Narrative:

I was the departure controller in the ny TRACON working jfk departures. At approximately XXXX the tower local controller called small aircraft X rolling off runway 22R. A couple of mins past without small aircraft X reporting on my frequency or the appearance of the aircraft on the radar. This, however, was not unusual with slow, light aircraft. Small aircraft X is a (type aircraft). At approximately XXXX, air carrier Y, also a departure off runway 22R, who had not been called rolling, reported on my frequency and questioned me about traffic he had observed off his left wing. I then observed a weak target, now behind air carrier Y, on his right side. I was about to call the tower to ask the status of small aircraft X when they called me and said that small aircraft X had returned to their frequency, unable to contact me. I told them to switch him again. This time he contacted me and I established radar contact about 4 mi wsw of jfk airport, and about 3 mi west of air carrier Y position. Apparently, small aircraft X, unable to contact me, had drifted south, instead of flying at 220 degree heading. Realizing that he was off course he turned wbound to correct. The tower, not aware of the location of small aircraft X, or that he was not on my frequency had cleared air carrier Y for takeoff. With small aircraft X now wbound, and air carrier Y flying runway heading off runway 22R, the 2 passed in close proximity to each other.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DEPARTING ACR CAME IN CLOSE PROX TO A PREVIOUSLY DEPARTED SMA.

Narrative: I WAS THE DEP CTLR IN THE NY TRACON WORKING JFK DEPS. AT APPROX XXXX THE TWR LCL CTLR CALLED SMA X ROLLING OFF RWY 22R. A COUPLE OF MINS PAST WITHOUT SMA X REPORTING ON MY FREQ OR THE APPEARANCE OF THE ACFT ON THE RADAR. THIS, HOWEVER, WAS NOT UNUSUAL WITH SLOW, LIGHT ACFT. SMA X IS A (TYPE ACFT). AT APPROX XXXX, ACR Y, ALSO A DEP OFF RWY 22R, WHO HAD NOT BEEN CALLED ROLLING, REPORTED ON MY FREQ AND QUESTIONED ME ABOUT TFC HE HAD OBSERVED OFF HIS LEFT WING. I THEN OBSERVED A WEAK TARGET, NOW BEHIND ACR Y, ON HIS RIGHT SIDE. I WAS ABOUT TO CALL THE TWR TO ASK THE STATUS OF SMA X WHEN THEY CALLED ME AND SAID THAT SMA X HAD RETURNED TO THEIR FREQ, UNABLE TO CONTACT ME. I TOLD THEM TO SWITCH HIM AGAIN. THIS TIME HE CONTACTED ME AND I ESTABLISHED RADAR CONTACT ABOUT 4 MI WSW OF JFK ARPT, AND ABOUT 3 MI W OF ACR Y POSITION. APPARENTLY, SMA X, UNABLE TO CONTACT ME, HAD DRIFTED S, INSTEAD OF FLYING AT 220 DEG HDG. REALIZING THAT HE WAS OFF COURSE HE TURNED WBOUND TO CORRECT. THE TWR, NOT AWARE OF THE LOCATION OF SMA X, OR THAT HE WAS NOT ON MY FREQ HAD CLRED ACR Y FOR TKOF. WITH SMA X NOW WBOUND, AND ACR Y FLYING RWY HDG OFF RWY 22R, THE 2 PASSED IN CLOSE PROX TO EACH OTHER.

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.