Narrative:

Aircraft was idented VFR, requesting IFR to emt. Flight plan was entered by radar supervisor and clearance was issued. Aircraft remained on VFR code. IFR code was reissued and full data block was observed to acquire, then scan and attention was directed to other ATC duties. I was working several other aircraft, tracking pointouts from other sectors and manually coordinating with 2 other bfl sectors -- nlc (lemoore) approach and fat (fresno) approach. Subject aircraft was apparently forgotten. His next call to ATC was near elmoo intersection with socal TRACON. He transited bfl south sector and ZLA 4 without being detected. Bfl ARTS and center computer tracking records indicate the full data block never acquired, departure message was not initiated and aircraft was never tracked. This conflicts with my memory of seeing the full data block acquire. Actions that could have prevented this incident: 1) withhold IFR clearance until full data block acquires and tracking is established (even though aircraft had been radar idented for several mi on VFR tag). 2) better strip management as a memory aid that aircraft is missing from scope. I have a personal system but reserve it for busier traffic. I will use it always! 3) handoff position to assist the radar controller during busier periods. We have time for the other 2 sectors. 4) increase automation/reduce manual coordination, ie, we have the capability to automate handoffs to nlc approach (navy) but it is not allowed. We have to manually hand off aircraft. This is time consuming and distracting. 5) poor radar coverage near ptv airport on boundary with fat approach can be problematic (was for me) with IFR descending into visual and VFR below my coverage on my frequency because fat wouldn't work him. Fat called traffic.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CTLR BECAME PREOCCUPIED WITH OTHER TFC AFTER RADAR IDENTING AN IFR C182. THE C182 PROCEEDED ON COURSE AND PENETRATING ADJACENT FACILITIES AIRSPACE BEFORE THE ACFT WAS DETECTED. THERE WAS NO FULL DATA BLOCK ASSOCIATED WITH THE TARGET WHEN DETECTED.

Narrative: ACFT WAS IDENTED VFR, REQUESTING IFR TO EMT. FLT PLAN WAS ENTERED BY RADAR SUPVR AND CLRNC WAS ISSUED. ACFT REMAINED ON VFR CODE. IFR CODE WAS REISSUED AND FULL DATA BLOCK WAS OBSERVED TO ACQUIRE, THEN SCAN AND ATTN WAS DIRECTED TO OTHER ATC DUTIES. I WAS WORKING SEVERAL OTHER ACFT, TRACKING POINTOUTS FROM OTHER SECTORS AND MANUALLY COORDINATING WITH 2 OTHER BFL SECTORS -- NLC (LEMOORE) APCH AND FAT (FRESNO) APCH. SUBJECT ACFT WAS APPARENTLY FORGOTTEN. HIS NEXT CALL TO ATC WAS NEAR ELMOO INTXN WITH SOCAL TRACON. HE TRANSITED BFL S SECTOR AND ZLA 4 WITHOUT BEING DETECTED. BFL ARTS AND CTR COMPUTER TRACKING RECORDS INDICATE THE FULL DATA BLOCK NEVER ACQUIRED, DEP MESSAGE WAS NOT INITIATED AND ACFT WAS NEVER TRACKED. THIS CONFLICTS WITH MY MEMORY OF SEEING THE FULL DATA BLOCK ACQUIRE. ACTIONS THAT COULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS INCIDENT: 1) WITHHOLD IFR CLRNC UNTIL FULL DATA BLOCK ACQUIRES AND TRACKING IS ESTABLISHED (EVEN THOUGH ACFT HAD BEEN RADAR IDENTED FOR SEVERAL MI ON VFR TAG). 2) BETTER STRIP MGMNT AS A MEMORY AID THAT ACFT IS MISSING FROM SCOPE. I HAVE A PERSONAL SYS BUT RESERVE IT FOR BUSIER TFC. I WILL USE IT ALWAYS! 3) HDOF POS TO ASSIST THE RADAR CTLR DURING BUSIER PERIODS. WE HAVE TIME FOR THE OTHER 2 SECTORS. 4) INCREASE AUTOMATION/REDUCE MANUAL COORD, IE, WE HAVE THE CAPABILITY TO AUTOMATE HDOFS TO NLC APCH (NAVY) BUT IT IS NOT ALLOWED. WE HAVE TO MANUALLY HAND OFF ACFT. THIS IS TIME CONSUMING AND DISTRACTING. 5) POOR RADAR COVERAGE NEAR PTV ARPT ON BOUNDARY WITH FAT APCH CAN BE PROBLEMATIC (WAS FOR ME) WITH IFR DSNDING INTO VISUAL AND VFR BELOW MY COVERAGE ON MY FREQ BECAUSE FAT WOULDN'T WORK HIM. FAT CALLED TFC.

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.