Narrative:

Problem: salt lake ARTCC system deviation, where in atx X departed mso (missoula, mt) IFR to geg (spokane, wa). Atx X transited into seattle center airspace without a radar handoff or coordination. I was working the radar position in the mso area and was responsible for the associated sector at the time of the occurrence. How the problem arose: I believe the problem would never have occurred under normal traffic flow conditions. The problem arose because the sector became overloaded with both the number of aircraft (15 contacts) and the complexity of operations. During this occurrence I was 1) involved resolving impending high altitude conflicts between 2 different pairs of aircraft. 2) monitoring several aircraft that were deviating off course for WX avoidance. 3) providing approach control services at glacier park, mt (fca). I also had one aircraft making a practice instrument approach. 4) working 2 flts of 2 and 2 individual military aircraft on UHF frequency which were giving me a lot of blocked xmissions, the frequencys were very busy. This is a large geographic sector with 4 operational frequencys. Additionally, these frequencys are located at 5 different transmitter/receiver sites. All contributing to a lot of blocked xmissions during peak traffic periods. 5) I was working 2 aircraft that required manual coordination with edmonton center, canada. 6) I was already watching 4 aircraft in the vicinity of mso with some data block congestion. Also there was at least one other limited data block west of mso. Contributing factors: my D side manual controller issued the IFR clearance to atx X through mso approach control. Mso approach gave us an assumed departure time. My D controller either failed to enter a (dm) departure message in the computer on atx X or he attempted to enter the departure message but due to old and faulty hardware (quick action key) the computer did not accept the input and my D side failed to notice the reject diagnostic. This is a frequent problem. Presently there is no means to split off this large sector geographically. FAA says this is too expensive but that it is in their long range plans. This sector can only be split vertically which does little to relieve the problem. How the problem was discovered: the pilot of atx X made an initial call according to the tapes, however, I do not recall his calling. Approximately 18 mins later the pilot made a second call and I tried to identify his position almost concurrently seattle center controller noticed the transponder code of atx X inside his airspace and called to notify us. Corrective actions: this is a large geographic sector some 200 mi across. I believe first priority must be given to providing the means to split this sector geographically and thereby reduce both the complexity and the frequency congestion. The present vertical split does not do this. Secondly, we are sorely in need of better computer hardware. It is not unusual to find some of your qak (quick action keys) not working. Human performance considerations: 1) the manual controller was a new controller with very little experience on the D side and no radar experience. Another more experienced controller may have been more aware of atx X position and asked me why there was no data block, or even have discovered on his own that no departure message had been entered in the computer. 2) I was working at this time with a headache and probably should have asked to be allowed to take sick leave. However the FAA is currently operating under a very strict sick leave policy wherein an individual requesting such is given the 3RD degree questioning. 3) the fact that I did not ask to have the sector split off vertically may initially be viewed as poor judgement. However, I still believe the split would have done little to help the operation and could possibly have compounded the problem due to the diverted attention that is required to activate the sector split.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATX X DEPARTED ZLC AIRSPACE AND ENTERED ZSE AIRSPACE WITHOUT A RADAR HANDOFF OR COORD. OPERATIONAL DEVIATION.

Narrative: PROBLEM: SALT LAKE ARTCC SYSTEM DEVIATION, WHERE IN ATX X DEPARTED MSO (MISSOULA, MT) IFR TO GEG (SPOKANE, WA). ATX X TRANSITED INTO SEATTLE CENTER AIRSPACE WITHOUT A RADAR HANDOFF OR COORD. I WAS WORKING THE RADAR POSITION IN THE MSO AREA AND WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ASSOCIATED SECTOR AT THE TIME OF THE OCCURRENCE. HOW THE PROBLEM AROSE: I BELIEVE THE PROBLEM WOULD NEVER HAVE OCCURRED UNDER NORMAL TFC FLOW CONDITIONS. THE PROBLEM AROSE BECAUSE THE SECTOR BECAME OVERLOADED WITH BOTH THE NUMBER OF ACFT (15 CONTACTS) AND THE COMPLEXITY OF OPERATIONS. DURING THIS OCCURRENCE I WAS 1) INVOLVED RESOLVING IMPENDING HIGH ALT CONFLICTS BETWEEN 2 DIFFERENT PAIRS OF ACFT. 2) MONITORING SEVERAL ACFT THAT WERE DEVIATING OFF COURSE FOR WX AVOIDANCE. 3) PROVIDING APCH CTL SERVICES AT GLACIER PARK, MT (FCA). I ALSO HAD ONE ACFT MAKING A PRACTICE INSTRUMENT APCH. 4) WORKING 2 FLTS OF 2 AND 2 INDIVIDUAL MIL ACFT ON UHF FREQ WHICH WERE GIVING ME A LOT OF BLOCKED XMISSIONS, THE FREQS WERE VERY BUSY. THIS IS A LARGE GEOGRAPHIC SECTOR WITH 4 OPERATIONAL FREQS. ADDITIONALLY, THESE FREQS ARE LOCATED AT 5 DIFFERENT XMITTER/RECEIVER SITES. ALL CONTRIBUTING TO A LOT OF BLOCKED XMISSIONS DURING PEAK TFC PERIODS. 5) I WAS WORKING 2 ACFT THAT REQUIRED MANUAL COORD WITH EDMONTON CENTER, CANADA. 6) I WAS ALREADY WATCHING 4 ACFT IN THE VICINITY OF MSO WITH SOME DATA BLOCK CONGESTION. ALSO THERE WAS AT LEAST ONE OTHER LIMITED DATA BLOCK W OF MSO. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: MY D SIDE MANUAL CTLR ISSUED THE IFR CLRNC TO ATX X THROUGH MSO APCH CTL. MSO APCH GAVE US AN ASSUMED DEP TIME. MY D CTLR EITHER FAILED TO ENTER A (DM) DEP MESSAGE IN THE COMPUTER ON ATX X OR HE ATTEMPTED TO ENTER THE DEP MESSAGE BUT DUE TO OLD AND FAULTY HARDWARE (QUICK ACTION KEY) THE COMPUTER DID NOT ACCEPT THE INPUT AND MY D SIDE FAILED TO NOTICE THE REJECT DIAGNOSTIC. THIS IS A FREQUENT PROBLEM. PRESENTLY THERE IS NO MEANS TO SPLIT OFF THIS LARGE SECTOR GEOGRAPHICALLY. FAA SAYS THIS IS TOO EXPENSIVE BUT THAT IT IS IN THEIR LONG RANGE PLANS. THIS SECTOR CAN ONLY BE SPLIT VERTICALLY WHICH DOES LITTLE TO RELIEVE THE PROBLEM. HOW THE PROBLEM WAS DISCOVERED: THE PLT OF ATX X MADE AN INITIAL CALL ACCORDING TO THE TAPES, HOWEVER, I DO NOT RECALL HIS CALLING. APPROX 18 MINS LATER THE PLT MADE A SECOND CALL AND I TRIED TO IDENTIFY HIS POSITION ALMOST CONCURRENTLY SEATTLE CENTER CTLR NOTICED THE XPONDER CODE OF ATX X INSIDE HIS AIRSPACE AND CALLED TO NOTIFY US. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: THIS IS A LARGE GEOGRAPHIC SECTOR SOME 200 MI ACROSS. I BELIEVE FIRST PRIORITY MUST BE GIVEN TO PROVIDING THE MEANS TO SPLIT THIS SECTOR GEOGRAPHICALLY AND THEREBY REDUCE BOTH THE COMPLEXITY AND THE FREQ CONGESTION. THE PRESENT VERTICAL SPLIT DOES NOT DO THIS. SECONDLY, WE ARE SORELY IN NEED OF BETTER COMPUTER HARDWARE. IT IS NOT UNUSUAL TO FIND SOME OF YOUR QAK (QUICK ACTION KEYS) NOT WORKING. HUMAN PERFORMANCE CONSIDERATIONS: 1) THE MANUAL CTLR WAS A NEW CTLR WITH VERY LITTLE EXPERIENCE ON THE D SIDE AND NO RADAR EXPERIENCE. ANOTHER MORE EXPERIENCED CTLR MAY HAVE BEEN MORE AWARE OF ATX X POSITION AND ASKED ME WHY THERE WAS NO DATA BLOCK, OR EVEN HAVE DISCOVERED ON HIS OWN THAT NO DEP MESSAGE HAD BEEN ENTERED IN THE COMPUTER. 2) I WAS WORKING AT THIS TIME WITH A HEADACHE AND PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE ASKED TO BE ALLOWED TO TAKE SICK LEAVE. HOWEVER THE FAA IS CURRENTLY OPERATING UNDER A VERY STRICT SICK LEAVE POLICY WHEREIN AN INDIVIDUAL REQUESTING SUCH IS GIVEN THE 3RD DEGREE QUESTIONING. 3) THE FACT THAT I DID NOT ASK TO HAVE THE SECTOR SPLIT OFF VERTICALLY MAY INITIALLY BE VIEWED AS POOR JUDGEMENT. HOWEVER, I STILL BELIEVE THE SPLIT WOULD HAVE DONE LITTLE TO HELP THE OPERATION AND COULD POSSIBLY HAVE COMPOUNDED THE PROBLEM DUE TO THE DIVERTED ATTN THAT IS REQUIRED TO ACTIVATE THE SECTOR SPLIT.

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.