Narrative:

I was working radar approach control at den TRACON handling the aircraft for all satellite airports. Den was departing runways 35L and 35R. I accepted a handoff from ZDV 30 mi north of denver on small aircraft X. At 8000' cleared direct den direct jeffco. I was extremely busy with VFR aircraft calling for traffic advisories. X was on an IFR flight plan, and when the pilot called me his transponder had failed, leaving only a primary target. I mistook X as an aircraft calling for VFR flight advisories and issued him a VFR transponder code. With an inoperative transponder he did not tag up. The transponder had been working up until entering my airspace. X was still direct den at 8000' opp direction of the den departures. I made a blanket broadcast if there are any aircraft calling that I have not answered and got no response. Approximately 10 mins later X called and said, 'we just turned northbound to miss an aircraft, would like vectors for the approach at jeffco.' upon pilot position reports I re-established radar contact 10 mi north of den on a primary target only 2 mi off the departure centerline. A contributing factor was a failed transponder at a time when I was extremely busy with aircraft. I believe the situation occurred because all aircraft for satellite airports are cleared direct den direct, leaving no way out in the event of a transponder failure or lost communications.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION BETWEEN SMA AND ONE OR MORE IFR DEP ACFT FROM DEN.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING RADAR APCH CTL AT DEN TRACON HANDLING THE ACFT FOR ALL SATELLITE ARPTS. DEN WAS DEPARTING RWYS 35L AND 35R. I ACCEPTED A HDOF FROM ZDV 30 MI N OF DENVER ON SMA X. AT 8000' CLRED DIRECT DEN DIRECT JEFFCO. I WAS EXTREMELY BUSY WITH VFR ACFT CALLING FOR TFC ADVISORIES. X WAS ON AN IFR FLT PLAN, AND WHEN THE PLT CALLED ME HIS XPONDER HAD FAILED, LEAVING ONLY A PRIMARY TARGET. I MISTOOK X AS AN ACFT CALLING FOR VFR FLT ADVISORIES AND ISSUED HIM A VFR XPONDER CODE. WITH AN INOP XPONDER HE DID NOT TAG UP. THE XPONDER HAD BEEN WORKING UP UNTIL ENTERING MY AIRSPACE. X WAS STILL DIRECT DEN AT 8000' OPP DIRECTION OF THE DEN DEPS. I MADE A BLANKET BROADCAST IF THERE ARE ANY ACFT CALLING THAT I HAVE NOT ANSWERED AND GOT NO RESPONSE. APPROX 10 MINS LATER X CALLED AND SAID, 'WE JUST TURNED NBOUND TO MISS AN ACFT, WOULD LIKE VECTORS FOR THE APCH AT JEFFCO.' UPON PLT POS RPTS I RE-ESTABLISHED RADAR CONTACT 10 MI N OF DEN ON A PRIMARY TARGET ONLY 2 MI OFF THE DEP CENTERLINE. A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS A FAILED XPONDER AT A TIME WHEN I WAS EXTREMELY BUSY WITH ACFT. I BELIEVE THE SITUATION OCCURRED BECAUSE ALL ACFT FOR SATELLITE ARPTS ARE CLRED DIRECT DEN DIRECT, LEAVING NO WAY OUT IN THE EVENT OF A XPONDER FAILURE OR LOST COMS.

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