Operational deviation occurred when an IFR C172 enters bdl airspace without coordination or handoff ...

Attributes
ACN	375402
Time
Date	199707
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : psf
State Reference	MA
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : bdl tracon : alb tracon : cvg
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : direct enroute airway : alb enroute airway : bdl
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller military : 8 controller radar : 17 controller supervisory : 1
ASRS Report	375402
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Deviation

Narrative:

Aircraft #1 was released for departure IFR from psf to bdl. Unfortunately aircraft #1 checked on with me during a period of many VFR aircraft (many with poor radios), IFR inbounds, and satellite operations. I was working both east feeder and final vector combined. Due to outside noise, conducting a relief briefing, and many other distrs (bad radios, manual handoffs from bdl, conscious and subconscious compliance with traffic count procedures, etc), I inadvertently issued the alb alstg to aircraft #1 thinking that he was a similar VFR aircraft checking with me 'leveling' at an altitude (he called 'leaving' an altitude). He also had a bad radio and did not report as 'departing psf.' after hearing the alb alstg, aircraft #1 requested direct center but was unheard by me and not acknowledged. I continued other ATC duties and instruction while conducting a relief briefing. Within mins of aircraft #1 departing psf I was relieved from the position -- any chance of catching the mistake gone. During the relief briefing, I briefed that aircraft #1 was still expected to depart from psf. Aircraft #1 never called again until outside of alb airspace. He was never given 'radar contact,' never checked level at 5000 ft, and never reported any fixes or navaids. His transponder was either inoperative, wrong code, intermittent, or all of the above. Nevertheless, the aircraft transponder and target was never seen by ATC. I expected aircraft #1 to depart psf direct dxt direct stela V130 bdl. He was to be issued a full route clearance but actually was read an 'as filed' clearance from radar data which deleted much of the route. Numerous factors were involved in this situation, from bad radios, to inexperienced pilots (pilot was rated for 5 days). From bad timing on position relief, to equipment failure. Almost any single one of these factors not happening may have prevented aircraft #1 from violating bdl airspace.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: OPDEV OCCURRED WHEN AN IFR C172 ENTERS BDL AIRSPACE WITHOUT COORD OR HDOF BY RPTR. THE C172 WAS NOT RADAR IDENTED BY THE RPTR AND WAS INITIALLY TREATED AS A VFR ACFT.

Narrative: ACFT #1 WAS RELEASED FOR DEP IFR FROM PSF TO BDL. UNFORTUNATELY ACFT #1 CHKED ON WITH ME DURING A PERIOD OF MANY VFR ACFT (MANY WITH POOR RADIOS), IFR INBOUNDS, AND SATELLITE OPS. I WAS WORKING BOTH E FEEDER AND FINAL VECTOR COMBINED. DUE TO OUTSIDE NOISE, CONDUCTING A RELIEF BRIEFING, AND MANY OTHER DISTRS (BAD RADIOS, MANUAL HDOFS FROM BDL, CONSCIOUS AND SUBCONSCIOUS COMPLIANCE WITH TFC COUNT PROCS, ETC), I INADVERTENTLY ISSUED THE ALB ALSTG TO ACFT #1 THINKING THAT HE WAS A SIMILAR VFR ACFT CHKING WITH ME 'LEVELING' AT AN ALT (HE CALLED 'LEAVING' AN ALT). HE ALSO HAD A BAD RADIO AND DID NOT RPT AS 'DEPARTING PSF.' AFTER HEARING THE ALB ALSTG, ACFT #1 REQUESTED DIRECT CTR BUT WAS UNHEARD BY ME AND NOT ACKNOWLEDGED. I CONTINUED OTHER ATC DUTIES AND INSTRUCTION WHILE CONDUCTING A RELIEF BRIEFING. WITHIN MINS OF ACFT #1 DEPARTING PSF I WAS RELIEVED FROM THE POS -- ANY CHANCE OF CATCHING THE MISTAKE GONE. DURING THE RELIEF BRIEFING, I BRIEFED THAT ACFT #1 WAS STILL EXPECTED TO DEPART FROM PSF. ACFT #1 NEVER CALLED AGAIN UNTIL OUTSIDE OF ALB AIRSPACE. HE WAS NEVER GIVEN 'RADAR CONTACT,' NEVER CHKED LEVEL AT 5000 FT, AND NEVER RPTED ANY FIXES OR NAVAIDS. HIS XPONDER WAS EITHER INOP, WRONG CODE, INTERMITTENT, OR ALL OF THE ABOVE. NEVERTHELESS, THE ACFT XPONDER AND TARGET WAS NEVER SEEN BY ATC. I EXPECTED ACFT #1 TO DEPART PSF DIRECT DXT DIRECT STELA V130 BDL. HE WAS TO BE ISSUED A FULL RTE CLRNC BUT ACTUALLY WAS READ AN 'AS FILED' CLRNC FROM RADAR DATA WHICH DELETED MUCH OF THE RTE. NUMEROUS FACTORS WERE INVOLVED IN THIS SIT, FROM BAD RADIOS, TO INEXPERIENCED PLTS (PLT WAS RATED FOR 5 DAYS). FROM BAD TIMING ON POS RELIEF, TO EQUIP FAILURE. ALMOST ANY SINGLE ONE OF THESE FACTORS NOT HAPPENING MAY HAVE PREVENTED ACFT #1 FROM VIOLATING BDL 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.

Operational deviation occurred when an IFR C172 enters bdl airspace without coordination or handoff by reporter. The C172 was not radar idented by the reporter and was initially treated as a VFR aircraft.