Narrative:

Aircraft #1 departed sjc on runway 12, southland 8 departure. Aircraft #1 climbed out normally, but ZOA did not take the handoff. Manual handoff was initiated as the aircraft was climbing through 13000 ft, entering ZOA airspace. When ZOA was called with the handoff, the controller indicated he had been trying to call us to stop the aircraft at an interim altitude. He accepted the handoff, and we issued the altitude and frequency change. Aircraft #1 did not respond, even after numerous xmissions. We notified ZOA of this. Aircraft #1 subsequently reported level at FL230 on my frequency. We again told aircraft #1 to call ZOA. He acknowledged. We should have initiated verbal handoff sooner, and stopped the climb if no response from ZOA. We did not hear ZOA calling us. ZOA could have taken the handoff, then stopped the aircraft at an appropriate altitude. The altitude ZOA wanted us to issue was in ZOA airspace. The crew of aircraft #1 was apparently preoccupied with other duties and did not hear the calls made to him. Supplemental information from acn 423216: on pushback at sjc departure runway was changed from runway 30L to runway 12R and departure SID was changed from loupe to moony one FL230. Took off and flew moony one as published, approaching our altitude clearance to FL230 established inbound to pxn on the 288 degree radial I realized we were still on sjc tower (124.0) frequency. I switched to bay departure 120.1 frequency and checked in. Bay departure switched us to ZOA. I do not believe sjc tower had previously directed us to switch to bay departure. My recollection of the communication on the tower during the initial portion of our climb was that it sounded like departure communication. This may have contributed to our failure to realize we were still on tower frequency when we expected to be switched to departure. The fact that we were still on tower frequency was realized as we approached our altitude clearance and wanted to continue the climb. We did not experience any TA's. I believe this communication problem could have been prevented in any of 3 ways: 1) tower directs switch to departure. 2) air crew catch any omission of directed switch and take action. 3) if departure does not have communication with an aircraft on departure they should go back to tower to sort out the problem.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TRACON CTLR ALLOWS B737 TO DEP FROM BAY TRACON DELEGATED AIRSPACE INTO ZOA AIRSPACE WITHOUT COMPLETING A RADAR HDOF. TRACON UNABLE TO CONTACT NORAC ACFT SINCE FLT WAS STILL ON TWR FREQ.

Narrative: ACFT #1 DEPARTED SJC ON RWY 12, SOUTHLAND 8 DEP. ACFT #1 CLBED OUT NORMALLY, BUT ZOA DID NOT TAKE THE HDOF. MANUAL HDOF WAS INITIATED AS THE ACFT WAS CLBING THROUGH 13000 FT, ENTERING ZOA AIRSPACE. WHEN ZOA WAS CALLED WITH THE HDOF, THE CTLR INDICATED HE HAD BEEN TRYING TO CALL US TO STOP THE ACFT AT AN INTERIM ALT. HE ACCEPTED THE HDOF, AND WE ISSUED THE ALT AND FREQ CHANGE. ACFT #1 DID NOT RESPOND, EVEN AFTER NUMEROUS XMISSIONS. WE NOTIFIED ZOA OF THIS. ACFT #1 SUBSEQUENTLY RPTED LEVEL AT FL230 ON MY FREQ. WE AGAIN TOLD ACFT #1 TO CALL ZOA. HE ACKNOWLEDGED. WE SHOULD HAVE INITIATED VERBAL HDOF SOONER, AND STOPPED THE CLB IF NO RESPONSE FROM ZOA. WE DID NOT HEAR ZOA CALLING US. ZOA COULD HAVE TAKEN THE HDOF, THEN STOPPED THE ACFT AT AN APPROPRIATE ALT. THE ALT ZOA WANTED US TO ISSUE WAS IN ZOA AIRSPACE. THE CREW OF ACFT #1 WAS APPARENTLY PREOCCUPIED WITH OTHER DUTIES AND DID NOT HEAR THE CALLS MADE TO HIM. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 423216: ON PUSHBACK AT SJC DEP RWY WAS CHANGED FROM RWY 30L TO RWY 12R AND DEP SID WAS CHANGED FROM LOUPE TO MOONY ONE FL230. TOOK OFF AND FLEW MOONY ONE AS PUBLISHED, APCHING OUR ALT CLRNC TO FL230 ESTABLISHED INBOUND TO PXN ON THE 288 DEG RADIAL I REALIZED WE WERE STILL ON SJC TWR (124.0) FREQ. I SWITCHED TO BAY DEP 120.1 FREQ AND CHKED IN. BAY DEP SWITCHED US TO ZOA. I DO NOT BELIEVE SJC TWR HAD PREVIOUSLY DIRECTED US TO SWITCH TO BAY DEP. MY RECOLLECTION OF THE COM ON THE TWR DURING THE INITIAL PORTION OF OUR CLB WAS THAT IT SOUNDED LIKE DEP COM. THIS MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO OUR FAILURE TO REALIZE WE WERE STILL ON TWR FREQ WHEN WE EXPECTED TO BE SWITCHED TO DEP. THE FACT THAT WE WERE STILL ON TWR FREQ WAS REALIZED AS WE APCHED OUR ALT CLRNC AND WANTED TO CONTINUE THE CLB. WE DID NOT EXPERIENCE ANY TA'S. I BELIEVE THIS COM PROB COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED IN ANY OF 3 WAYS: 1) TWR DIRECTS SWITCH TO DEP. 2) AIR CREW CATCH ANY OMISSION OF DIRECTED SWITCH AND TAKE ACTION. 3) IF DEP DOES NOT HAVE COM WITH AN ACFT ON DEP THEY SHOULD GO BACK TO TWR TO SORT OUT THE PROB.

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.