Narrative:

PA34 called ready for takeoff. I asked PA34 to say direction of flight. PA34 replied 'head 285.' I issued takeoff clearance and advised of traffic in the west touch-and-go pattern. When PA34 reached the departure end of the runway; C172 was off PA34's right wing. I issued traffic to both aircraft and instructed C172 to turn crosswind so PA34 could proceed wbound. D10 called a few mins later when PA34 was approximately 2 NM wsw of ftw and asked if PA34 was IFR. I advised that I had departed PA34 VFR and he was on a VFR code. I checked to see if I had an IFR departure strip for PA34 and the only IFR departure strip I had was for another C172 who was waiting IFR release with a 20 min delay. Our facility receives several flight progress strips that are VFR overflts/that we never talk to and VFR arrs that are not needed by our facility; and other information that is nice to know but not pertinent to the operation. We also may receive updates on IFR operations that may or may not be of interest to our facility. During the time period mentioned above; there were several of these strips printed/printing. It is highly possible that given the volume of traffic at the time and the number of flight progress strips being printed; that the IFR strip in question could have been inadvertently piled with the unnecessary strips and thrown away. Which is where the IFR departure strip for PA34 was found. Possible solutions: 1) require pilots to advise the tower when they are ready to depart that they are IFR. 2) reduce or eliminate the unnecessary printing of VFR overflt/arrival strips. 3) put in place an automated flight progress strip system to ensure the proper handling of IFR aircraft movement.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FTW CTLR DESCRIBED OPDEV EVENT WHEN IFR STRIP WAS MISPLACED ALLOWING FOR AN UNCOORDINATED IFR DEP.

Narrative: PA34 CALLED READY FOR TKOF. I ASKED PA34 TO SAY DIRECTION OF FLT. PA34 REPLIED 'HEAD 285.' I ISSUED TKOF CLRNC AND ADVISED OF TFC IN THE W TOUCH-AND-GO PATTERN. WHEN PA34 REACHED THE DEP END OF THE RWY; C172 WAS OFF PA34'S R WING. I ISSUED TFC TO BOTH ACFT AND INSTRUCTED C172 TO TURN XWIND SO PA34 COULD PROCEED WBOUND. D10 CALLED A FEW MINS LATER WHEN PA34 WAS APPROX 2 NM WSW OF FTW AND ASKED IF PA34 WAS IFR. I ADVISED THAT I HAD DEPARTED PA34 VFR AND HE WAS ON A VFR CODE. I CHKED TO SEE IF I HAD AN IFR DEP STRIP FOR PA34 AND THE ONLY IFR DEP STRIP I HAD WAS FOR ANOTHER C172 WHO WAS WAITING IFR RELEASE WITH A 20 MIN DELAY. OUR FACILITY RECEIVES SEVERAL FLT PROGRESS STRIPS THAT ARE VFR OVERFLTS/THAT WE NEVER TALK TO AND VFR ARRS THAT ARE NOT NEEDED BY OUR FACILITY; AND OTHER INFO THAT IS NICE TO KNOW BUT NOT PERTINENT TO THE OP. WE ALSO MAY RECEIVE UPDATES ON IFR OPS THAT MAY OR MAY NOT BE OF INTEREST TO OUR FACILITY. DURING THE TIME PERIOD MENTIONED ABOVE; THERE WERE SEVERAL OF THESE STRIPS PRINTED/PRINTING. IT IS HIGHLY POSSIBLE THAT GIVEN THE VOLUME OF TFC AT THE TIME AND THE NUMBER OF FLT PROGRESS STRIPS BEING PRINTED; THAT THE IFR STRIP IN QUESTION COULD HAVE BEEN INADVERTENTLY PILED WITH THE UNNECESSARY STRIPS AND THROWN AWAY. WHICH IS WHERE THE IFR DEP STRIP FOR PA34 WAS FOUND. POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS: 1) REQUIRE PLTS TO ADVISE THE TWR WHEN THEY ARE READY TO DEPART THAT THEY ARE IFR. 2) REDUCE OR ELIMINATE THE UNNECESSARY PRINTING OF VFR OVERFLT/ARR STRIPS. 3) PUT IN PLACE AN AUTOMATED FLT PROGRESS STRIP SYS TO ENSURE THE PROPER HANDLING OF IFR ACFT MOVEMENT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.