Narrative:

I was working the west radar combined with flight data/clearance delivery. There were only 2 people assigned to the TRACON and the other was on break. In the briefing I got when I relieved the position, I was told chs had taken a non radar at 8000 ft on the C172. The data tag was in coast and primary was intermittent. The aircraft traveled 18 mi before it had a good beacon again. At 28 mi northeast of chs, I had the aircraft identify, I said radar contact. Over the next 15 mi or so, the aircraft continued to go into a coast target. Sometime after that (about the VOR), the data tag went into coast again and dropped completely from the ARTS. It did not go into the coast list. At the time, I was in the room alone. There was a club fly-in and 2 aircraft doing practice approachs and the normal arrs/departures and overflts. The other controller relieved me and nbc called about the aircraft. They said he was overdue in their sector. Chs located the aircraft some 50 mi southwest of chs. The ASR-9 at chs continues to have the problem of numerous aircraft coasting or non ARTS tracking. The problem supposedly has been studied and management has not offered a satisfactory explanation. I believe if the radar was operating properly, I would have initiated a handoff to nbc, and there would not have been any further problems.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CTLR AT CHS WORKING RADAR POS COMBINED ALONE IN TRACON LOSES TRACK OF AN ACFT THAT PENETRATES AN ADJACENT FACILITY'S AIRSPACE.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING THE W RADAR COMBINED WITH FLT DATA/CLRNC DELIVERY. THERE WERE ONLY 2 PEOPLE ASSIGNED TO THE TRACON AND THE OTHER WAS ON BREAK. IN THE BRIEFING I GOT WHEN I RELIEVED THE POS, I WAS TOLD CHS HAD TAKEN A NON RADAR AT 8000 FT ON THE C172. THE DATA TAG WAS IN COAST AND PRIMARY WAS INTERMITTENT. THE ACFT TRAVELED 18 MI BEFORE IT HAD A GOOD BEACON AGAIN. AT 28 MI NE OF CHS, I HAD THE ACFT IDENT, I SAID RADAR CONTACT. OVER THE NEXT 15 MI OR SO, THE ACFT CONTINUED TO GO INTO A COAST TARGET. SOMETIME AFTER THAT (ABOUT THE VOR), THE DATA TAG WENT INTO COAST AGAIN AND DROPPED COMPLETELY FROM THE ARTS. IT DID NOT GO INTO THE COAST LIST. AT THE TIME, I WAS IN THE ROOM ALONE. THERE WAS A CLUB FLY-IN AND 2 ACFT DOING PRACTICE APCHS AND THE NORMAL ARRS/DEPS AND OVERFLTS. THE OTHER CTLR RELIEVED ME AND NBC CALLED ABOUT THE ACFT. THEY SAID HE WAS OVERDUE IN THEIR SECTOR. CHS LOCATED THE ACFT SOME 50 MI SW OF CHS. THE ASR-9 AT CHS CONTINUES TO HAVE THE PROB OF NUMEROUS ACFT COASTING OR NON ARTS TRACKING. THE PROB SUPPOSEDLY HAS BEEN STUDIED AND MGMNT HAS NOT OFFERED A SATISFACTORY EXPLANATION. I BELIEVE IF THE RADAR WAS OPERATING PROPERLY, I WOULD HAVE INITIATED A HDOF TO NBC, AND THERE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ANY FURTHER PROBS.

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.