Narrative:

Dansville (hi sector) controller flashes handoff to buffalo (lo side) controller, FL290 descending to FL240. Dansville associate controller calls buffalo radar controller and requests lower. Buf controller releases FL180, and enters interim altitude of FL180 in data block. Aircraft checks in several minutes later descending to 11000'. Radar controller at buf (me) catches it. Aircraft was acknowledged and then issued clearance to cross buf at 11000. Readback was stepped on by another aircraft (we were using 3 VHF and 3 UHF frequencys at the time). Aircraft was then reissued the clearance. Aircraft read back clearance and then stated 'that was the second time he'd been given that clearance. The previous controller gave it to me.' no evasive action was needed, however, the situation could have been deadly, had all the traffic I had in the lower half of the 2 sectors I was controling been 30 mi farther north than they were and if the pilot had tuned in the wrong frequency. There's absolutely no reason for this to have ever happened. The situation occurred because of at least 2 controllers on the high side not paying any attention to what they were doing, or in the case of the associate high side controller what was going on in the sector. The high side controllers also failed to properly use the center directive of requesting lower from another controller by inserting their base altitude as an 'interim altitude' in the data block before handing it off.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNCOORD ALT WAS ISSUED TO ACR WITHOUT KNOWLEDGE OF THE NEXT CTLR.

Narrative: DANSVILLE (HI SECTOR) CTLR FLASHES HANDOFF TO BUFFALO (LO SIDE) CTLR, FL290 DESCENDING TO FL240. DANSVILLE ASSOCIATE CTLR CALLS BUFFALO RADAR CTLR AND REQUESTS LOWER. BUF CTLR RELEASES FL180, AND ENTERS INTERIM ALT OF FL180 IN DATA BLOCK. ACFT CHECKS IN SEVERAL MINUTES LATER DESCENDING TO 11000'. RADAR CTLR AT BUF (ME) CATCHES IT. ACFT WAS ACKNOWLEDGED AND THEN ISSUED CLRNC TO CROSS BUF AT 11000. READBACK WAS STEPPED ON BY ANOTHER ACFT (WE WERE USING 3 VHF AND 3 UHF FREQS AT THE TIME). ACFT WAS THEN REISSUED THE CLRNC. ACFT READ BACK CLRNC AND THEN STATED 'THAT WAS THE SECOND TIME HE'D BEEN GIVEN THAT CLRNC. THE PREVIOUS CTLR GAVE IT TO ME.' NO EVASIVE ACTION WAS NEEDED, HOWEVER, THE SITUATION COULD HAVE BEEN DEADLY, HAD ALL THE TFC I HAD IN THE LOWER HALF OF THE 2 SECTORS I WAS CTLING BEEN 30 MI FARTHER N THAN THEY WERE AND IF THE PLT HAD TUNED IN THE WRONG FREQ. THERE'S ABSOLUTELY NO REASON FOR THIS TO HAVE EVER HAPPENED. THE SITUATION OCCURRED BECAUSE OF AT LEAST 2 CTLRS ON THE HIGH SIDE NOT PAYING ANY ATTN TO WHAT THEY WERE DOING, OR IN THE CASE OF THE ASSOCIATE HIGH SIDE CTLR WHAT WAS GOING ON IN THE SECTOR. THE HIGH SIDE CTLRS ALSO FAILED TO PROPERLY USE THE CENTER DIRECTIVE OF REQUESTING LOWER FROM ANOTHER CTLR BY INSERTING THEIR BASE ALT AS AN 'INTERIM ALT' IN THE DATA BLOCK BEFORE HANDING IT OFF.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.