Definition
A radar return displayed on a controller's scope that has not been associated with a specific aircraft identity, flight plan, or transponder data block. The target appears as a position symbol only, without the linked information (callsign, altitude, groundspeed) that accompanies a tracked target.
Plain English
A blip on the radar screen that the controller can see but hasn't yet connected to a known aircraft. The position is showing up, but the system isn't telling the controller who it is or what it's doing.
Context Anchor
Seen in air traffic control radar display discussions, especially when comparing identified aircraft with other radar returns near them.
Derivation
Untracked combines “un-,” meaning “not,” with “tracked,” meaning followed along a path. In this aviation use, it means the radar system can show the target, but it is not following it as a confirmed aircraft track.
Why Pilots Care
Controllers must handle these returns with extra care because they lack data blocks, making aircraft identification and separation more difficult.
Intuition Check
Do not assume “untracked” means invisible or unimportant. It means the target is visible on radar, but the system has not fully identified and followed it as a normal aircraft track.
Example Sentence 1
The controller called out an untracked target at our two o'clock, three miles, altitude unknown.
Example Sentence 2
Primary radar showed an untracked target without altitude readout, requiring the controller to issue a safety alert.