Narrative:

C208; departed IFR from tjsj to tjbq; filed at 4000 ft. About 10 mi west of tjsj; I gave C208 direct to tjbq; as per pilot request. At about the same time; tjsj tower called to inform that the only available runway (runway 8) was unusable; due to an iguana on the runway. I had about 6-10 inbound aircraft to tjsj; with nowhere to land; so I proceeded to delay vector some aircraft; and apply speed reduction; etc; buying time for the runway to re-open. Departures added to the complexity; and all this occupied my attention; so I didn't notice when the C208 dropped from radar; somewhere from 15-20 mi west of tjsj. The closed runway situation lasted about 5-10 mins; when I was relieved from the position by a supervisor and an RA-1 (radar assistant) simultaneously. This confirms that the position was busy enough to warrant a radar assistant to provide help. To make matters worse; I was experiencing an upset stomach. This made me 'rush' the briefing; but more importantly; forego the post-briefing position check I always accomplish after being relieved (check strips; etc); in my need to get to the restroom quickly. C208 had dropped at least 3 times from radar; as confirmed by the investigation of the computer data. I missed briefing the relieving controller about the traffic; since the target was not on scope; and did not catch the mistake by a review of the strips. The caravan progressed into the adjacent center's airspace without a handoff or coordination; resulting in an operational deviation. In retrospect; I should have informed the relieving controller and radar assistant to doublechk the strips; since I had to run without doing so. Having had a radar assistant myself as soon the complete runway closure situation arised would have helped avoid the situation. I also believe there is a problem with dropped targets west and east of tjsj at low altitude; particularly with cessna caravans; which I have experienced dropping from radar on many prior occasions. This is a problem that needs looking into; as there is prior documented occurrences of dropped tags on the tjsj ASR-8 radar.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TJSJ CTLR EXPERIENCED OPDEV DUE TO INCOMPLETE RELIEF BRIEFING AND INTERMITTENT TARGET AND ACFT ENTERED ADJACENT AIRSPACE WITHOUT HDOF.

Narrative: C208; DEPARTED IFR FROM TJSJ TO TJBQ; FILED AT 4000 FT. ABOUT 10 MI W OF TJSJ; I GAVE C208 DIRECT TO TJBQ; AS PER PLT REQUEST. AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME; TJSJ TWR CALLED TO INFORM THAT THE ONLY AVAILABLE RWY (RWY 8) WAS UNUSABLE; DUE TO AN IGUANA ON THE RWY. I HAD ABOUT 6-10 INBOUND ACFT TO TJSJ; WITH NOWHERE TO LAND; SO I PROCEEDED TO DELAY VECTOR SOME ACFT; AND APPLY SPD REDUCTION; ETC; BUYING TIME FOR THE RWY TO RE-OPEN. DEPS ADDED TO THE COMPLEXITY; AND ALL THIS OCCUPIED MY ATTN; SO I DIDN'T NOTICE WHEN THE C208 DROPPED FROM RADAR; SOMEWHERE FROM 15-20 MI W OF TJSJ. THE CLOSED RWY SITUATION LASTED ABOUT 5-10 MINS; WHEN I WAS RELIEVED FROM THE POS BY A SUPVR AND AN RA-1 (RADAR ASSISTANT) SIMULTANEOUSLY. THIS CONFIRMS THAT THE POS WAS BUSY ENOUGH TO WARRANT A RADAR ASSISTANT TO PROVIDE HELP. TO MAKE MATTERS WORSE; I WAS EXPERIENCING AN UPSET STOMACH. THIS MADE ME 'RUSH' THE BRIEFING; BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY; FOREGO THE POST-BRIEFING POS CHK I ALWAYS ACCOMPLISH AFTER BEING RELIEVED (CHK STRIPS; ETC); IN MY NEED TO GET TO THE RESTROOM QUICKLY. C208 HAD DROPPED AT LEAST 3 TIMES FROM RADAR; AS CONFIRMED BY THE INVESTIGATION OF THE COMPUTER DATA. I MISSED BRIEFING THE RELIEVING CTLR ABOUT THE TFC; SINCE THE TARGET WAS NOT ON SCOPE; AND DID NOT CATCH THE MISTAKE BY A REVIEW OF THE STRIPS. THE CARAVAN PROGRESSED INTO THE ADJACENT CTR'S AIRSPACE WITHOUT A HDOF OR COORD; RESULTING IN AN OPDEV. IN RETROSPECT; I SHOULD HAVE INFORMED THE RELIEVING CTLR AND RADAR ASSISTANT TO DOUBLECHK THE STRIPS; SINCE I HAD TO RUN WITHOUT DOING SO. HAVING HAD A RADAR ASSISTANT MYSELF AS SOON THE COMPLETE RWY CLOSURE SITUATION ARISED WOULD HAVE HELPED AVOID THE SITUATION. I ALSO BELIEVE THERE IS A PROB WITH DROPPED TARGETS W AND E OF TJSJ AT LOW ALT; PARTICULARLY WITH CESSNA CARAVANS; WHICH I HAVE EXPERIENCED DROPPING FROM RADAR ON MANY PRIOR OCCASIONS. THIS IS A PROB THAT NEEDS LOOKING INTO; AS THERE IS PRIOR DOCUMENTED OCCURRENCES OF DROPPED TAGS ON THE TJSJ ASR-8 RADAR.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.