Narrative:

Air carrier X called center for clearance to liberal, ks, after departing VFR. Radar controller issued clearance but never activated the flight plan in the computer. Assistant controller (me) was occupied with other duties and did not hear clrncs. Aircraft was never radar idented and pilot never contacted center again until advising 'liberal in sight.' at this point the aircraft was in ZKC airspace. This is an airspace deviation. Cause or problem: radar controller too busy with other IFR aircraft and did not follow through. Pilot did not reattempt contact with center, and did not hear the magic words 'radar contact.' we need to check on each other. The radar controller was clearly at fault. However, I believe it's a '2-way street' and this may have been averted had the pilot questioned the controller about the radar status. This particular flight is often made VFR. The controller should have recognized he was too busy to add another aircraft to the workload and told air carrier X to 'maintain VFR.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ENRTE ACR ADVISES ZDV CTLR THAT ARPT IS IN SIGHT, ALERTING THE CTLR THAT A HDOF WAS NOT COMPLETED TO ZKC.

Narrative: ACR X CALLED CTR FOR CLRNC TO LIBERAL, KS, AFTER DEPARTING VFR. RADAR CTLR ISSUED CLRNC BUT NEVER ACTIVATED THE FLT PLAN IN THE COMPUTER. ASSISTANT CTLR (ME) WAS OCCUPIED WITH OTHER DUTIES AND DID NOT HEAR CLRNCS. ACFT WAS NEVER RADAR IDENTED AND PLT NEVER CONTACTED CTR AGAIN UNTIL ADVISING 'LIBERAL IN SIGHT.' AT THIS POINT THE ACFT WAS IN ZKC AIRSPACE. THIS IS AN AIRSPACE DEV. CAUSE OR PROB: RADAR CTLR TOO BUSY WITH OTHER IFR ACFT AND DID NOT FOLLOW THROUGH. PLT DID NOT REATTEMPT CONTACT WITH CTR, AND DID NOT HEAR THE MAGIC WORDS 'RADAR CONTACT.' WE NEED TO CHK ON EACH OTHER. THE RADAR CTLR WAS CLRLY AT FAULT. HOWEVER, I BELIEVE IT'S A '2-WAY STREET' AND THIS MAY HAVE BEEN AVERTED HAD THE PLT QUESTIONED THE CTLR ABOUT THE RADAR STATUS. THIS PARTICULAR FLT IS OFTEN MADE VFR. THE CTLR SHOULD HAVE RECOGNIZED HE WAS TOO BUSY TO ADD ANOTHER ACFT TO THE WORKLOAD AND TOLD ACR X TO 'MAINTAIN VFR.'

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.