The objective of this paper is to examine the detection limit, growth characteristics and notch curvature radius in short crack problem. Measurement techniques such as ultrasonic method and back-face strain compliance method were adopted. The fatigue crack growth rate of the short crack is slower than that of a long crack for a notched specimen. The characteristic of crack growth and crack closure is same as the case of a delay of crack growth caused by constant amplitude load for an ideal crack or single peak overload for a fatigue crack. The short crack is detected effectively by ultrasonic method. A short surface crack occurs in the middle of specimen thickness and is transient to a through crack depth is larger than the notch curvature radius.