Narrative:

I was working departure east at seattle TRACON. I radar idented small transport X off boeing field and climbed him to 3000 ft. I completed the necessary pointouts to sea tower and effected radar sectors to cross N21JC over seatac airport. Wbound to bremerton (pwt) airport. I then turned small transport X over seatac wbound and ARTS handoff small transport X to the next sector to work him. Several mins later small transport X called on the original frequency and asked controller's intentions. Evidently (by listening to the tapes), I did not advise small transport X to change to the receiving sector's frequency. When small transport X called back, he was in a '3400 ft MVA', level at 3000 ft. Supplemental information from acn 183838: I had just relieved the departure east controller. Approximately 10 mins later small transport X called requesting 'our intentions'. Small transport X was not in my sector. I did not receive a briefing on this aircraft from the controller I relieved. I asked small transport X of his position. Small transport X stated 'I just went through the localizer'. I observed small transport X in the vicinity of the bremerton airport. Using the minimum vector altitude (MVA) map, I realized small transport X was in a min altitude area of 3400 ft. Small transport X altitude was 3000 ft MSL. I turned small transport X eastbound and climbed him to 3400 ft away from the highest obstruction in the MVA. I called the approach controller working the bremerton airport and asked about small transport X. The controller stated 'I know nothing about this aircraft'. Investigation revealed: 1) the controller I relieved handed this aircraft off to the bremerton controller. 2) this controller did not transfer communication to the bremerton controller. 3) I relieved this controller without the aircraft in my sector or on my sector tag. I was not told this aircraft was still on my frequency. Supplemental information from acn 183752: I was working the tacoma narrows and bremerton sectors of satellite airspace originally and then was told to pull in the boeing sector and give up the tiw sector. This airspace change also added to the complexity of the situation. Small transport X called departure east controller and told him he had just gone through the localizer at bremerton and wanted to know our intentions. The controller, who only recently assumed the position was not sure who this aircraft was. The controller on departure east called me on satellite and asked if I knew who aircraft was. I did not recall either (although it was on my 'tag'). The aircraft was in the vicinity of gold mountain (MVA 3400) at 3000 ft MSL. Departure east then vectored the aircraft eastbound and set him up for the ILS runway 19 approach at pwt. Small transport X was put on my frequency.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA X RADAR VECTORED BELOW MVA. SYS ERROR.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING DEP E AT SEATTLE TRACON. I RADAR IDENTED SMT X OFF BOEING FIELD AND CLBED HIM TO 3000 FT. I COMPLETED THE NECESSARY POINTOUTS TO SEA TWR AND EFFECTED RADAR SECTORS TO CROSS N21JC OVER SEATAC ARPT. WBOUND TO BREMERTON (PWT) ARPT. I THEN TURNED SMT X OVER SEATAC WBOUND AND ARTS HDOF SMT X TO THE NEXT SECTOR TO WORK HIM. SEVERAL MINS LATER SMT X CALLED ON THE ORIGINAL FREQ AND ASKED CTLR'S INTENTIONS. EVIDENTLY (BY LISTENING TO THE TAPES), I DID NOT ADVISE SMT X TO CHANGE TO THE RECEIVING SECTOR'S FREQ. WHEN SMT X CALLED BACK, HE WAS IN A '3400 FT MVA', LEVEL AT 3000 FT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 183838: I HAD JUST RELIEVED THE DEP E CTLR. APPROX 10 MINS LATER SMT X CALLED REQUESTING 'OUR INTENTIONS'. SMT X WAS NOT IN MY SECTOR. I DID NOT RECEIVE A BRIEFING ON THIS ACFT FROM THE CTLR I RELIEVED. I ASKED SMT X OF HIS POS. SMT X STATED 'I JUST WENT THROUGH THE LOC'. I OBSERVED SMT X IN THE VICINITY OF THE BREMERTON ARPT. USING THE MINIMUM VECTOR ALT (MVA) MAP, I REALIZED SMT X WAS IN A MIN ALT AREA OF 3400 FT. SMT X ALT WAS 3000 FT MSL. I TURNED SMT X EBOUND AND CLBED HIM TO 3400 FT AWAY FROM THE HIGHEST OBSTRUCTION IN THE MVA. I CALLED THE APCH CTLR WORKING THE BREMERTON ARPT AND ASKED ABOUT SMT X. THE CTLR STATED 'I KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THIS ACFT'. INVESTIGATION REVEALED: 1) THE CTLR I RELIEVED HANDED THIS ACFT OFF TO THE BREMERTON CTLR. 2) THIS CTLR DID NOT TRANSFER COM TO THE BREMERTON CTLR. 3) I RELIEVED THIS CTLR WITHOUT THE ACFT IN MY SECTOR OR ON MY SECTOR TAG. I WAS NOT TOLD THIS ACFT WAS STILL ON MY FREQ. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 183752: I WAS WORKING THE TACOMA NARROWS AND BREMERTON SECTORS OF SATELLITE AIRSPACE ORIGINALLY AND THEN WAS TOLD TO PULL IN THE BOEING SECTOR AND GIVE UP THE TIW SECTOR. THIS AIRSPACE CHANGE ALSO ADDED TO THE COMPLEXITY OF THE SITUATION. SMT X CALLED DEP E CTLR AND TOLD HIM HE HAD JUST GONE THROUGH THE LOC AT BREMERTON AND WANTED TO KNOW OUR INTENTIONS. THE CTLR, WHO ONLY RECENTLY ASSUMED THE POS WAS NOT SURE WHO THIS ACFT WAS. THE CTLR ON DEP E CALLED ME ON SATELLITE AND ASKED IF I KNEW WHO ACFT WAS. I DID NOT RECALL EITHER (ALTHOUGH IT WAS ON MY 'TAG'). THE ACFT WAS IN THE VICINITY OF GOLD MOUNTAIN (MVA 3400) AT 3000 FT MSL. DEP E THEN VECTORED THE ACFT EBOUND AND SET HIM UP FOR THE ILS RWY 19 APCH AT PWT. SMT X WAS PUT ON MY FREQ.

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.