Narrative:

Only one controller works mids at omaha TRACON. At 12 midnight lincoln approach closes and ZMP assumes control of their airspace. WX at the time was getting bad due to thunderstorms approaching the omaha area. Most of my arrs and departures were deviating because of the WX. Small aircraft X departed omaha eppley for a flight from omaha to lincoln. I radar identified the aircraft and told him to proceed on course to lincoln at his requested altitude of 4000'. The aircraft tagged up on the ARTS 3A. This indicated to me that the aircraft's flight plan had been departed and that the next facility would receive arrival information on the aircraft. Msp long range radar was out of service which means that aircraft below about 14,000' are handled by non-radar by msp. It had been coordinated earlier in the day that aircraft below 13000WOULD be terminated at our boundary and stripped to center. About 3 mi from center's airspace, I terminated small aircraft X and shipped him to center. For some reason, center did not have paperwork on small aircraft X. They asked the pilot if he was VFR. He said yes. He shot 2 apches at lincoln before center found out he was IFR. Small aircraft X had called olu flight service to cancel his IFR. Center had no information on small aircraft X. For some reason they never got a flight progress strip. Our computer showed he was dm'd to lnk instead of center. Lincoln was closed so this did no good. I don't know if lincoln configured properly before closing. Center said I had a deviation because small aircraft X entered their airspace without coordination. Corrective actions: in my opinion 2 people on the mid would help. Better written instructions on non-radar with center. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: the reporter states that the FAA investigation revealed that lnk approach control had not configured the computer correctly when they closed at midnight. When small aircraft X departed and oma ARTS 3A tagged the aircraft the flight plan information should have been sent to ZMP by the lnk computer. Oma had no procedures for manual coordination when ZMP radar was out of service so they didn't know anything about IFR aircraft small aircraft X. A letter of agreement with ZMP and oma to cover this contingency is now being developed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA X ENTERED CENTER AIRSPACE IFR WITHOUT COORD. OPERATIONAL DEVIATION.

Narrative: ONLY ONE CTLR WORKS MIDS AT OMAHA TRACON. AT 12 MIDNIGHT LINCOLN APCH CLOSES AND ZMP ASSUMES CTL OF THEIR AIRSPACE. WX AT THE TIME WAS GETTING BAD DUE TO TSTMS APCHING THE OMAHA AREA. MOST OF MY ARRS AND DEPS WERE DEVIATING BECAUSE OF THE WX. SMA X DEPARTED OMAHA EPPLEY FOR A FLT FROM OMAHA TO LINCOLN. I RADAR IDENTIFIED THE ACFT AND TOLD HIM TO PROCEED ON COURSE TO LINCOLN AT HIS REQUESTED ALT OF 4000'. THE ACFT TAGGED UP ON THE ARTS 3A. THIS INDICATED TO ME THAT THE ACFT'S FLT PLAN HAD BEEN DEPARTED AND THAT THE NEXT FAC WOULD RECEIVE ARR INFO ON THE ACFT. MSP LONG RANGE RADAR WAS OUT OF SERVICE WHICH MEANS THAT ACFT BELOW ABOUT 14,000' ARE HANDLED BY NON-RADAR BY MSP. IT HAD BEEN COORDINATED EARLIER IN THE DAY THAT ACFT BELOW 13000WOULD BE TERMINATED AT OUR BOUNDARY AND STRIPPED TO CENTER. ABOUT 3 MI FROM CENTER'S AIRSPACE, I TERMINATED SMA X AND SHIPPED HIM TO CENTER. FOR SOME REASON, CENTER DID NOT HAVE PAPERWORK ON SMA X. THEY ASKED THE PLT IF HE WAS VFR. HE SAID YES. HE SHOT 2 APCHES AT LINCOLN BEFORE CENTER FOUND OUT HE WAS IFR. SMA X HAD CALLED OLU FLT SERVICE TO CANCEL HIS IFR. CENTER HAD NO INFO ON SMA X. FOR SOME REASON THEY NEVER GOT A FLT PROGRESS STRIP. OUR COMPUTER SHOWED HE WAS DM'D TO LNK INSTEAD OF CENTER. LINCOLN WAS CLOSED SO THIS DID NO GOOD. I DON'T KNOW IF LINCOLN CONFIGURED PROPERLY BEFORE CLOSING. CENTER SAID I HAD A DEVIATION BECAUSE SMA X ENTERED THEIR AIRSPACE WITHOUT COORDINATION. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: IN MY OPINION 2 PEOPLE ON THE MID WOULD HELP. BETTER WRITTEN INSTRUCTIONS ON NON-RADAR WITH CENTER. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: THE REPORTER STATES THAT THE FAA INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT LNK APCH CTL HAD NOT CONFIGURED THE COMPUTER CORRECTLY WHEN THEY CLOSED AT MIDNIGHT. WHEN SMA X DEPARTED AND OMA ARTS 3A TAGGED THE ACFT THE FLT PLAN INFO SHOULD HAVE BEEN SENT TO ZMP BY THE LNK COMPUTER. OMA HAD NO PROCS FOR MANUAL COORD WHEN ZMP RADAR WAS OUT OF SERVICE SO THEY DIDN'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT IFR ACFT SMA X. A LETTER OF AGREEMENT WITH ZMP AND OMA TO COVER THIS CONTINGENCY IS NOW BEING DEVELOPED.

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.