Large Transport; Low Wing; 2 Turbojet Eng
Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Air Traffic Control Time Certified In Pos 1 (yrs) 26.5
Confusion; Distraction; Human-Machine Interface; Troubleshooting
ATC Issue All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
ATC Equipment / Nav Facility / Buildings; Human Factors; Procedure
[Aircraft X] was an arrival into the CMH airport and descending to 11;000 feet. The aircraft was switched to CMH aproach and a bit later the data block vanished. The R controller looked at me and I looked at him simultaneously and we realized neither of us had touched the keyboard and asked each other; 'What just happened?'  We then contacted the supervisor to look at the situation and at this time the correlated target had changed to an (I) intruder.  [Aircraft X] was still level at 11;000 feet (our airspace) when the R controller called CMH to make sure they had the data block and verified all was okay. They said; 'They still had a data block; didn't do anything stange; but got a Remove Strip message.'
ZID Controller reports that everything is normal reference a specific tracked aircraft on his display. The aircraft is shipped to Approach Control and then the data block disappears. The advised the Front Line Manager (FLM) to investigate and called the Approach Control to ask them what happened. Approach said they still had a data tag; they did not do anything strange but they did get a remove strip message.