Small aircraft penetrated adjacent airspace without a handoff.

Attributes
ACN	116578
Time
Date	198907
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : sea airport : bfi
State Reference	WA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 8000 msl bound upper : 8000
Environment
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : sea tower : ewr
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller radar : 19
ASRS Report	116578
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Inter Facility Coordination Failure Operational Deviation

Narrative:

I was working arrival radar west at sea approach control. Small aircraft X was on radar vectors from boeing field (bfi) to port angles (clm). I worked sea and bfi traffic around small aircraft X. The position was busy. I had no data controller, no coordinator to assist. I was also calling sequence to sea and bfi with the arrival east controller. Small aircraft X was not handed off to sea ARTCC and a communication change was not made. Sea ARTCC did receive a departure message. The aircraft went through sea ARTCC airspace to whidbey approach airspace. Whidbey (nuw) approach questioned the center. The center called small aircraft X, he replied and was sent to nuw. The center declared a system deviation because of no handoff and no communication change. It is not known how or where small aircraft X changed to center frequency.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PENETRATED ADJACENT AIRSPACE WITHOUT A HANDOFF.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING ARR RADAR WEST AT SEA APCH CTL. SMA X WAS ON RADAR VECTORS FROM BOEING FIELD (BFI) TO PORT ANGLES (CLM). I WORKED SEA AND BFI TFC AROUND SMA X. THE POSITION WAS BUSY. I HAD NO DATA CTLR, NO COORDINATOR TO ASSIST. I WAS ALSO CALLING SEQUENCE TO SEA AND BFI WITH THE ARR EAST CTLR. SMA X WAS NOT HANDED OFF TO SEA ARTCC AND A COM CHANGE WAS NOT MADE. SEA ARTCC DID RECEIVE A DEP MESSAGE. THE ACFT WENT THROUGH SEA ARTCC AIRSPACE TO WHIDBEY APCH AIRSPACE. WHIDBEY (NUW) APCH QUESTIONED THE CENTER. THE CENTER CALLED SMA X, HE REPLIED AND WAS SENT TO NUW. THE CENTER DECLARED A SYSTEM DEVIATION BECAUSE OF NO HANDOFF AND NO COM CHANGE. IT IS NOT KNOWN HOW OR WHERE SMA X CHANGED TO CENTER FREQ.

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.