C172 pilot forgot to turn on transponder.

Attributes
ACN	459330
Time
Date	199912
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zny.artcc
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl single value : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zny.artcc
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 25 flight time total : 330 flight time type : 25
ASRS Report	459330
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

VFR departure from hpn, got distraction from takeoff checklist and didn't turn on transponder. After flying south down VFR corridor over hudson river, flew west, and finally noticed transponder over trenton. Probably didn't notice it earlier due to sightseeing. Immediately turned it on after noticing during panel scan. Contributing factor was checklist order, which split attention inside and outside cockpit. After talking to tower, never completed checklist to turn on transponder. Corrective action taken by changing checklist to finish inside items first, including transponder, then talk to tower for takeoff clearance.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 PLT FORGOT TO TURN ON XPONDER.

Narrative: VFR DEP FROM HPN, GOT DISTR FROM TKOF CHKLIST AND DIDN'T TURN ON XPONDER. AFTER FLYING S DOWN VFR CORRIDOR OVER HUDSON RIVER, FLEW W, AND FINALLY NOTICED XPONDER OVER TRENTON. PROBABLY DIDN'T NOTICE IT EARLIER DUE TO SIGHTSEEING. IMMEDIATELY TURNED IT ON AFTER NOTICING DURING PANEL SCAN. CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS CHKLIST ORDER, WHICH SPLIT ATTN INSIDE AND OUTSIDE COCKPIT. AFTER TALKING TO TWR, NEVER COMPLETED CHKLIST TO TURN ON XPONDER. CORRECTIVE ACTION TAKEN BY CHANGING CHKLIST TO FINISH INSIDE ITEMS FIRST, INCLUDING XPONDER, THEN TALK TO TWR FOR TKOF CLRNC.

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.