Narrative:

I observed a primary target 6 mi northeast of pns airport. The target was proceeding southwest toward the airport. I inquired to TRACON if they were controling the target -- they were not. The aircraft proceeded overhead the airport, entered the downwind, and landed on runway 17. Pns has class C airspace. The pilot informed air traffic that he was on an IFR flight plan. After full routing the flight plan, it was discovered the aircraft's destination was panama city, fl, and the aircraft was not equipped with a transponder, in the remarks section 'NORDO' was printed. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the pilot had filed an IFR flight plan to pns at FSS. The FSS input pfn instead of pns. Unknown as to what facility initially worked the aircraft or at what point in the route of flight the aircraft became NORDO or what facility lost tracking of the aircraft. The reporter stated the TRACON supervisor talked with the pilot but reporter is unaware of all the information that was obtained.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTED SIT OF A PVT C172 ON AN IFR FLT PLAN LANDED PNS AFTER ENTERING THE CLASS C AIRSPACE NORDO. RPTR HAD SIGHTED THE PRIMARY TARGET ON THE RADAR AND LEARNED THAT APCH WAS NOT WORKING IT. RPTR LEARNED THE ACFT HAD BEEN ON AN IFR FLT PLAN TO PFN AND WAS NOT EQUIPPED WITH A XPONDER. NO RPT OF LOSS OF SEPARATION. OPDEV.

Narrative: I OBSERVED A PRIMARY TARGET 6 MI NE OF PNS ARPT. THE TARGET WAS PROCEEDING SW TOWARD THE ARPT. I INQUIRED TO TRACON IF THEY WERE CTLING THE TARGET -- THEY WERE NOT. THE ACFT PROCEEDED OVERHEAD THE ARPT, ENTERED THE DOWNWIND, AND LANDED ON RWY 17. PNS HAS CLASS C AIRSPACE. THE PLT INFORMED AIR TFC THAT HE WAS ON AN IFR FLT PLAN. AFTER FULL ROUTING THE FLT PLAN, IT WAS DISCOVERED THE ACFT'S DEST WAS PANAMA CITY, FL, AND THE ACFT WAS NOT EQUIPPED WITH A XPONDER, IN THE REMARKS SECTION 'NORDO' WAS PRINTED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE PLT HAD FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN TO PNS AT FSS. THE FSS INPUT PFN INSTEAD OF PNS. UNKNOWN AS TO WHAT FACILITY INITIALLY WORKED THE ACFT OR AT WHAT POINT IN THE RTE OF FLT THE ACFT BECAME NORDO OR WHAT FACILITY LOST TRACKING OF THE ACFT. THE RPTR STATED THE TRACON SUPVR TALKED WITH THE PLT BUT RPTR IS UNAWARE OF ALL THE INFO THAT WAS OBTAINED.

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.