Narrative:

Automation continually flashes (hands off) aircraft to the wrong atl approach (A80) sectors. They know of the problem but are not fixing it until october. The safety aspect of airspace deviation has increased potential due to this glitch. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: controller states that the handoff problems are associated with the new A80 confign realignment which assimilated macon and columbus approach controls. Aircraft entering into the A80 airspace at 10000 ft and below are involved. ZTL controllers have been advised that the problem will be resolved in early october, at the next FAA national 56 day cycle automation update. Presently, aircraft frequently are automatically handed off to the second A80 internal sector and not the next adjoining ZTL sector. The controller advised that he would normally hand off his inbound to A80 sector A4LD, but the automation would handoff to A1F instead. Closely at the xferred data block nomenclature to see which sector accepted the handoff -- if they accepted the handoff -- to ensure you were xferring it to the one intended.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZTL CTLR CONCERNED ABOUT INCORRECT AUTOMATED HDOF FROM ZTL TO WRONG A80 APCH CTL SECTOR.

Narrative: AUTOMATION CONTINUALLY FLASHES (HANDS OFF) ACFT TO THE WRONG ATL APCH (A80) SECTORS. THEY KNOW OF THE PROB BUT ARE NOT FIXING IT UNTIL OCTOBER. THE SAFETY ASPECT OF AIRSPACE DEV HAS INCREASED POTENTIAL DUE TO THIS GLITCH. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: CTLR STATES THAT THE HDOF PROBS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THE NEW A80 CONFIGN REALIGNMENT WHICH ASSIMILATED MACON AND COLUMBUS APCH CTLS. ACFT ENTERING INTO THE A80 AIRSPACE AT 10000 FT AND BELOW ARE INVOLVED. ZTL CTLRS HAVE BEEN ADVISED THAT THE PROB WILL BE RESOLVED IN EARLY OCTOBER, AT THE NEXT FAA NATIONAL 56 DAY CYCLE AUTOMATION UPDATE. PRESENTLY, ACFT FREQUENTLY ARE AUTOMATICALLY HANDED OFF TO THE SECOND A80 INTERNAL SECTOR AND NOT THE NEXT ADJOINING ZTL SECTOR. THE CTLR ADVISED THAT HE WOULD NORMALLY HAND OFF HIS INBOUND TO A80 SECTOR A4LD, BUT THE AUTOMATION WOULD HDOF TO A1F INSTEAD. CLOSELY AT THE XFERRED DATA BLOCK NOMENCLATURE TO SEE WHICH SECTOR ACCEPTED THE HDOF -- IF THEY ACCEPTED THE HDOF -- TO ENSURE YOU WERE XFERRING IT TO THE ONE INTENDED.

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.