Narrative:

At XX20Z fgt X advised ZKC on 294.9 that the flight would be exiting the eureka MOA in 5 min, after completing a student air-to-air training mission. ZKC asked fgt X to squawk mode III, code XXXX which he had been squawking but had turned off when fgt Y accepted lead of the flight. Fgt Y was reminded to squawk whereupon ZKC immediately asked if that was fgt X over gordon (the exit fix from eureka MOA). Fgt X replied affirmative and allowed fgt Y to continue wbound on the radial following the normal exit routing assuming that radar contact had been established and that a handoff to wichita approach control was imminent as per normal sops. At 38 DME/ict (3 NM outside the MOA) ZKC made a transmission that was garbled but had something to do with problems with the handoff to wichita approach control. Fgt Y stated that fgt flight was turning back to the east at 9000'. Upon rollout eastbound ZKC advised fgt X to maintain VFR and contact wichita approach at which time fgt flight turned to the west and recovered uneventfully. The radio xmissions were very typical of the normal IFR handoffs from eureka MOA and it was a total surprise after the flight was in radar contact and not asked to maintain the airspace that ZKC notified the kansas air guard that they would be filing a violation for exiting the MOA without a clearance. It was later learned that fgt Y had mistakenly set XXXX code which may have led to the problems with the IFR handoff.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FGT SPILLED OUT OF MOA WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: AT XX20Z FGT X ADVISED ZKC ON 294.9 THAT THE FLT WOULD BE EXITING THE EUREKA MOA IN 5 MIN, AFTER COMPLETING A STUDENT AIR-TO-AIR TRAINING MISSION. ZKC ASKED FGT X TO SQUAWK MODE III, CODE XXXX WHICH HE HAD BEEN SQUAWKING BUT HAD TURNED OFF WHEN FGT Y ACCEPTED LEAD OF THE FLT. FGT Y WAS REMINDED TO SQUAWK WHEREUPON ZKC IMMEDIATELY ASKED IF THAT WAS FGT X OVER GORDON (THE EXIT FIX FROM EUREKA MOA). FGT X REPLIED AFFIRMATIVE AND ALLOWED FGT Y TO CONTINUE WBOUND ON THE RADIAL FOLLOWING THE NORMAL EXIT ROUTING ASSUMING THAT RADAR CONTACT HAD BEEN ESTABLISHED AND THAT A HANDOFF TO WICHITA APCH CTL WAS IMMINENT AS PER NORMAL SOPS. AT 38 DME/ICT (3 NM OUTSIDE THE MOA) ZKC MADE A XMISSION THAT WAS GARBLED BUT HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH PROBLEMS WITH THE HANDOFF TO WICHITA APCH CTL. FGT Y STATED THAT FGT FLT WAS TURNING BACK TO THE EAST AT 9000'. UPON ROLLOUT EBND ZKC ADVISED FGT X TO MAINTAIN VFR AND CONTACT WICHITA APCH AT WHICH TIME FGT FLT TURNED TO THE WEST AND RECOVERED UNEVENTFULLY. THE RADIO XMISSIONS WERE VERY TYPICAL OF THE NORMAL IFR HANDOFFS FROM EUREKA MOA AND IT WAS A TOTAL SURPRISE AFTER THE FLT WAS IN RADAR CONTACT AND NOT ASKED TO MAINTAIN THE AIRSPACE THAT ZKC NOTIFIED THE KANSAS AIR GUARD THAT THEY WOULD BE FILING A VIOLATION FOR EXITING THE MOA WITHOUT A CLRNC. IT WAS LATER LEARNED THAT FGT Y HAD MISTAKENLY SET XXXX CODE WHICH MAY HAVE LED TO THE PROBLEMS WITH THE IFR HANDOFF.

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.