Air carrier entered adjacent facility airspace without a handoff.

Attributes
ACN	120506
Time
Date	198908
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : stl
State Reference	MO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 20000 msl bound upper : 20000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zkc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
ASRS Report	120506
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Deviation Inter Facility Coordination Failure

Narrative:

I was working a low altitude section south of st louis. I accepted a handoff on air carrier X and descended him to FL200. At XXXX, I transferred radio communication of the aircraft to ZME. At XXXX center called to inform us the aircraft had not been handed off to them. Air carrier X entered ZME airspace west/O a handoff. I was not aware we had not made the handoff until they advised me. Traffic at the time was very light. I don't know what could be done to eliminate these occurrences, other than a better job of scanning the scope by the controllers. At the time I had a manual controller sitting next to me who did not catch the mistake either. One computer aid in this type of occurrence could be to have the data block on the aircraft stand blinking it if has not been handed off in a timely manner. This would alert the controller to the problem.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR ENTERED ADJACENT FAC AIRSPACE WITHOUT A HANDOFF.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING A LOW ALT SECTION S OF ST LOUIS. I ACCEPTED A HDOF ON ACR X AND DSNDED HIM TO FL200. AT XXXX, I TRANSFERRED RADIO COM OF THE ACFT TO ZME. AT XXXX CENTER CALLED TO INFORM US THE ACFT HAD NOT BEEN HANDED OFF TO THEM. ACR X ENTERED ZME AIRSPACE W/O A HDOF. I WAS NOT AWARE WE HAD NOT MADE THE HDOF UNTIL THEY ADVISED ME. TFC AT THE TIME WAS VERY LIGHT. I DON'T KNOW WHAT COULD BE DONE TO ELIMINATE THESE OCCURRENCES, OTHER THAN A BETTER JOB OF SCANNING THE SCOPE BY THE CTLRS. AT THE TIME I HAD A MANUAL CTLR SITTING NEXT TO ME WHO DID NOT CATCH THE MISTAKE EITHER. ONE COMPUTER AID IN THIS TYPE OF OCCURRENCE COULD BE TO HAVE THE DATA BLOCK ON THE ACFT STAND BLINKING IT IF HAS NOT BEEN HANDED OFF IN A TIMELY MANNER. THIS WOULD ALERT THE CTLR TO THE PROB.

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.