Narrative:

Cga X departed spi direct bvt. The aircraft was climbing to 10000' requesting FL370. Cga X was flashed to ZKC using a 1 from the ARTS keyboard which forces handoffs to sector 59 at ZKC. Direct bvt is a borderline fix off springfield between ZAU and ZKC. The handoff was accepted and cga X was climbed to FL230 which in our LOA with ZKC is allowed, but with ZAU we are required to maintain 10000' unless coordinated, then the center climbs the aircraft. Cga X was frequency changed to ZKC on frequency 127.27. ZAU called back and wanted to know if we climbed cga X to FL230. We said yes and the center said they knew nothing about this aircraft climbing. We told them we didn't hand him off to them, that we handed him off to ZKC. ZAU then called back again and said ZKC did not take the handoff. This whole problem was caused by a fault of the automation system allowing an aircraft to be handed off to one sector when it was flashed to another. In this situation, the aircraft was flashed with a 1, forcing it to sector 59 at ZKC, but the computer overrode this and handed the aircraft off to ZAU. The solution to this would be to allow a controller to force a handoff to someone and if the handoff is being forced to the wrong sector, then it would show a failure in the data block so the controller could handoff to the correct sector. As it is now, the computer overrides the controller's actions and hands off to the correct sector west/O the controller knowing that he might have made a mistake and you have a deal by climbing an aircraft and switching him to the wrong facility. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter gave ATC experience. No conflict occurred with other aircraft and no deviation or error filed by either facility. Frequency 127.27 is ZKC, not ZAU. Aircraft handed off by ARTS to ZAU with frequency change to ZKC. Reporter thinks both facs should have investigated with spi before taking further action. ZAU accepted handoff west/O checking with spi. ZKC did ot check to find out what was happening until later. Since the ZAU boundary is so close to spi, this is an unusual situation. Spi controllers must enter a 1 into ARTS keyboard to direct handoff to sector 59 at ZKC. Facility has had other incidents with misdirected handoffs. Facility is aware of the problem and believes it must be corrected at center.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ARTS KEYBOARD HANDED ACFT TO WRONG FAC, CLIMBING TO AN UNCOORD ALT.

Narrative: CGA X DEPARTED SPI DIRECT BVT. THE ACFT WAS CLBING TO 10000' REQUESTING FL370. CGA X WAS FLASHED TO ZKC USING A 1 FROM THE ARTS KEYBOARD WHICH FORCES HDOFS TO SECTOR 59 AT ZKC. DIRECT BVT IS A BORDERLINE FIX OFF SPRINGFIELD BTWN ZAU AND ZKC. THE HDOF WAS ACCEPTED AND CGA X WAS CLBED TO FL230 WHICH IN OUR LOA WITH ZKC IS ALLOWED, BUT WITH ZAU WE ARE REQUIRED TO MAINTAIN 10000' UNLESS COORDINATED, THEN THE CENTER CLBS THE ACFT. CGA X WAS FREQ CHANGED TO ZKC ON FREQ 127.27. ZAU CALLED BACK AND WANTED TO KNOW IF WE CLBED CGA X TO FL230. WE SAID YES AND THE CENTER SAID THEY KNEW NOTHING ABOUT THIS ACFT CLBING. WE TOLD THEM WE DIDN'T HAND HIM OFF TO THEM, THAT WE HANDED HIM OFF TO ZKC. ZAU THEN CALLED BACK AGAIN AND SAID ZKC DID NOT TAKE THE HDOF. THIS WHOLE PROB WAS CAUSED BY A FAULT OF THE AUTOMATION SYS ALLOWING AN ACFT TO BE HANDED OFF TO ONE SECTOR WHEN IT WAS FLASHED TO ANOTHER. IN THIS SITUATION, THE ACFT WAS FLASHED WITH A 1, FORCING IT TO SECTOR 59 AT ZKC, BUT THE COMPUTER OVERRODE THIS AND HANDED THE ACFT OFF TO ZAU. THE SOLUTION TO THIS WOULD BE TO ALLOW A CTLR TO FORCE A HDOF TO SOMEONE AND IF THE HDOF IS BEING FORCED TO THE WRONG SECTOR, THEN IT WOULD SHOW A FAILURE IN THE DATA BLOCK SO THE CTLR COULD HDOF TO THE CORRECT SECTOR. AS IT IS NOW, THE COMPUTER OVERRIDES THE CTLR'S ACTIONS AND HANDS OFF TO THE CORRECT SECTOR W/O THE CTLR KNOWING THAT HE MIGHT HAVE MADE A MISTAKE AND YOU HAVE A DEAL BY CLBING AN ACFT AND SWITCHING HIM TO THE WRONG FAC. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR GAVE ATC EXPERIENCE. NO CONFLICT OCCURRED WITH OTHER ACFT AND NO DEVIATION OR ERROR FILED BY EITHER FAC. FREQ 127.27 IS ZKC, NOT ZAU. ACFT HANDED OFF BY ARTS TO ZAU WITH FREQ CHANGE TO ZKC. RPTR THINKS BOTH FACS SHOULD HAVE INVESTIGATED WITH SPI BEFORE TAKING FURTHER ACTION. ZAU ACCEPTED HDOF W/O CHKING WITH SPI. ZKC DID OT CHK TO FIND OUT WHAT WAS HAPPENING UNTIL LATER. SINCE THE ZAU BOUNDARY IS SO CLOSE TO SPI, THIS IS AN UNUSUAL SITUATION. SPI CTLRS MUST ENTER A 1 INTO ARTS KEYBOARD TO DIRECT HDOF TO SECTOR 59 AT ZKC. FAC HAS HAD OTHER INCIDENTS WITH MISDIRECTED HDOFS. FAC IS AWARE OF THE PROB AND BELIEVES IT MUST BE CORRECTED AT CENTER.

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.