Date: 201911
Local time of day: 0001-0600
Location: GEG.TRACON, WA
Aircraft: Small Aircraft
Operator: Personal
Operating under: Part 91
Flight plan: IFR
Mission: Personal
Flight phase: Climb; Initial Climb
Airspace: Class E GEG
ATC / advisory: TRACON GEG
Reporter organization: Government
Reporter function: Approach; Supervisor / CIC
Reporter qualification: Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Human factors: Workload; Situational Awareness; Communication Breakdown; Distraction
Anomaly: ATC Issue All Types; Deviation - Altitude Overshoot; Deviation - Track / Heading All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Inflight Event / Encounter CFTT / CFIT
Detector: Person Air Traffic Control
When detected: In-flight
Result: Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance
Contributing factors: Airspace Structure; Human Factors; Procedure
Primary problem: Human Factors

Narrative: I was working a radar sector). The Supervisor had just combined CIC (controller in charge) to me. There was a missing aircraft at the other radar sector. The aircraft had flown an instrument approach to one of the satellite airports and hadn't cancelled yet; it had been 20 minutes. Just before 30 minutes; I called the center operations manager to start an ALNOT (Alert Notice). I had no aircraft on frequency at my radar sector and no inbounds. While on the phone with Center; the Tower Controller called to request an IFR release. I asked the other radar Controller who also had no aircraft at the time to answer the line and release the aircraft because I couldn't do both. The other Controller is certified on my sector. Controller released the aircraft; and I completed the phone call to start the ALNOT and returned to my scope. Aircraft X departed and I was not receiving their mode-c. I reached out to the aircraft but they weren't on frequency. I asked the other controller how was he released; they replied 'I think they requested as filed.'  After reaching out to the pilot a second time they replied. I asked them to say altitude and squawk altitude. They replied leaving 8160 ft. for 10000 ft. They were northwest bound at this point over the airport.  Aircraft X continued on roughly a 340 heading; and climbed through their filed altitude of 10700 ft. but filed at 10000. I asked the pilot if they wanted a higher altitude; and they requested 14000 ft. I assigned them 14000 ft. and amended the flight plan. However the pilot continued on the 340 heading until I questioned them about their on course heading. They indicated they were still on the SID. I asked what SID they were on.  I then realized that the pilot had not flown the SID correctly since almost immediately after departing. At the time when they departed I thought they were going as filed; providing their own terrain avoidance since that's what the controller told me.I then cleared Aircraft X direct to a fix. The brasher warning was given at this time; and I advised the pilot that it was concerning the SID. I feel this is an example of the Swiss cheese model in action. The supervisor leaves just before an ALNOT is called; I delegated release authority to another controller who didn't provide an accurate description of the traffic; then I didn't' have the information I needed to keep the pilot safe by issuing a low altitude alert and questioning their intentions as soon as they turned off the SID. I thought what could go wrong it's just a release. Now I know. I understand that people need a break and that the supervisor cannot be in the operation for 8 hours straight. After acknowledging that; leaving five minutes before starting an ALNOT was not helpful. All the phone calls (there were several) were answered by me including one I made to start the ALNOT. I know that I should not have asked another Controller to release the aircraft for me; and I won't do that again. In the future I will say something like can you wait until this is resolved to leave? Or call someone else back into the operation to take the phone calls.




Synopsis: GEG TRACON Controller working a Radar sector and Controller in Charge(CIC) was distracted performing CIC duties and did not realize an aircraft was off course and flying below the Minimum Vectoring Altitude.