Narrative:

This was talladega race day. We normally have 100-200 IFR operations on this day. The traffic count for this day was 160 IFR operations. This sector is normally non radar up to 5000'. On race day we acquire up to 10000'. Depending on direction of flight, we can get aircraft in radar contact leaving 4000-7000'. Because of the initial non radar sep requirements we had a coordinator position open to issue initial headings and altitudes, and to coordinate with the adjacent sectors for any operation that would require other than radar handoff. This particular day we were having no great difficulties until an small transport departed--and after I began talking to him, and tried to enter a departure message via the ARTS, I found that his flight plan had timed out of the system. Immediately I had the coordinator call the overlying center sector and get the flight plan re-entered. (The drop time is normally extended to 3 hours, but this day was not.) I had 8 aircraft on the frequency--most non radar and didn't have time to do the coordination myself, so I told the coordinator, who happened to be my supervisor, to get something coordinated on the small transport because we were running out of time. One thing--all the previous aircraft I had worked out, I had radar idented, but never saw this aircraft. The coordinator/supervisor tried to call the atl sector for 5 mins, but got no response from them. He then told me to change the aircraft to the ZTL frequency. When small transport called ZTL, he was on the original flight plan transponder code. They issued the new code and idented the aircraft, which was on a conflicting course and altitude with another aircraft. They (center) descended small transport and the readout showed 3 1/2 mi and 500' sep. Factors: 1) aircraft flight plan out of system. 2) non radar area, counting on radar to be sep criteria. 3) lack of coordination (proper). 4) ZTL did not answer coordination lines at a critical time. I would suggest a new letter of agreement with all sep based strictly on non radar. We needed one more person for coordination purposes and obviously ZTL needed at least on more to answer the lines.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMT PENETRATED ADJACENT FAC AIRSPACE WITHOUT HANDOFF.

Narrative: THIS WAS TALLADEGA RACE DAY. WE NORMALLY HAVE 100-200 IFR OPS ON THIS DAY. THE TFC COUNT FOR THIS DAY WAS 160 IFR OPS. THIS SECTOR IS NORMALLY NON RADAR UP TO 5000'. ON RACE DAY WE ACQUIRE UP TO 10000'. DEPENDING ON DIRECTION OF FLT, WE CAN GET ACFT IN RADAR CONTACT LEAVING 4000-7000'. BECAUSE OF THE INITIAL NON RADAR SEP REQUIREMENTS WE HAD A COORDINATOR POS OPEN TO ISSUE INITIAL HDGS AND ALTS, AND TO COORDINATE WITH THE ADJACENT SECTORS FOR ANY OPERATION THAT WOULD REQUIRE OTHER THAN RADAR HDOF. THIS PARTICULAR DAY WE WERE HAVING NO GREAT DIFFICULTIES UNTIL AN SMT DEPARTED--AND AFTER I BEGAN TALKING TO HIM, AND TRIED TO ENTER A DEP MESSAGE VIA THE ARTS, I FOUND THAT HIS FLT PLAN HAD TIMED OUT OF THE SYS. IMMEDIATELY I HAD THE COORDINATOR CALL THE OVERLYING CENTER SECTOR AND GET THE FLT PLAN RE-ENTERED. (THE DROP TIME IS NORMALLY EXTENDED TO 3 HRS, BUT THIS DAY WAS NOT.) I HAD 8 ACFT ON THE FREQ--MOST NON RADAR AND DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO DO THE COORD MYSELF, SO I TOLD THE COORDINATOR, WHO HAPPENED TO BE MY SUPVR, TO GET SOMETHING COORDINATED ON THE SMT BECAUSE WE WERE RUNNING OUT OF TIME. ONE THING--ALL THE PREVIOUS ACFT I HAD WORKED OUT, I HAD RADAR IDENTED, BUT NEVER SAW THIS ACFT. THE COORDINATOR/SUPVR TRIED TO CALL THE ATL SECTOR FOR 5 MINS, BUT GOT NO RESPONSE FROM THEM. HE THEN TOLD ME TO CHANGE THE ACFT TO THE ZTL FREQ. WHEN SMT CALLED ZTL, HE WAS ON THE ORIGINAL FLT PLAN XPONDER CODE. THEY ISSUED THE NEW CODE AND IDENTED THE ACFT, WHICH WAS ON A CONFLICTING COURSE AND ALT WITH ANOTHER ACFT. THEY (CENTER) DSNDED SMT AND THE READOUT SHOWED 3 1/2 MI AND 500' SEP. FACTORS: 1) ACFT FLT PLAN OUT OF SYS. 2) NON RADAR AREA, COUNTING ON RADAR TO BE SEP CRITERIA. 3) LACK OF COORD (PROPER). 4) ZTL DID NOT ANSWER COORD LINES AT A CRITICAL TIME. I WOULD SUGGEST A NEW LETTER OF AGREEMENT WITH ALL SEP BASED STRICTLY ON NON RADAR. WE NEEDED ONE MORE PERSON FOR COORD PURPOSES AND OBVIOUSLY ZTL NEEDED AT LEAST ON MORE TO ANSWER THE LINES.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.