Narrative:

Working an arrival sector my responsibility is to sequence downwind traffic and base leg traffic to an imaginary point for the final controller so he can work out his own sequence into the appropriate runway. Working air carrier X in from the northwest he was given a descent to 9000 ft approximately 15 mi northwest of phx. I had already taken a handoff on a VFR bonanza at 8500 ft northbound across phx to flg. About 8 mi northwest of phx I turned air carrier X to a downwind leg. Any radar controller knows that when an aircraft goes over a radar antenna you will lose radar with that aircraft temporarily depending what altitude the aircraft is at, it ranges from 1-6 mi. Sure enough, as soon as I took the handoff on the VFR bonanza, I had other sits to take care of because we were in the middle of a runway change, sequencing for the final controller, what I am trying to say is my attention was diverted. The VFR bonanza never checked in but that is no excuse, because taking a radar handoff I am obligated to separate him whether I am talking to him or not. His radar data tag dropped off and as we say it here, 'out of sight, out of mind.' air carrier X turned downwind I issued them a descent to 6000 ft. Air carrier X then advised me once he takes care of a potential confliction with traffic from his TCASII he will begin a descent to 6000 ft. At that time the VFR bonanza's radar tag reappeared again at 8500 ft. As I am swallowing my pride and embarrassed as hell to even let this situation occur, I realized that the TCASII equipment performed admirably. There was no loss of separation, no safety concern, not because of what I had just done. I have always been a proponent of the TCASII equipment, but used as a backup or an extra set of eyes. Some of the procedures implemented by the FAA with TCASII procedures I have been opposed to. We are all human and as much as we try to prevent it, mistakes are going to be made, whether it's pilots or controllers. We like to keep mistakes to a bare minimum and with instruments like this used in the manner as this was used, it sure makes the skies that much safer.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CTLR'S ATTN WAS DIVERTED BY OTHER DUTIES, RADAR DATA BLOCK DROPPED OFF DUE TO ANTENNA LOCATION.

Narrative: WORKING AN ARR SECTOR MY RESPONSIBILITY IS TO SEQUENCE DOWNWIND TFC AND BASE LEG TFC TO AN IMAGINARY POINT FOR THE FINAL CTLR SO HE CAN WORK OUT HIS OWN SEQUENCE INTO THE APPROPRIATE RWY. WORKING ACR X IN FROM THE NW HE WAS GIVEN A DSCNT TO 9000 FT APPROX 15 MI NW OF PHX. I HAD ALREADY TAKEN A HDOF ON A VFR BONANZA AT 8500 FT NBOUND ACROSS PHX TO FLG. ABOUT 8 MI NW OF PHX I TURNED ACR X TO A DOWNWIND LEG. ANY RADAR CTLR KNOWS THAT WHEN AN ACFT GOES OVER A RADAR ANTENNA YOU WILL LOSE RADAR WITH THAT ACFT TEMPORARILY DEPENDING WHAT ALT THE ACFT IS AT, IT RANGES FROM 1-6 MI. SURE ENOUGH, AS SOON AS I TOOK THE HDOF ON THE VFR BONANZA, I HAD OTHER SITS TO TAKE CARE OF BECAUSE WE WERE IN THE MIDDLE OF A RWY CHANGE, SEQUENCING FOR THE FINAL CTLR, WHAT I AM TRYING TO SAY IS MY ATTN WAS DIVERTED. THE VFR BONANZA NEVER CHKED IN BUT THAT IS NO EXCUSE, BECAUSE TAKING A RADAR HDOF I AM OBLIGATED TO SEPARATE HIM WHETHER I AM TALKING TO HIM OR NOT. HIS RADAR DATA TAG DROPPED OFF AND AS WE SAY IT HERE, 'OUT OF SIGHT, OUT OF MIND.' ACR X TURNED DOWNWIND I ISSUED THEM A DSCNT TO 6000 FT. ACR X THEN ADVISED ME ONCE HE TAKES CARE OF A POTENTIAL CONFLICTION WITH TFC FROM HIS TCASII HE WILL BEGIN A DSCNT TO 6000 FT. AT THAT TIME THE VFR BONANZA'S RADAR TAG REAPPEARED AGAIN AT 8500 FT. AS I AM SWALLOWING MY PRIDE AND EMBARRASSED AS HELL TO EVEN LET THIS SIT OCCUR, I REALIZED THAT THE TCASII EQUIP PERFORMED ADMIRABLY. THERE WAS NO LOSS OF SEPARATION, NO SAFETY CONCERN, NOT BECAUSE OF WHAT I HAD JUST DONE. I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A PROPONENT OF THE TCASII EQUIP, BUT USED AS A BACKUP OR AN EXTRA SET OF EYES. SOME OF THE PROCS IMPLEMENTED BY THE FAA WITH TCASII PROCS I HAVE BEEN OPPOSED TO. WE ARE ALL HUMAN AND AS MUCH AS WE TRY TO PREVENT IT, MISTAKES ARE GOING TO BE MADE, WHETHER IT'S PLTS OR CTLRS. WE LIKE TO KEEP MISTAKES TO A BARE MINIMUM AND WITH INSTS LIKE THIS USED IN THE MANNER AS THIS WAS USED, IT SURE MAKES THE SKIES THAT MUCH SAFER.

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.