An IFR lost aircraft merged with another aircraft on the airway.

Attributes
ACN	151765
Time
Date	199008
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : col
State Reference	NJ
Altitude	msl bound lower : 5000 msl bound upper : 5000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : n90 tracon : wri artcc : zid
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Light Transport, High Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller radar : 1
ASRS Report	151765
Person 2
Affiliation	government : military
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar pilot : military
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac non adherence : required legal separation non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 0 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error other

Narrative:

I accepted a manual handoff from wri approach control on an light transport at 5000' navigating V276 to ziggy, landing jfk. At the time of handoff aircraft was approximately 4 mi west of dixie intersection on a sebnd heading. I noticed a target (splat with no associated ARTS tag with it indicating 5000' just to the left and behind the light transport which had just merged with the light transport. I turned down my ARTS and saw that there was no beacon target or primary target associated with this splat which kept moving nebnd. A few mi later I noticed that there now was a primary and beacon target associated with this splat. I called the sector whose airspace this unknown target was in and they said that they didn't now anything about him. A few seconds later an aircraft called them and it turns out the aircraft was IFR and had been worked by wri approach control but wri approach had lost the aircraft. I advised my supervisor of occurrence and he chose to ignore the incident. Apparently, neither aircraft saw each other because neither one reported incident.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN IFR LOST ACFT MERGED WITH ANOTHER ACFT ON THE AIRWAY.

Narrative: I ACCEPTED A MANUAL HDOF FROM WRI APCH CTL ON AN LTT AT 5000' NAVIGATING V276 TO ZIGGY, LNDG JFK. AT THE TIME OF HDOF ACFT WAS APPROX 4 MI W OF DIXIE INTXN ON A SEBND HDG. I NOTICED A TARGET (SPLAT WITH NO ASSOCIATED ARTS TAG WITH IT INDICATING 5000' JUST TO THE LEFT AND BEHIND THE LTT WHICH HAD JUST MERGED WITH THE LTT. I TURNED DOWN MY ARTS AND SAW THAT THERE WAS NO BEACON TARGET OR PRIMARY TARGET ASSOCIATED WITH THIS SPLAT WHICH KEPT MOVING NEBND. A FEW MI LATER I NOTICED THAT THERE NOW WAS A PRIMARY AND BEACON TARGET ASSOCIATED WITH THIS SPLAT. I CALLED THE SECTOR WHOSE AIRSPACE THIS UNKNOWN TARGET WAS IN AND THEY SAID THAT THEY DIDN'T NOW ANYTHING ABOUT HIM. A FEW SECS LATER AN ACFT CALLED THEM AND IT TURNS OUT THE ACFT WAS IFR AND HAD BEEN WORKED BY WRI APCH CTL BUT WRI APCH HAD LOST THE ACFT. I ADVISED MY SUPVR OF OCCURRENCE AND HE CHOSE TO IGNORE THE INCIDENT. APPARENTLY, NEITHER ACFT SAW EACH OTHER BECAUSE NEITHER ONE RPTED INCIDENT.

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.