Narrative:

Prior to the occurrence I had been working west arrival and south arrival combined on 1 frequency 124.65. I worked at least 20 aircraft through my airspace. West arrival was ready to open. Decombining took 5 mins. I coordinated with washington center, casanova sector and reminded them of the discrepancy between SOP and the dss programming. Propellers over doccs intersection flash at west, but supposed to flash at south. While I was getting busy with a barin arrival push from the south, an aircraft was also flashing at me from washington national to the southeast. Since there was no 'east' on the data block to indicate that it was an overflt, and since there was no inbound ticket, I took the handoff thinking it would be a dulles arrival and coming into my airspace. The aircraft was landing winchester. The aircraft, however, was climbed to 6000 (not my airspace). In addition it was also turned away from my airspace, after I had taken the handoff: because it was in confliction with my arrs over barin, who were not meeting their altitude restrictions. The aircraft should have flashed at south departure. There was no one present to assist me with this problem. My attention was diverted in this manner from 1 aircraft to another several times. Under the circumstances I tried to scan the scope as best I could. Air carrier X, a doccs arrival from the southwest called me at south arrival, 'air carrier X, information ATIS XXXX with you at 9000'. I had just taken handoffs on 2 same company aircraft at barin intersection. I had not taken the handoff on air carrier X. Earlier, washington center had called asking if we had taken the handoff on air carrier X. I responded (after looking at west arrival's scope and seeing all data tags on west's) that 'we had'. When air carrier X called, I did not correlate the call sign with the correct data block, since data blocks over barin were overlapping and blocking one another, even though I was alternating directions in leader lines. I mistook air carrier X for one of the other company aircraft. I responded with instructions to 'fly heading 010 degree and descend and maintain 2000 for a visual approach to runway 19L'. A few mins later the west arrival controller asked me if I had air carrier X. He thought I had turned air carrier X north for spacing purposes since he was busy sequencing to runway 12. I looked into his airspace and saw air carrier X. I called air carrier X, climbed him, and switched him to west arrival.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR X ENTERED APCH CTL SECTOR ADJOINING AIRSPACE WITHOUT PROPER TRACON INTRAFAC COORD.

Narrative: PRIOR TO THE OCCURRENCE I HAD BEEN WORKING W ARR AND S ARR COMBINED ON 1 FREQ 124.65. I WORKED AT LEAST 20 ACFT THROUGH MY AIRSPACE. W ARR WAS READY TO OPEN. DECOMBINING TOOK 5 MINS. I COORDINATED WITH WASHINGTON CENTER, CASANOVA SECTOR AND REMINDED THEM OF THE DISCREPANCY BTWN SOP AND THE DSS PROGRAMMING. PROPS OVER DOCCS INTXN FLASH AT W, BUT SUPPOSED TO FLASH AT S. WHILE I WAS GETTING BUSY WITH A BARIN ARR PUSH FROM THE S, AN ACFT WAS ALSO FLASHING AT ME FROM WASHINGTON NATIONAL TO THE SE. SINCE THERE WAS NO 'E' ON THE DATA BLOCK TO INDICATE THAT IT WAS AN OVERFLT, AND SINCE THERE WAS NO INBOUND TICKET, I TOOK THE HDOF THINKING IT WOULD BE A DULLES ARR AND COMING INTO MY AIRSPACE. THE ACFT WAS LNDG WINCHESTER. THE ACFT, HOWEVER, WAS CLBED TO 6000 (NOT MY AIRSPACE). IN ADDITION IT WAS ALSO TURNED AWAY FROM MY AIRSPACE, AFTER I HAD TAKEN THE HDOF: BECAUSE IT WAS IN CONFLICTION WITH MY ARRS OVER BARIN, WHO WERE NOT MEETING THEIR ALT RESTRICTIONS. THE ACFT SHOULD HAVE FLASHED AT S DEP. THERE WAS NO ONE PRESENT TO ASSIST ME WITH THIS PROBLEM. MY ATTN WAS DIVERTED IN THIS MANNER FROM 1 ACFT TO ANOTHER SEVERAL TIMES. UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES I TRIED TO SCAN THE SCOPE AS BEST I COULD. ACR X, A DOCCS ARR FROM THE SW CALLED ME AT S ARR, 'ACR X, INFO ATIS XXXX WITH YOU AT 9000'. I HAD JUST TAKEN HDOFS ON 2 SAME COMPANY ACFT AT BARIN INTXN. I HAD NOT TAKEN THE HDOF ON ACR X. EARLIER, WASHINGTON CENTER HAD CALLED ASKING IF WE HAD TAKEN THE HDOF ON ACR X. I RESPONDED (AFTER LOOKING AT W ARR'S SCOPE AND SEEING ALL DATA TAGS ON W'S) THAT 'WE HAD'. WHEN ACR X CALLED, I DID NOT CORRELATE THE CALL SIGN WITH THE CORRECT DATA BLOCK, SINCE DATA BLOCKS OVER BARIN WERE OVERLAPPING AND BLOCKING ONE ANOTHER, EVEN THOUGH I WAS ALTERNATING DIRECTIONS IN LEADER LINES. I MISTOOK ACR X FOR ONE OF THE OTHER COMPANY ACFT. I RESPONDED WITH INSTRUCTIONS TO 'FLY HDG 010 DEG AND DSND AND MAINTAIN 2000 FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 19L'. A FEW MINS LATER THE W ARR CTLR ASKED ME IF I HAD ACR X. HE THOUGHT I HAD TURNED ACR X N FOR SPACING PURPOSES SINCE HE WAS BUSY SEQUENCING TO RWY 12. I LOOKED INTO HIS AIRSPACE AND SAW ACR X. I CALLED ACR X, CLBED HIM, AND SWITCHED HIM TO W ARR.

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.