Narrative:

At approximately xc:00 local time ZLC called. The controller advised that a bmb was dropping chafff but that the bmb had been asked to discontinue chaff dropping operations 35 mi prior to billings, mt. I asked where the bmb was and the controller advised he was abeam medium large transport whom was inbound from the south/southeast. It should be known here that during this entire incident arwy facs had the ARTS equipment and the beacon for a 2 hour scheduled outage for routine maintenance. At approximately xd:05-xd:10Z, xd:05 am center called with a handoff. The controller gave a position of 7 southeast of bravo. (Bravo is a letter B depicted on our radar scope for the purpose of handing off aircraft between controllers). There were actually 2 targets south/southeast of billings; one was 4 southeast of bravo and the other 12 south/southeast of bravo. I clarified the handoff asking the controller if he was 4 southeast and the controller said, 'yeah, he is now.' the aircraft handed off to me 4 southeast of billings was not medium large transport, but was actually a bmb at FL270. Medium large transport, a scheduled air carrier, was the aircraft the center controller told me was 4 southeast of bravo. When medium large transport came up on my frequency he was descending out of 160+. I issued medium large transport descent to 90 and a heading of 330 degrees, a vector for the NDB approach for runway 27R. When I noticed medium large transport was not taking the assigned headings and he questioned his position I then realized I was looking at the wrong airplane. When medium large transport was reidented I also checked his altitude. He was at 85 in the 65 MVA. All other operations were normal from here on. ZLC ran a darc on medium large transport and established that he never descended below the MVA. Another darc was run that determined that the center controller did in fact hand off the wrong aircraft. One thing I should have done was to have medium large transport identify on initial contact to verify position. My main concern with this entire situation is this: 'why do we continually work with scheduled equipment outages?' our facility is closed from 11 pm to 6 am. Why not schedule shutdowns during this time? When this facility goes to 24 hours (scheduled to start sept of '90) why not have this scheduled in the early am.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ARTCC CTLR USING MANUAL RADAR HANDOFF PROCS MADE AN ERRONEOUS RADAR HANDOFF TO TRACON CTLR.

Narrative: AT APPROX XC:00 LCL TIME ZLC CALLED. THE CTLR ADVISED THAT A BMB WAS DROPPING CHAFFF BUT THAT THE BMB HAD BEEN ASKED TO DISCONTINUE CHAFF DROPPING OPS 35 MI PRIOR TO BILLINGS, MT. I ASKED WHERE THE BMB WAS AND THE CTLR ADVISED HE WAS ABEAM MLG WHOM WAS INBND FROM THE S/SE. IT SHOULD BE KNOWN HERE THAT DURING THIS ENTIRE INCIDENT ARWY FACS HAD THE ARTS EQUIP AND THE BEACON FOR A 2 HR SCHEDULED OUTAGE FOR ROUTINE MAINT. AT APPROX XD:05-XD:10Z, XD:05 AM CTR CALLED WITH A HDOF. THE CTLR GAVE A POS OF 7 SE OF BRAVO. (BRAVO IS A LETTER B DEPICTED ON OUR RADAR SCOPE FOR THE PURPOSE OF HANDING OFF ACFT BTWN CTLRS). THERE WERE ACTUALLY 2 TARGETS S/SE OF BILLINGS; ONE WAS 4 SE OF BRAVO AND THE OTHER 12 S/SE OF BRAVO. I CLARIFIED THE HDOF ASKING THE CTLR IF HE WAS 4 SE AND THE CTLR SAID, 'YEAH, HE IS NOW.' THE ACFT HANDED OFF TO ME 4 SE OF BILLINGS WAS NOT MLG, BUT WAS ACTUALLY A BMB AT FL270. MLG, A SCHEDULED AIR CARRIER, WAS THE ACFT THE CTR CTLR TOLD ME WAS 4 SE OF BRAVO. WHEN MLG CAME UP ON MY FREQ HE WAS DSNDING OUT OF 160+. I ISSUED MLG DSNT TO 90 AND A HDG OF 330 DEGS, A VECTOR FOR THE NDB APCH FOR RWY 27R. WHEN I NOTICED MLG WAS NOT TAKING THE ASSIGNED HDGS AND HE QUESTIONED HIS POS I THEN REALIZED I WAS LOOKING AT THE WRONG AIRPLANE. WHEN MLG WAS REIDENTED I ALSO CHKED HIS ALT. HE WAS AT 85 IN THE 65 MVA. ALL OTHER OPS WERE NORMAL FROM HERE ON. ZLC RAN A DARC ON MLG AND ESTABLISHED THAT HE NEVER DSNDED BELOW THE MVA. ANOTHER DARC WAS RUN THAT DETERMINED THAT THE CTR CTLR DID IN FACT HAND OFF THE WRONG ACFT. ONE THING I SHOULD HAVE DONE WAS TO HAVE MLG IDENT ON INITIAL CONTACT TO VERIFY POS. MY MAIN CONCERN WITH THIS ENTIRE SITUATION IS THIS: 'WHY DO WE CONTINUALLY WORK WITH SCHEDULED EQUIP OUTAGES?' OUR FAC IS CLOSED FROM 11 PM TO 6 AM. WHY NOT SCHEDULE SHUTDOWNS DURING THIS TIME? WHEN THIS FAC GOES TO 24 HRS (SCHEDULED TO START SEPT OF '90) WHY NOT HAVE THIS SCHEDULED IN THE EARLY AM.

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.