Narrative:

While working tlh approach control east combined with flight data, I had just finished a very busy period when I noticed a flight progress strip with which I was not familiar or had a matching aircraft target on radar. I then made a couple of broadcasts in the blind to no avail. I then called the next facility to see if they were working small transport X. I gave them the beacon code, but they didn't know anything about him! I figured that in the rush of traffic I handed him off and had forgotten. It was very busy and I had been very distracted with a non-transponder equipped aircraft and another who was having RNAV problems. Landline communications were numerous at this time also. It was lunch time and the previous data man was at lunch. Perhaps with more help this wouldn't have happened. Actually, in my opinion, I felt like the handoff was never completed via automation, or if it had during a busy period, the ARTS iia program in testing status dropped the target as it has been doing during the test. The adjacent facility who would have normally handed the aircraft off to me indicated that they weren't able to hand him off because he was in 'if' status--interfacility failure. This would have created a need for a manual handoff. I have no recollection at all of a handoff on small transport X. I rogered his second transmission only and have been charged with an operational deviation. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter stated his experience as 18 yrs radar. He had taken an automated handoff from vad approach control. Reporter did not and does not remember taking the handoff. The flight data position was combined. There was no supervisor in the control room. Reporter could not ask for help, even though it had gotten very busy. The small transport entered ZJX airspace 12 mi southeast gef with out coordination. The reporter was relieved. Small transport X flew 20 mins into ZJX airspace before the error was discovered.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMT X ENTERED ZJX AIRSPACE WITHOUT RADAR HANDOFF. TRACON ARTCC INTERFAC COORD. OPERATIONAL DEVIATION.

Narrative: WHILE WORKING TLH APCH CTL E COMBINED WITH FLT DATA, I HAD JUST FINISHED A VERY BUSY PERIOD WHEN I NOTICED A FLT PROGRESS STRIP WITH WHICH I WAS NOT FAMILIAR OR HAD A MATCHING ACFT TARGET ON RADAR. I THEN MADE A COUPLE OF BROADCASTS IN THE BLIND TO NO AVAIL. I THEN CALLED THE NEXT FAC TO SEE IF THEY WERE WORKING SMT X. I GAVE THEM THE BEACON CODE, BUT THEY DIDN'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT HIM! I FIGURED THAT IN THE RUSH OF TFC I HANDED HIM OFF AND HAD FORGOTTEN. IT WAS VERY BUSY AND I HAD BEEN VERY DISTRACTED WITH A NON-XPONDER EQUIPPED ACFT AND ANOTHER WHO WAS HAVING RNAV PROBS. LANDLINE COMS WERE NUMEROUS AT THIS TIME ALSO. IT WAS LUNCH TIME AND THE PREVIOUS DATA MAN WAS AT LUNCH. PERHAPS WITH MORE HELP THIS WOULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED. ACTUALLY, IN MY OPINION, I FELT LIKE THE HDOF WAS NEVER COMPLETED VIA AUTOMATION, OR IF IT HAD DURING A BUSY PERIOD, THE ARTS IIA PROGRAM IN TESTING STATUS DROPPED THE TARGET AS IT HAS BEEN DOING DURING THE TEST. THE ADJACENT FAC WHO WOULD HAVE NORMALLY HANDED THE ACFT OFF TO ME INDICATED THAT THEY WEREN'T ABLE TO HAND HIM OFF BECAUSE HE WAS IN 'IF' STATUS--INTERFAC FAILURE. THIS WOULD HAVE CREATED A NEED FOR A MANUAL HDOF. I HAVE NO RECOLLECTION AT ALL OF A HDOF ON SMT X. I ROGERED HIS SECOND XMISSION ONLY AND HAVE BEEN CHARGED WITH AN OPDEV. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR STATED HIS EXPERIENCE AS 18 YRS RADAR. HE HAD TAKEN AN AUTOMATED HDOF FROM VAD APCH CTL. RPTR DID NOT AND DOES NOT REMEMBER TAKING THE HDOF. THE FLT DATA POS WAS COMBINED. THERE WAS NO SUPVR IN THE CTL ROOM. RPTR COULD NOT ASK FOR HELP, EVEN THOUGH IT HAD GOTTEN VERY BUSY. THE SMT ENTERED ZJX AIRSPACE 12 MI SE GEF WITH OUT COORD. THE RPTR WAS RELIEVED. SMT X FLEW 20 MINS INTO ZJX AIRSPACE BEFORE THE ERROR WAS DISCOVERED.

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.