Narrative:

I was working at nmm ratcf in the supervisor 1 position (everything combined) and had a BE40 making practice approachs at mei. After his last approach, he was going on down to gpt. I cleared him to gpt and climbed him to 12000 ft. I changed his beacon code for the new flight plan and he never tagged up (data block). I didn't realize that the aircraft didn't come up on his new data block and he entered the adjacent sector's airspace without a handoff. This is not an uncommon problem at this facility. We probably have 30-40 aircraft a day that come in, do approachs, then depart on a new flight plan. There's several things that can cause the data tag not to tag up. The old flight plan must be removed, the old data tag must be dropped, the aircraft must be within a certain distance of the departure point. The only thing I can think of that might help to alleviate this problem is to have the system set up so that any aircraft on a discrete beacon and within your altitude structure and without an associated data tag, will automatically flash to draw attention to itself.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMM MIL CTLR FORGETS TO INITIATE AUTOMATION CORRECTIONS TO CHANGED BE40 DATA BLOCK AND ACFT ENTERS GPT APCH CTL AIRSPACE WITHOUT A HDOF.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING AT NMM RATCF IN THE SUPVR 1 POS (EVERYTHING COMBINED) AND HAD A BE40 MAKING PRACTICE APCHS AT MEI. AFTER HIS LAST APCH, HE WAS GOING ON DOWN TO GPT. I CLRED HIM TO GPT AND CLBED HIM TO 12000 FT. I CHANGED HIS BEACON CODE FOR THE NEW FLT PLAN AND HE NEVER TAGGED UP (DATA BLOCK). I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT THE ACFT DIDN'T COME UP ON HIS NEW DATA BLOCK AND HE ENTERED THE ADJACENT SECTOR'S AIRSPACE WITHOUT A HDOF. THIS IS NOT AN UNCOMMON PROB AT THIS FACILITY. WE PROBABLY HAVE 30-40 ACFT A DAY THAT COME IN, DO APCHS, THEN DEPART ON A NEW FLT PLAN. THERE'S SEVERAL THINGS THAT CAN CAUSE THE DATA TAG NOT TO TAG UP. THE OLD FLT PLAN MUST BE REMOVED, THE OLD DATA TAG MUST BE DROPPED, THE ACFT MUST BE WITHIN A CERTAIN DISTANCE OF THE DEP POINT. THE ONLY THING I CAN THINK OF THAT MIGHT HELP TO ALLEVIATE THIS PROB IS TO HAVE THE SYS SET UP SO THAT ANY ACFT ON A DISCRETE BEACON AND WITHIN YOUR ALT STRUCTURE AND WITHOUT AN ASSOCIATED DATA TAG, WILL AUTOMATICALLY FLASH TO DRAW ATTN TO ITSELF.

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.