Narrative:

I was working 7 or 8 aircraft from FL330 and above. I needed to get an oma arrival flight down so I issued a crossing restr to the LR60; who is my oma flight. As the LR60 approached the next sector; descending to FL340; suddenly the transponder disappeared from my display. I called the LR60 but got no response. I asked a nearby flight if they could hear the LR60 calling ZKC and got a negative. I vectored 2 nearby airliners over the location that the LR60 disappeared to look for a ground fire but they had a broken layer underneath them and could not see anything that looked like a downed flight. I am writing to NASA aviation safety reporting system because of what happened that caused air traffic to think a crash had occurred. The flight was idented and found the correct center frequency about 15 mins after losing its transponder and was on course. When the pilot called the center after landing; as per my request; I was informed that a switch was inadvertently switched which put the transponder on stand-by and sent the radios to a default company frequency. So the pilot spent the next 15 mins trying to locate the center frequency; while also preparing to land at oma; plus fly the LR60. I was absolutely sure I had lost the LR60 and much effort was spent on behalf of the system trying to determine what happened. I was very glad that I had issued a crossing restr; because this flight was heading into a ZMP sector that was busy and they only had to protect FL340. I am not a pilot and I don't know the switch that the pilot is referring to; but I hope this won't happen again.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZKC CTLR DESCRIBED CTLR CONCERNS WHEN ACFT DESCENDING FROM FL400 LOST TRANSPONDER AND RADIOS FOR 15 MIN.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING 7 OR 8 ACFT FROM FL330 AND ABOVE. I NEEDED TO GET AN OMA ARR FLT DOWN SO I ISSUED A XING RESTR TO THE LR60; WHO IS MY OMA FLT. AS THE LR60 APCHED THE NEXT SECTOR; DSNDING TO FL340; SUDDENLY THE XPONDER DISAPPEARED FROM MY DISPLAY. I CALLED THE LR60 BUT GOT NO RESPONSE. I ASKED A NEARBY FLT IF THEY COULD HEAR THE LR60 CALLING ZKC AND GOT A NEGATIVE. I VECTORED 2 NEARBY AIRLINERS OVER THE LOCATION THAT THE LR60 DISAPPEARED TO LOOK FOR A GND FIRE BUT THEY HAD A BROKEN LAYER UNDERNEATH THEM AND COULD NOT SEE ANYTHING THAT LOOKED LIKE A DOWNED FLT. I AM WRITING TO NASA AVIATION SAFETY RPTING SYS BECAUSE OF WHAT HAPPENED THAT CAUSED AIR TFC TO THINK A CRASH HAD OCCURRED. THE FLT WAS IDENTED AND FOUND THE CORRECT CTR FREQ ABOUT 15 MINS AFTER LOSING ITS XPONDER AND WAS ON COURSE. WHEN THE PLT CALLED THE CTR AFTER LNDG; AS PER MY REQUEST; I WAS INFORMED THAT A SWITCH WAS INADVERTENTLY SWITCHED WHICH PUT THE XPONDER ON STAND-BY AND SENT THE RADIOS TO A DEFAULT COMPANY FREQ. SO THE PLT SPENT THE NEXT 15 MINS TRYING TO LOCATE THE CTR FREQ; WHILE ALSO PREPARING TO LAND AT OMA; PLUS FLY THE LR60. I WAS ABSOLUTELY SURE I HAD LOST THE LR60 AND MUCH EFFORT WAS SPENT ON BEHALF OF THE SYS TRYING TO DETERMINE WHAT HAPPENED. I WAS VERY GLAD THAT I HAD ISSUED A XING RESTR; BECAUSE THIS FLT WAS HEADING INTO A ZMP SECTOR THAT WAS BUSY AND THEY ONLY HAD TO PROTECT FL340. I AM NOT A PLT AND I DON'T KNOW THE SWITCH THAT THE PLT IS REFERRING TO; BUT I HOPE THIS WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN.

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.