Narrative:

While working the west radar position at buf approach, I took control (radar) of an small transport X southwest of dkk VOR, whose route of flight was dkk direct elm and then further routing to the southeast. Normally an aircraft on dkk to elm routing would be in buf approach airspace only a short time traversing both west and east radar airspace. It is common practice for the west radar controller to maintain control of aircraft on this routing and perform a point-out to the east radar controller and handoff the aircraft to the cleveland center bradford sector controller whose airspace the aircraft would enter after leaving buf airspace. I did not point-out the aircraft to the east radar controller prior to it entering his airspace because my attention was diverted to another aircraft northwest of buf. Subsequently I was being relieved of the west radar position by another controller. It is my statement that I advised the relieving controller that the aircraft needed to be pointed out to the east radar controller and handed off to the cleveland center controller, however, this was never recorded. Small transport X traversed east radar airspace without a pointout and entered cleveland center airspace sse of buffalo without being handed off to the cleveland center bradford sector controller. The cleveland center controller called buf approach, east radar, via interphone to advise the aircraft was in radar contact and asked that the aircraft be switched to him. At no time was there any separation loss between small transport X and any other aircraft or terrain/obstructions. Supplemental information from acn 215313. I was working the east radar sector and had light to moderate traffic. The aircraft was proceeding from dunkirk VOR direct to elmira VOR under the west radars control. I looked down and noticed that the aircraft had entered my control sector without a handoff or other coordination. At this time the west radar controller was busy transmitting to several aircraft and I realized that by the time that I could have coordinated with west radar the aircraft would be out of my sector. I returned to controling other aircraft and shortly thereafter, I noticed that the aircraft was a little north of course, but would not be a factor for any of my traffic. The west radar controller was attempting to give a position relief briefing and I did not see why coordinating the fact that I had a point out would accomplish anything. 3 days later I was asked to write a personal statement and informed that I was decertified due to an operational error. What it boiled down to was that if I had used the landline to coordination and just said 3 little words 'point out approved' I wouldn't be involved at all. I learned that you should always put coordination on a recorded line no matter how insignificant that it may seem.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMT X UNAUTHORIZED UNCOORD PENETRATION OF APCH CTL ADJACENT SECTOR AND CTR AIRSPACE. OPDEV.

Narrative: WHILE WORKING THE W RADAR POS AT BUF APCH, I TOOK CTL (RADAR) OF AN SMT X SW OF DKK VOR, WHOSE RTE OF FLT WAS DKK DIRECT ELM AND THEN FURTHER ROUTING TO THE SE. NORMALLY AN ACFT ON DKK TO ELM ROUTING WOULD BE IN BUF APCH AIRSPACE ONLY A SHORT TIME TRAVERSING BOTH W AND E RADAR AIRSPACE. IT IS COMMON PRACTICE FOR THE W RADAR CTLR TO MAINTAIN CTL OF ACFT ON THIS ROUTING AND PERFORM A POINT-OUT TO THE E RADAR CTLR AND HDOF THE ACFT TO THE CLEVELAND CTR BRADFORD SECTOR CTLR WHOSE AIRSPACE THE ACFT WOULD ENTER AFTER LEAVING BUF AIRSPACE. I DID NOT POINT-OUT THE ACFT TO THE E RADAR CTLR PRIOR TO IT ENTERING HIS AIRSPACE BECAUSE MY ATTN WAS DIVERTED TO ANOTHER ACFT NW OF BUF. SUBSEQUENTLY I WAS BEING RELIEVED OF THE W RADAR POS BY ANOTHER CTLR. IT IS MY STATEMENT THAT I ADVISED THE RELIEVING CTLR THAT THE ACFT NEEDED TO BE POINTED OUT TO THE E RADAR CTLR AND HANDED OFF TO THE CLEVELAND CTR CTLR, HOWEVER, THIS WAS NEVER RECORDED. SMT X TRAVERSED E RADAR AIRSPACE WITHOUT A POINTOUT AND ENTERED CLEVELAND CTR AIRSPACE SSE OF BUFFALO WITHOUT BEING HANDED OFF TO THE CLEVELAND CTR BRADFORD SECTOR CTLR. THE CLEVELAND CTR CTLR CALLED BUF APCH, E RADAR, VIA INTERPHONE TO ADVISE THE ACFT WAS IN RADAR CONTACT AND ASKED THAT THE ACFT BE SWITCHED TO HIM. AT NO TIME WAS THERE ANY SEPARATION LOSS BTWN SMT X AND ANY OTHER ACFT OR TERRAIN/OBSTRUCTIONS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 215313. I WAS WORKING THE E RADAR SECTOR AND HAD LIGHT TO MODERATE TFC. THE ACFT WAS PROCEEDING FROM DUNKIRK VOR DIRECT TO ELMIRA VOR UNDER THE W RADARS CTL. I LOOKED DOWN AND NOTICED THAT THE ACFT HAD ENTERED MY CTL SECTOR WITHOUT A HDOF OR OTHER COORD. AT THIS TIME THE W RADAR CTLR WAS BUSY XMITTING TO SEVERAL ACFT AND I REALIZED THAT BY THE TIME THAT I COULD HAVE COORDINATED WITH W RADAR THE ACFT WOULD BE OUT OF MY SECTOR. I RETURNED TO CTLING OTHER ACFT AND SHORTLY THEREAFTER, I NOTICED THAT THE ACFT WAS A LITTLE N OF COURSE, BUT WOULD NOT BE A FACTOR FOR ANY OF MY TFC. THE W RADAR CTLR WAS ATTEMPTING TO GIVE A POS RELIEF BRIEFING AND I DID NOT SEE WHY COORDINATING THE FACT THAT I HAD A POINT OUT WOULD ACCOMPLISH ANYTHING. 3 DAYS LATER I WAS ASKED TO WRITE A PERSONAL STATEMENT AND INFORMED THAT I WAS DECERTIFIED DUE TO AN OPERROR. WHAT IT BOILED DOWN TO WAS THAT IF I HAD USED THE LANDLINE TO COORD AND JUST SAID 3 LITTLE WORDS 'POINT OUT APPROVED' I WOULDN'T BE INVOLVED AT ALL. I LEARNED THAT YOU SHOULD ALWAYS PUT COORD ON A RECORDED LINE NO MATTER HOW INSIGNIFICANT THAT IT MAY SEEM.

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.