ZMA controller concerned with aircraft departing fll did not ARTS automatic-acquire.

Attributes
ACN	468239
Time
Date	200003
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : fll.airport
State Reference	FL
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : mia.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Merlin IV A
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	climbout : initial
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : departure
Qualification	controller : radar pilot : private
Experience	controller radar : 9 controller time certified in position1 : 8 flight time total : 1200
ASRS Report	468239
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : radar other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Maintenance Human Performance ATC Facility ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Facility
Situations
ATC Facility	computer equipment : mia.tracon radar equipment : mia.tracon

Narrative:

I could not get this aircraft to acquire in the ARTS. The aircraft was in the system and everything was normal. There was no reason it should not work, but it would not. I was busy at the time and did not see this plane depart. Consequently, I cleared him to a fix and issued a holding clearance until I could properly identify him and make a handoff the center. My attention was diverted from my traffic to this problem -- a potentially unsafe situation. The ARTS at mia is increasingly unstable and needs to be fixed immediately.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZMA CTLR CONCERNED WITH ACFT DEPARTING FLL DID NOT ARTS AUTO-ACQUIRE.

Narrative: I COULD NOT GET THIS ACFT TO ACQUIRE IN THE ARTS. THE ACFT WAS IN THE SYS AND EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL. THERE WAS NO REASON IT SHOULD NOT WORK, BUT IT WOULD NOT. I WAS BUSY AT THE TIME AND DID NOT SEE THIS PLANE DEPART. CONSEQUENTLY, I CLRED HIM TO A FIX AND ISSUED A HOLDING CLRNC UNTIL I COULD PROPERLY IDENT HIM AND MAKE A HDOF THE CTR. MY ATTN WAS DIVERTED FROM MY TFC TO THIS PROB -- A POTENTIALLY UNSAFE SIT. THE ARTS AT MIA IS INCREASINGLY UNSTABLE AND NEEDS TO BE FIXED IMMEDIATELY.

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.