Narrative:

A flight of 2H/C141, was on an IFR ske mission that rted the flight to/through acy TRACON and wri RAPCON airspace numerous times over the same route. After 1 complete ske circuit, automated handoffs no longer work. As a result, manual handoffs are required for the remainder of the flight. Military Y had completed 1 full ske circuit. At approximately XX30Z, I observed 2 targets inside acy airspace indicating 3000 ft tracking sbound. At the time, I was working an IFR PA28 at 3000 ft northbound and had to issue an immediate turn and descent clearance to avoid the traffic. The unidented target was the military Y flight that wri RAPCON forgot to handoff. This operational deviation is just 1 indication of growing problems that exist between wri RAPCON and acy TRACON. There are frequent automation problems between the 2 facilities apparently due to the 2 host computers not talking to each other (ZDC and ZNY). In addition to the host computer problems, wri's ASR radar is unreliable which causes the facility to utilize non radar procedures more frequently than normal. This creates an added burden to the system and contributes to delays for aircraft utilizing tower en route control up and down the east coast, including the large number of military aircraft based at wri AFB. Perhaps the most perplexing problem that exists between the 2 facilities, is wri's usage of the fdio computer, or lack thereof. Here is an example of a repeat problem that continues to occur. Wri RAPCON owns 8000 ft and below. Acy TRACON owns 7000 ft and below. An IFR aircraft in wri airspace swbound at 8000 ft will flash to ZDC on an automated handoff. Wri RAPCON descends the aircraft to 6000 ft without making an amendment in the fdio, and attempts an automated handoff. The handoff goes to air data computer because the aircraft is still in the system at 8000 ft. ZDC accepts the handoff. Wri observes the handoff being accepted and incorrectly assumes that acy TRACON took the handoff. Wri xfers communications of the aircraft to acy approach. Acy approach has not taken the handoff and has zero information on the IFR aircraft which is now in our airspace or about to enter it. This has been brought to the attention of wri RAPCON on numerous occasions, however, the problem persits. These problems, coupled with the high turn-over rate of military controllers at wri RAPCON, are creating an unsafe situation that needs to be addressed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: OPDEV OCCURRED WHEN A FLT OF 2 C141'S BEING WORKED BY WRI ENTERED ACY AIRSPACE WITHOUT BEING HANDED OFF. RPTR HAD TO USE EVASIVE ACTION WITH AN IFR PA28 TO AVOID THE C141'S. RPTR ALLEGES SIMILAR PROBS WITH WRI HAVE OCCURRED BEFORE.

Narrative: A FLT OF 2H/C141, WAS ON AN IFR SKE MISSION THAT RTED THE FLT TO/THROUGH ACY TRACON AND WRI RAPCON AIRSPACE NUMEROUS TIMES OVER THE SAME RTE. AFTER 1 COMPLETE SKE CIRCUIT, AUTOMATED HDOFS NO LONGER WORK. AS A RESULT, MANUAL HDOFS ARE REQUIRED FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT. MIL Y HAD COMPLETED 1 FULL SKE CIRCUIT. AT APPROX XX30Z, I OBSERVED 2 TARGETS INSIDE ACY AIRSPACE INDICATING 3000 FT TRACKING SBOUND. AT THE TIME, I WAS WORKING AN IFR PA28 AT 3000 FT NBOUND AND HAD TO ISSUE AN IMMEDIATE TURN AND DSCNT CLRNC TO AVOID THE TFC. THE UNIDENTED TARGET WAS THE MIL Y FLT THAT WRI RAPCON FORGOT TO HDOF. THIS OPDEV IS JUST 1 INDICATION OF GROWING PROBS THAT EXIST BTWN WRI RAPCON AND ACY TRACON. THERE ARE FREQUENT AUTOMATION PROBS BTWN THE 2 FACILITIES APPARENTLY DUE TO THE 2 HOST COMPUTERS NOT TALKING TO EACH OTHER (ZDC AND ZNY). IN ADDITION TO THE HOST COMPUTER PROBS, WRI'S ASR RADAR IS UNRELIABLE WHICH CAUSES THE FACILITY TO UTILIZE NON RADAR PROCS MORE FREQUENTLY THAN NORMAL. THIS CREATES AN ADDED BURDEN TO THE SYS AND CONTRIBUTES TO DELAYS FOR ACFT UTILIZING TWR ENRTE CTL UP AND DOWN THE EAST COAST, INCLUDING THE LARGE NUMBER OF MIL ACFT BASED AT WRI AFB. PERHAPS THE MOST PERPLEXING PROB THAT EXISTS BTWN THE 2 FACILITIES, IS WRI'S USAGE OF THE FDIO COMPUTER, OR LACK THEREOF. HERE IS AN EXAMPLE OF A REPEAT PROB THAT CONTINUES TO OCCUR. WRI RAPCON OWNS 8000 FT AND BELOW. ACY TRACON OWNS 7000 FT AND BELOW. AN IFR ACFT IN WRI AIRSPACE SWBOUND AT 8000 FT WILL FLASH TO ZDC ON AN AUTOMATED HDOF. WRI RAPCON DSNDS THE ACFT TO 6000 FT WITHOUT MAKING AN AMENDMENT IN THE FDIO, AND ATTEMPTS AN AUTOMATED HDOF. THE HDOF GOES TO ADC BECAUSE THE ACFT IS STILL IN THE SYS AT 8000 FT. ZDC ACCEPTS THE HDOF. WRI OBSERVES THE HDOF BEING ACCEPTED AND INCORRECTLY ASSUMES THAT ACY TRACON TOOK THE HDOF. WRI XFERS COMS OF THE ACFT TO ACY APCH. ACY APCH HAS NOT TAKEN THE HDOF AND HAS ZERO INFO ON THE IFR ACFT WHICH IS NOW IN OUR AIRSPACE OR ABOUT TO ENTER IT. THIS HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO THE ATTN OF WRI RAPCON ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS, HOWEVER, THE PROB PERSITS. THESE PROBS, COUPLED WITH THE HIGH TURN-OVER RATE OF MIL CTLRS AT WRI RAPCON, ARE CREATING AN UNSAFE SIT THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED.

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.