Narrative:

At approximately xx:51Z I was involved with an airspace violation with eugene approach control airspace by small transport. I was working the radar position on a low altitude sector that was combined with two other low altitude sectors, there was a d-side controller working with me, but no assistant controller to help with the flight strips. The d-side gave an IFR clearance for small transport through radio (FSS) from roseburg airport to eugene airport at 6000' MSL, the d-side assigned the wrong beacon code but was not aware that he did so. Small transport contacted me airborne climbing out of 03400' for 06000'. I radar idented him on the wrong beacon code and was not aware of that fact. Small transport was approximately 6 NM north of the rbg VOR at the time. I did not start a full data block because I was anticipating that the data block would automatic acquire. It never did since the aircraft was on the wrong code. At that time small transport was 20 NM from eugene approach control airspace. Approximately 6 mins after I radar idented small transport he entered eugene approach's airspace west/O a radar handoff. By that time I had forgotten about the aircraft since I was busy with approximately 8 other aircraft, one which required precision vector to final approach course, and I was using two radar scopes to accomplish this. Since there was no full data block to help remind me of the aircraft, and no automatic-handoff could be provided by the computer, the aircraft continued into eugene approach's airspace. Small transport asked for lower about 6 NM south of eugene airport, at that time I had realized what had happened and coordination began with eugene approach. The aircraft then cancelled his IFR clearance. The error was caused by the mix-up of the beacon code by the d-side and the r-side, the assigned code was xxox but should have been oxxo. Other than continued vigilance to prevent human error, the one thing I can suggest that might help prevent such an event would be to adapt a program for the computer that would automatically start a full data block at the departure point at a given time after the aircraft has been departed in the computer, if, one has not been started by the controller or one has not automatic acquired on the correct beacon code. And on that data block provide a symbol that would tell the controller that action has to be taken to accomplish radar contact.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ARTCC RADAR CTLR FORGOT ABOUT THE SMT AND IT ENTERED EUG APCH AIRSPACE WITHOUT PROPER COORD.

Narrative: AT APPROX XX:51Z I WAS INVOLVED WITH AN AIRSPACE VIOLATION WITH EUGENE APCH CTL AIRSPACE BY SMT. I WAS WORKING THE RADAR POS ON A LOW ALT SECTOR THAT WAS COMBINED WITH TWO OTHER LOW ALT SECTORS, THERE WAS A D-SIDE CTLR WORKING WITH ME, BUT NO ASSISTANT CTLR TO HELP WITH THE FLT STRIPS. THE D-SIDE GAVE AN IFR CLRNC FOR SMT THROUGH RADIO (FSS) FROM ROSEBURG ARPT TO EUGENE ARPT AT 6000' MSL, THE D-SIDE ASSIGNED THE WRONG BEACON CODE BUT WAS NOT AWARE THAT HE DID SO. SMT CONTACTED ME AIRBORNE CLBING OUT OF 03400' FOR 06000'. I RADAR IDENTED HIM ON THE WRONG BEACON CODE AND WAS NOT AWARE OF THAT FACT. SMT WAS APPROX 6 NM N OF THE RBG VOR AT THE TIME. I DID NOT START A FULL DATA BLOCK BECAUSE I WAS ANTICIPATING THAT THE DATA BLOCK WOULD AUTO ACQUIRE. IT NEVER DID SINCE THE ACFT WAS ON THE WRONG CODE. AT THAT TIME SMT WAS 20 NM FROM EUGENE APCH CTL AIRSPACE. APPROX 6 MINS AFTER I RADAR IDENTED SMT HE ENTERED EUGENE APCH'S AIRSPACE W/O A RADAR HDOF. BY THAT TIME I HAD FORGOTTEN ABOUT THE ACFT SINCE I WAS BUSY WITH APPROX 8 OTHER ACFT, ONE WHICH REQUIRED PRECISION VECTOR TO FINAL APCH COURSE, AND I WAS USING TWO RADAR SCOPES TO ACCOMPLISH THIS. SINCE THERE WAS NO FULL DATA BLOCK TO HELP REMIND ME OF THE ACFT, AND NO AUTO-HDOF COULD BE PROVIDED BY THE COMPUTER, THE ACFT CONTINUED INTO EUGENE APCH'S AIRSPACE. SMT ASKED FOR LOWER ABOUT 6 NM S OF EUGENE ARPT, AT THAT TIME I HAD REALIZED WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND COORD BEGAN WITH EUGENE APCH. THE ACFT THEN CANCELLED HIS IFR CLRNC. THE ERROR WAS CAUSED BY THE MIX-UP OF THE BEACON CODE BY THE D-SIDE AND THE R-SIDE, THE ASSIGNED CODE WAS XXOX BUT SHOULD HAVE BEEN OXXO. OTHER THAN CONTINUED VIGILANCE TO PREVENT HUMAN ERROR, THE ONE THING I CAN SUGGEST THAT MIGHT HELP PREVENT SUCH AN EVENT WOULD BE TO ADAPT A PROGRAM FOR THE COMPUTER THAT WOULD AUTOMATICALLY START A FULL DATA BLOCK AT THE DEP POINT AT A GIVEN TIME AFTER THE ACFT HAS BEEN DEPARTED IN THE COMPUTER, IF, ONE HAS NOT BEEN STARTED BY THE CTLR OR ONE HAS NOT AUTO ACQUIRED ON THE CORRECT BEACON CODE. AND ON THAT DATA BLOCK PROVIDE A SYMBOL THAT WOULD TELL THE CTLR THAT ACTION HAS TO BE TAKEN TO ACCOMPLISH RADAR CONTACT.

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.