Narrative:

Local SOP's dictate that all radar-idented and RNAV-equipped aircraft entering the sector from the southeast and landing at an airport svced by the dekal 1 arrival shall be cleared 'direct oysta, direct dekal, fpr' without a computer update. A C550/right entered sector flying direct oysta, direct dekal, fpr. Flight progress strip indicated aircraft departed mdhe and landing fll. Radar controller cleared aircraft 'direct fll VOR, descend and maintain FL240.' pilot replied that he was landing opf (a direct fll clearance would turn the aircraft away from this airport). Radar controller told pilot his flight progress strip indicated fll as his destination, and asked him to confirm it. Pilot said he changed destination with santo domingo controllers an hour before departure. Radar controller reclred aircraft direct dekal, DEKAL1 arrival, descend and maintain FL240, contact ZMA on another frequency. I updated the flight progress strip in the computer accordingly, and the radar controller verbally coordinated change with receiving controller. All flts into the NAS from non integrated foreign countries must be manually coordinated. Normally, a 'proposed flight' is entered into the NAS, and prints at the appropriate sector. As early as possible, the foreign facility manually passes the necessary information via landline communications at the sector. For proposal flts in the system, this includes only coordination fix time, altitude, and beacon code. It is only necessary to pass all flight plan information if no proposal flight has been entered into the system. I asked the controller that received the information from santo domingo if they had a proposal flight, and they answered in the affirmative. When receiving this information, we had no need to confirm the destination airport. When cleared 'direct oysta, direct dekal, fpr,' the pilot had no need to question it as this route put him towards his true destination (fll and opf are only 12 mi apart). The first indication of an information mismatch between the pilot and ATC was when the pilot was cleared 'direct fll VOR' close in to the airport. Santo domingo ATC either failed to or suffered a breakdown in communicating the change of destination to the NAS. This change was minor and caused no separation error or other problems. A greater change could have far worse implications.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZMA HDOF CTLR INITIATES A FOLLOW-UP COORD WITH ANOTHER ZMA SECTOR TO VALIDATE COORD BREAKDOWN FROM MDSD ARTCC ON FAILURE TO AMEND A CHANGE OF ARPT DEST PRIOR TO XFER OF ACFT JURISDICTION TO ZMA.

Narrative: LCL SOP'S DICTATE THAT ALL RADAR-IDENTED AND RNAV-EQUIPPED ACFT ENTERING THE SECTOR FROM THE SE AND LNDG AT AN ARPT SVCED BY THE DEKAL 1 ARR SHALL BE CLRED 'DIRECT OYSTA, DIRECT DEKAL, FPR' WITHOUT A COMPUTER UPDATE. A C550/R ENTERED SECTOR FLYING DIRECT OYSTA, DIRECT DEKAL, FPR. FLT PROGRESS STRIP INDICATED ACFT DEPARTED MDHE AND LNDG FLL. RADAR CTLR CLRED ACFT 'DIRECT FLL VOR, DSND AND MAINTAIN FL240.' PLT REPLIED THAT HE WAS LNDG OPF (A DIRECT FLL CLRNC WOULD TURN THE ACFT AWAY FROM THIS ARPT). RADAR CTLR TOLD PLT HIS FLT PROGRESS STRIP INDICATED FLL AS HIS DEST, AND ASKED HIM TO CONFIRM IT. PLT SAID HE CHANGED DEST WITH SANTO DOMINGO CTLRS AN HR BEFORE DEP. RADAR CTLR RECLRED ACFT DIRECT DEKAL, DEKAL1 ARR, DSND AND MAINTAIN FL240, CONTACT ZMA ON ANOTHER FREQ. I UPDATED THE FLT PROGRESS STRIP IN THE COMPUTER ACCORDINGLY, AND THE RADAR CTLR VERBALLY COORDINATED CHANGE WITH RECEIVING CTLR. ALL FLTS INTO THE NAS FROM NON INTEGRATED FOREIGN COUNTRIES MUST BE MANUALLY COORDINATED. NORMALLY, A 'PROPOSED FLT' IS ENTERED INTO THE NAS, AND PRINTS AT THE APPROPRIATE SECTOR. AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE, THE FOREIGN FACILITY MANUALLY PASSES THE NECESSARY INFO VIA LANDLINE COMS AT THE SECTOR. FOR PROPOSAL FLTS IN THE SYS, THIS INCLUDES ONLY COORD FIX TIME, ALT, AND BEACON CODE. IT IS ONLY NECESSARY TO PASS ALL FLT PLAN INFO IF NO PROPOSAL FLT HAS BEEN ENTERED INTO THE SYS. I ASKED THE CTLR THAT RECEIVED THE INFO FROM SANTO DOMINGO IF THEY HAD A PROPOSAL FLT, AND THEY ANSWERED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE. WHEN RECEIVING THIS INFO, WE HAD NO NEED TO CONFIRM THE DEST ARPT. WHEN CLRED 'DIRECT OYSTA, DIRECT DEKAL, FPR,' THE PLT HAD NO NEED TO QUESTION IT AS THIS RTE PUT HIM TOWARDS HIS TRUE DEST (FLL AND OPF ARE ONLY 12 MI APART). THE FIRST INDICATION OF AN INFO MISMATCH BTWN THE PLT AND ATC WAS WHEN THE PLT WAS CLRED 'DIRECT FLL VOR' CLOSE IN TO THE ARPT. SANTO DOMINGO ATC EITHER FAILED TO OR SUFFERED A BREAKDOWN IN COMMUNICATING THE CHANGE OF DEST TO THE NAS. THIS CHANGE WAS MINOR AND CAUSED NO SEPARATION ERROR OR OTHER PROBS. A GREATER CHANGE COULD HAVE FAR WORSE IMPLICATIONS.

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.