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IFR small aircraft is handed off to TRACON and is forgotten by approach controller in the process of closing facility for the night shortly thereafter, and is left without communication.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 123798 |
| Time | |
| Date | 198909 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 0001 To 0600 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : cmi |
| State Reference | IL |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 7000 msl bound upper : 7000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zau tracon : cmi tracon : den |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : private pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 122 flight time total : 899 flight time type : 207 |
| ASRS Report | 123798 |
| Person 2 | |
| Function | controller : approach |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Operational Deviation |
Narrative:
ZKC handed me off to champaign, il approach just before midnight. Checked in with champaign controller with no problems. Frequency was quiet so I assumed there was no other traffic being worked. When I was 40 NM northeast of cmi I was expecting a handoff to ZAU. At 45 NM northeast I called the controller for a radio check. No answer. Repeated calls twice with same result. Tried other transmitter twice with same result. Tried a couple of calls to any aircraft on frequency with no success. Switched to ZAU area frequency shown on chart and reestablished contact with ZAU controller. ZAU controller informed me that champaign approach closed at midnight and controller had transferred airspace to ZAU. However, champaign controller had not switched me over to a frequency where the ZAU controller could communicate with me. Lost communication is bad enough, but the controller doesn't need to add to the problem by leaving me on an 'orphan' frequency. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter followed up this incident with letter to cmi tower asking for investigation of circumstances. Reply indicated that cmi controller, working combined west and east positions at end of shift had forgotten reporter traffic had not been handed off to ZAU and and thus left him with no communication after closing facility. Reporter also added his perception that error rates on the part of ATC are rising rapidly.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: IFR SMA IS HANDED OFF TO TRACON AND IS FORGOTTEN BY APCH CTLR IN THE PROCESS OF CLOSING FAC FOR THE NIGHT SHORTLY THEREAFTER, AND IS LEFT WITHOUT COM.
Narrative: ZKC HANDED ME OFF TO CHAMPAIGN, IL APCH JUST BEFORE MIDNIGHT. CHECKED IN WITH CHAMPAIGN CTLR WITH NO PROBLEMS. FREQ WAS QUIET SO I ASSUMED THERE WAS NO OTHER TFC BEING WORKED. WHEN I WAS 40 NM NE OF CMI I WAS EXPECTING A HANDOFF TO ZAU. AT 45 NM NE I CALLED THE CTLR FOR A RADIO CHECK. NO ANSWER. REPEATED CALLS TWICE WITH SAME RESULT. TRIED OTHER TRANSMITTER TWICE WITH SAME RESULT. TRIED A COUPLE OF CALLS TO ANY ACFT ON FREQ WITH NO SUCCESS. SWITCHED TO ZAU AREA FREQ SHOWN ON CHART AND REESTABLISHED CONTACT WITH ZAU CTLR. ZAU CTLR INFORMED ME THAT CHAMPAIGN APCH CLOSED AT MIDNIGHT AND CTLR HAD TRANSFERRED AIRSPACE TO ZAU. HOWEVER, CHAMPAIGN CTLR HAD NOT SWITCHED ME OVER TO A FREQ WHERE THE ZAU CTLR COULD COMMUNICATE WITH ME. LOST COM IS BAD ENOUGH, BUT THE CTLR DOESN'T NEED TO ADD TO THE PROBLEM BY LEAVING ME ON AN 'ORPHAN' FREQ. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: REPORTER FOLLOWED UP THIS INCIDENT WITH LETTER TO CMI TWR ASKING FOR INVESTIGATION OF CIRCUMSTANCES. REPLY INDICATED THAT CMI CTLR, WORKING COMBINED W AND E POSITIONS AT END OF SHIFT HAD FORGOTTEN REPORTER TFC HAD NOT BEEN HANDED OFF TO ZAU AND AND THUS LEFT HIM WITH NO COM AFTER CLOSING FAC. REPORTER ALSO ADDED HIS PERCEPTION THAT ERROR RATES ON THE PART OF ATC ARE RISING RAPIDLY.
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.