Narrative:

I was working west arrival radar and talking to an MTR. This aircraft departed mrb VFR and was asking for an IFR clearance. While handling the military jet, the blue ridge sector of ZDC was calling on the overhead speaker to coordinate a handoff (untracked air carrier X iad arrival). I never heard those coordinates. Another controller at dulles had accepted the handoff for me and before he could tell me about it or affix an ARTS tag to it, the aircraft was on my frequency, in my airspace, west/O my knowledge or approval. I realize that this happens all the time in the system, and believe me, the other controller involved was counseled by my area supervisor. But what has me very alarmed is the automation problem that has surfaced re: the host/non-host status of beacon track entering our airspace. There have been numerous documented instances in the last 2 months where aircraft entering dulles' airspace from ZNY have been assigned a beacon code that has already been assigned to another dulles arrival coming from ZDC airspace. There is no indication of a duplicate beacon in the tab list. Whichever aircraft arrives at the edge of our airspace first gets the data block! Upon further research, I found that this is occurring elsewhere around the country anywhere there is a terminal served by 2 or more centers. Bwi and rdu are examples. We continued to document these problems: a ucr was submitted by 1 controller, accompanied by a response and recommendation by our facility manager. I believe the issue was discussed at the last atpac meeting and it will be part of the record at our next reevaluation conducted by headquarters. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: the reporter stated the duplicate code assignment problem has not been resolved. The reporter called the FAA administrator's hot line which got the response that the problem was complicated and had been referred to FAA headquarters and would be answered by ATR 200 branch. Ucr was filed 11/89.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TRACON RADAR HANDOFF CTLR FAILED TO COORDINATE RADAR HANDOFF OR ACR X WITH THE POSITION CTLR. OPERATIONAL DEVIATION. SITUATION: 2 ARTCCS HANDLING OFF TO 1 APCH CTL. COMPUTER ASSIGNS DUPLICATE BEACON CODES.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING W ARR RADAR AND TALKING TO AN MTR. THIS ACFT DEPARTED MRB VFR AND WAS ASKING FOR AN IFR CLRNC. WHILE HANDLING THE MIL JET, THE BLUE RIDGE SECTOR OF ZDC WAS CALLING ON THE OVERHEAD SPEAKER TO COORDINATE A HDOF (UNTRACKED ACR X IAD ARR). I NEVER HEARD THOSE COORDINATES. ANOTHER CTLR AT DULLES HAD ACCEPTED THE HDOF FOR ME AND BEFORE HE COULD TELL ME ABOUT IT OR AFFIX AN ARTS TAG TO IT, THE ACFT WAS ON MY FREQ, IN MY AIRSPACE, W/O MY KNOWLEDGE OR APPROVAL. I REALIZE THAT THIS HAPPENS ALL THE TIME IN THE SYS, AND BELIEVE ME, THE OTHER CTLR INVOLVED WAS COUNSELED BY MY AREA SUPVR. BUT WHAT HAS ME VERY ALARMED IS THE AUTOMATION PROB THAT HAS SURFACED RE: THE HOST/NON-HOST STATUS OF BEACON TRACK ENTERING OUR AIRSPACE. THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS DOCUMENTED INSTANCES IN THE LAST 2 MONTHS WHERE ACFT ENTERING DULLES' AIRSPACE FROM ZNY HAVE BEEN ASSIGNED A BEACON CODE THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN ASSIGNED TO ANOTHER DULLES ARR COMING FROM ZDC AIRSPACE. THERE IS NO INDICATION OF A DUPLICATE BEACON IN THE TAB LIST. WHICHEVER ACFT ARRIVES AT THE EDGE OF OUR AIRSPACE FIRST GETS THE DATA BLOCK! UPON FURTHER RESEARCH, I FOUND THAT THIS IS OCCURRING ELSEWHERE AROUND THE COUNTRY ANYWHERE THERE IS A TERMINAL SERVED BY 2 OR MORE CENTERS. BWI AND RDU ARE EXAMPLES. WE CONTINUED TO DOCUMENT THESE PROBS: A UCR WAS SUBMITTED BY 1 CTLR, ACCOMPANIED BY A RESPONSE AND RECOMMENDATION BY OUR FAC MGR. I BELIEVE THE ISSUE WAS DISCUSSED AT THE LAST ATPAC MEETING AND IT WILL BE PART OF THE RECORD AT OUR NEXT REEVALUATION CONDUCTED BY HQ. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: THE RPTR STATED THE DUPLICATE CODE ASSIGNMENT PROB HAS NOT BEEN RESOLVED. THE RPTR CALLED THE FAA ADMINISTRATOR'S HOT LINE WHICH GOT THE RESPONSE THAT THE PROB WAS COMPLICATED AND HAD BEEN REFERRED TO FAA HQ AND WOULD BE ANSWERED BY ATR 200 BRANCH. UCR WAS FILED 11/89.

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.