Narrative:

Small aircraft X progressed lby a computer handoff was initiated to ZME and was accepted. Small aircraft X position was approximately 3 mi northeast of lby. This area north of lby often requires non-radar separation due to limited radar coverage below 4000 ft. The handoff was made early to avoid small aircraft X becoming a non-radar situation requiring verbal coordination with ZME. At the time I made the handoff, I believed small aircraft X to be several mi further northeast of lby. I thought that small aircraft X would nearly be out of ZHU airspace by the time the data block timed out. Even if it did time out before leaving my airspace, I believe I would see a target or a limited data block appear intermittently or I'd remember its last known position. Small aircraft X did time out earlier than I expected. The all limited data blocks key should have been selected. The radar target was not observed by myself after small aircraft X became non- radar approximately 12 mi northeast of lby. The computer printout of small aircraft X indicated occasional radar returns. When small transport Y departed VFR, requesting IFR clearance, small aircraft X had timed out about 1 min 31 seconds previously. There was no visible target or limited data block in the area. Small transport Y was issued an IFR clearance. ZME's patch went off when the aircraft were approximately 4 1/2 mi horizontal and 200 ft vertical. A ZME supervisor contacted a ZHU supervisor, that ZHU supervisor notified me of the error. Non-radar procedures should have been followed, including retaining the flight progress strip on the board until small aircraft X is known to be clear of ZHU airspace. I should have asked ZME to advise me when small aircraft X was clear of my airspace.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMT Y CLB TO OCCUPIED ALT. HAD LTSS FROM SMT Y. SYS ERROR.

Narrative: SMA X PROGRESSED LBY A COMPUTER HDOF WAS INITIATED TO ZME AND WAS ACCEPTED. SMA X POS WAS APPROX 3 MI NE OF LBY. THIS AREA N OF LBY OFTEN REQUIRES NON-RADAR SEPARATION DUE TO LIMITED RADAR COVERAGE BELOW 4000 FT. THE HDOF WAS MADE EARLY TO AVOID SMA X BECOMING A NON-RADAR SIT REQUIRING VERBAL COORD WITH ZME. AT THE TIME I MADE THE HDOF, I BELIEVED SMA X TO BE SEVERAL MI FURTHER NE OF LBY. I THOUGHT THAT SMA X WOULD NEARLY BE OUT OF ZHU AIRSPACE BY THE TIME THE DATA BLOCK TIMED OUT. EVEN IF IT DID TIME OUT BEFORE LEAVING MY AIRSPACE, I BELIEVE I WOULD SEE A TARGET OR A LIMITED DATA BLOCK APPEAR INTERMITTENTLY OR I'D REMEMBER ITS LAST KNOWN POS. SMA X DID TIME OUT EARLIER THAN I EXPECTED. THE ALL LIMITED DATA BLOCKS KEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN SELECTED. THE RADAR TARGET WAS NOT OBSERVED BY MYSELF AFTER SMA X BECAME NON- RADAR APPROX 12 MI NE OF LBY. THE COMPUTER PRINTOUT OF SMA X INDICATED OCCASIONAL RADAR RETURNS. WHEN SMT Y DEPARTED VFR, REQUESTING IFR CLRNC, SMA X HAD TIMED OUT ABOUT 1 MIN 31 SECONDS PREVIOUSLY. THERE WAS NO VISIBLE TARGET OR LIMITED DATA BLOCK IN THE AREA. SMT Y WAS ISSUED AN IFR CLRNC. ZME'S PATCH WENT OFF WHEN THE ACFT WERE APPROX 4 1/2 MI HORIZ AND 200 FT VERT. A ZME SUPVR CONTACTED A ZHU SUPVR, THAT ZHU SUPVR NOTIFIED ME OF THE ERROR. NON-RADAR PROCS SHOULD HAVE BEEN FOLLOWED, INCLUDING RETAINING THE FLT PROGRESS STRIP ON THE BOARD UNTIL SMA X IS KNOWN TO BE CLR OF ZHU AIRSPACE. I SHOULD HAVE ASKED ZME TO ADVISE ME WHEN SMA X WAS CLR OF MY AIRSPACE.

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.