Cpr X controled flight toward terrain. System error.

Attributes
ACN	174648
Time
Date	199104
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : apa
State Reference	CO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 8000 msl bound upper : 8000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : den
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Small Transport
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : departure
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller radar : 15
ASRS Report	174648
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 5100 flight time type : 75
ASRS Report	174890
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : published procedure other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

Cpr X had wrong code in transponder. ARTS did not acquire. I forgot about him till he called, saying he had to climb or turn for terrain. There was also testing going on with a new radar system. Supplemental information from acn 174890: cpr X IFR clearance: cleared to gjt, direct den, J80, jnc, gjt; climb and maintain 8000', expect 19000' 10 mins after departure. Den departure 121.1, squawk ????. Cleared for takeoff by apa tower with a restriction to fly straight out. After clearing other VFR traffic, instructed to turn right heading 270 degrees, contact departure. After 15-30 seconds, I established contact with departure control with a response, 'radar contact, fly heading 270, maintain 8000.' during the next 4-5 mins, other instructions continued to other aircraft, but none to me. The mountains are now dangerously close. I then made a request for a turn or higher with no response. Again after instructions to other aircraft, I made a second request for a turn or higher. After a short pause a response came, 'turn right heading 350. I'm not receiving your transponder. Can you make a VFR climb?' I made the turn and accepted the VFR climb. The flight then continued normally. West/O the turn, I was 30-45 seconds from impacting the mountains, 6 mins into the flight. My perception of the event was: the controller made a radar identify on a primary only and expected to acquire a transponder. Because of an inoperative transponder, we were forgotten. Judging from the frequency congestion, I would rate the controller workload as light to moderate. I was hearing no blind instructions, so I don't think he was operating a second frequency. Our #1 transponder has a history of intermittent operation that has not yet been solved. The #2 transponder worked fine.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CPR X CTLED FLT TOWARD TERRAIN. SYSTEM ERROR.

Narrative: CPR X HAD WRONG CODE IN XPONDER. ARTS DID NOT ACQUIRE. I FORGOT ABOUT HIM TILL HE CALLED, SAYING HE HAD TO CLB OR TURN FOR TERRAIN. THERE WAS ALSO TESTING GOING ON WITH A NEW RADAR SYS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 174890: CPR X IFR CLRNC: CLRED TO GJT, DIRECT DEN, J80, JNC, GJT; CLB AND MAINTAIN 8000', EXPECT 19000' 10 MINS AFTER DEP. DEN DEP 121.1, SQUAWK ????. CLRED FOR TKOF BY APA TWR WITH A RESTRICTION TO FLY STRAIGHT OUT. AFTER CLRING OTHER VFR TFC, INSTRUCTED TO TURN RIGHT HDG 270 DEGS, CONTACT DEP. AFTER 15-30 SECS, I ESTABLISHED CONTACT WITH DEP CTL WITH A RESPONSE, 'RADAR CONTACT, FLY HDG 270, MAINTAIN 8000.' DURING THE NEXT 4-5 MINS, OTHER INSTRUCTIONS CONTINUED TO OTHER ACFT, BUT NONE TO ME. THE MOUNTAINS ARE NOW DANGEROUSLY CLOSE. I THEN MADE A REQUEST FOR A TURN OR HIGHER WITH NO RESPONSE. AGAIN AFTER INSTRUCTIONS TO OTHER ACFT, I MADE A SECOND REQUEST FOR A TURN OR HIGHER. AFTER A SHORT PAUSE A RESPONSE CAME, 'TURN RIGHT HDG 350. I'M NOT RECEIVING YOUR XPONDER. CAN YOU MAKE A VFR CLB?' I MADE THE TURN AND ACCEPTED THE VFR CLB. THE FLT THEN CONTINUED NORMALLY. W/O THE TURN, I WAS 30-45 SECS FROM IMPACTING THE MOUNTAINS, 6 MINS INTO THE FLT. MY PERCEPTION OF THE EVENT WAS: THE CTLR MADE A RADAR IDENT ON A PRIMARY ONLY AND EXPECTED TO ACQUIRE A XPONDER. BECAUSE OF AN INOP XPONDER, WE WERE FORGOTTEN. JUDGING FROM THE FREQ CONGESTION, I WOULD RATE THE CTLR WORKLOAD AS LIGHT TO MODERATE. I WAS HEARING NO BLIND INSTRUCTIONS, SO I DON'T THINK HE WAS OPERATING A SECOND FREQ. OUR #1 XPONDER HAS A HISTORY OF INTERMITTENT OPERATION THAT HAS NOT YET BEEN SOLVED. THE #2 XPONDER WORKED FINE.

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