT THAT HE WOULD ACCEPT IT. I ASSIGNED THE VFR ROUTING AND THE PLT ACKNOWLEDGED RECEIPT OF THE CLRNC. I TREATED HIM LIKE HE WAS VFR FOR THE REST OF THE TIME HE WAS ON MY FREQ. I HAD NO IDEA THAT HE WAS ON AN IFR FLT PLAN UNTIL THE SUPVR QUESTIONED ME. MY INITIAL RESPONSE TO THE SUPVR WAS THAT THE ACFT WAS ON THE VFR ARR. AFTER THE TWR TALKED TO THE PLT, HE CONFIRMED THAT HE HAD ACCEPTED THE VFR CODED ARR AND PROCEEDED IN VMC CONDITIONS. I BELIEVE THIS WAS A POOR PROC OR TECHNIQUE ON MY PART. I THINK THAT THE POS SHOULD HAVE BEEN DECOMBINED AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, WHEN THE STRIP WAS DELIVERED, THAT PERSON SHOULD HAVE PLACED THE STRIP IN FRONT OF ME INSTEAD OF OFF TO THE SIDE AND INSURED THAT I KNEW IT WAS THERE. NO LOSS OF SEPARATION TECHNICALLY OCCURRED, BUT THIS EVENT/SIT HAS HAPPENED BEFORE ON THIS POS AS RECENTLY AS 12/XA/97.

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.