Air carrier penetrated adjacent airspace without a handoff.

Attributes
ACN	115343
Time
Date	198906
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : dsm
State Reference	IA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 35000 msl bound upper : 35000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zau tracon : pit
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller non radar : 1 controller radar : 1
ASRS Report	115343
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Deviation Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Air carrier X en route from cleveland to denver at FL350 was handed off from the chicago ARTCC jot sector to me at the chicago ARTCC awg sector. When the frequency change was made, air carrier X went NORDO. This was unknown to me at the time. I didn't try to contact air carrier X or to find out where he was. At some point between iowa city and des moines, air carrier X lost its transponder and went into coast track. According to the computer readout, I tried to start a retrack, then somehow inadvertently cancelled the track. I was unaware of what I had done. Having no transponder there was no limited data block for me to notice and having not talked to him, my strip showed I never worked him. Shortly after I was relieved from the sector, minneapolis ARTCC dsm sector called to find out where air carrier X was. The controller who relieved me broadcast for air carrier X while I contacted the previous sector and notified my supervisor. The aircraft checked onto a frequency in minneapolis ARTCC and was reidented near onl. To my knowledge, air carrier was was not in conflict with any other aircraft.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR PENETRATED ADJACENT AIRSPACE WITHOUT A HANDOFF.

Narrative: ACR X ENRTE FROM CLEVELAND TO DENVER AT FL350 WAS HANDED OFF FROM THE CHICAGO ARTCC JOT SECTOR TO ME AT THE CHICAGO ARTCC AWG SECTOR. WHEN THE FREQ CHANGE WAS MADE, ACR X WENT NORDO. THIS WAS UNKNOWN TO ME AT THE TIME. I DIDN'T TRY TO CONTACT ACR X OR TO FIND OUT WHERE HE WAS. AT SOME POINT BTWN IOWA CITY AND DES MOINES, ACR X LOST ITS XPONDER AND WENT INTO COAST TRACK. ACCORDING TO THE COMPUTER READOUT, I TRIED TO START A RETRACK, THEN SOMEHOW INADVERTENTLY CANCELLED THE TRACK. I WAS UNAWARE OF WHAT I HAD DONE. HAVING NO XPONDER THERE WAS NO LIMITED DATA BLOCK FOR ME TO NOTICE AND HAVING NOT TALKED TO HIM, MY STRIP SHOWED I NEVER WORKED HIM. SHORTLY AFTER I WAS RELIEVED FROM THE SECTOR, MINNEAPOLIS ARTCC DSM SECTOR CALLED TO FIND OUT WHERE ACR X WAS. THE CTLR WHO RELIEVED ME BROADCAST FOR ACR X WHILE I CONTACTED THE PREVIOUS SECTOR AND NOTIFIED MY SUPVR. THE ACFT CHKED ONTO A FREQ IN MINNEAPOLIS ARTCC AND WAS REIDENTED NEAR ONL. TO MY KNOWLEDGE, ACR WAS WAS NOT IN CONFLICT WITH ANY OTHER ACFT.

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.