Narrative:

All IFR flts departing the bahamas and entering the NAS receive their clearance from united states ATC, relayed through bahamian ATC. Nassau clearance delivery called via landline communications at the sector looking for a clearance for air carrier X, mynn to mygf. There was no flight plan in the system for that particular call sign. This particular scheduled air carrier flies many flts in the NAS each day (many of them are 'canned'). At least half of them are never activated. Many more drop out of the system once their 'P time' has expired. Various bahamian ATC facilities request several clrncs each day for flts that are not in the system. Normally, a flight from mynn to mygf is very routine. When asked for a flight plan that is not in the NAS, I can usually enter one into the system (there is a single preferred route) and issue the clearance to nassau clearance without missing a step. But due to excessive air traffic and WX in the sector, the radar controller and I were both too busy to do that this time. I told nassau clearance that the pilot or company would have to refile. 5 mins later, nassau clearance called again looking for a clearance for air carrier X. There was still no flight plan in the system, and the sector was still too busy to enter it myself. 5 mins after that, nassau approach called with a manual handoff on air carrier X (all handoffs between the united states and the bahamas are manual). I told the approach controller that I had no flight plan on such a flight. He said, 'disregard, he is only going 30 DME and then returning.' 30 DME from zqa VOR at or below 12000 ft is within bahamian airspace (nassau tma), so I did not take the handoff. In another 5 mins, air carrier X checked on the sector frequency level at 12000 ft (the top of nassau tma), en route to mygf. Since I had entered no 'departure message' on this flight into the system, there was no data block on the radar display. The radar controller assumed I had forgotten to do this when taking a handoff from nassau, and told me to do it now. I told him there was no flight plan in the system and we weren't supposed to be working that aircraft. I contacted nassau approach to determine what was going on (which cut out the sector frequency from my headset). The approach controller apologized for sending air carrier X to my frequency and asked me to send him back to his frequency. I disconnected the landline circuit to nassau approach to relay that information to the radar controller, but in the meantime, he had told air carrier X that there was no flight plan in the system for him and advised him that VFR advisories could be provided to his destination. Air carrier X accepted this and climbed to 12500 ft for VFR flight following to mygf. I then contacted nassau approach to inform them of our actions. The air carrier pilot was clearly under the impression that he was on an IFR flight when sent to our frequency. I suspect nassau gave the pilot an IFR clearance with a clearance limit of 30 DME, and then attempted to hand him off instead of terminate radar service with him. Both the radar controller and I were too busy to query nassau about what they had done. The aircraft proceeded to mygf VFR without incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZMA ASSOCIATE HDOF CTLR ATTEMPTS TO CLARIFY MYNN IFR DEP THAT IS NOT IN THE ZMA FLT DATA SYS AS MYNA APCH CTLR INADVERTENTLY COM XFERS A DHC8 WITHOUT TELLING THE PLT NO IFR CLRNC HAS BEEN COORD TO DEST. ZMA RADAR CTLR OFFERS, AND PLT ACCEPTS, VFR ADVISORIES. DUE TO TFC VOLUME, PROB UNRESOLVED.

Narrative: ALL IFR FLTS DEPARTING THE BAHAMAS AND ENTERING THE NAS RECEIVE THEIR CLRNC FROM UNITED STATES ATC, RELAYED THROUGH BAHAMIAN ATC. NASSAU CLRNC DELIVERY CALLED VIA LANDLINE COMS AT THE SECTOR LOOKING FOR A CLRNC FOR ACR X, MYNN TO MYGF. THERE WAS NO FLT PLAN IN THE SYS FOR THAT PARTICULAR CALL SIGN. THIS PARTICULAR SCHEDULED ACR FLIES MANY FLTS IN THE NAS EACH DAY (MANY OF THEM ARE 'CANNED'). AT LEAST HALF OF THEM ARE NEVER ACTIVATED. MANY MORE DROP OUT OF THE SYS ONCE THEIR 'P TIME' HAS EXPIRED. VARIOUS BAHAMIAN ATC FACILITIES REQUEST SEVERAL CLRNCS EACH DAY FOR FLTS THAT ARE NOT IN THE SYS. NORMALLY, A FLT FROM MYNN TO MYGF IS VERY ROUTINE. WHEN ASKED FOR A FLT PLAN THAT IS NOT IN THE NAS, I CAN USUALLY ENTER ONE INTO THE SYS (THERE IS A SINGLE PREFERRED RTE) AND ISSUE THE CLRNC TO NASSAU CLRNC WITHOUT MISSING A STEP. BUT DUE TO EXCESSIVE AIR TFC AND WX IN THE SECTOR, THE RADAR CTLR AND I WERE BOTH TOO BUSY TO DO THAT THIS TIME. I TOLD NASSAU CLRNC THAT THE PLT OR COMPANY WOULD HAVE TO REFILE. 5 MINS LATER, NASSAU CLRNC CALLED AGAIN LOOKING FOR A CLRNC FOR ACR X. THERE WAS STILL NO FLT PLAN IN THE SYS, AND THE SECTOR WAS STILL TOO BUSY TO ENTER IT MYSELF. 5 MINS AFTER THAT, NASSAU APCH CALLED WITH A MANUAL HDOF ON ACR X (ALL HDOFS BTWN THE UNITED STATES AND THE BAHAMAS ARE MANUAL). I TOLD THE APCH CTLR THAT I HAD NO FLT PLAN ON SUCH A FLT. HE SAID, 'DISREGARD, HE IS ONLY GOING 30 DME AND THEN RETURNING.' 30 DME FROM ZQA VOR AT OR BELOW 12000 FT IS WITHIN BAHAMIAN AIRSPACE (NASSAU TMA), SO I DID NOT TAKE THE HDOF. IN ANOTHER 5 MINS, ACR X CHKED ON THE SECTOR FREQ LEVEL AT 12000 FT (THE TOP OF NASSAU TMA), ENRTE TO MYGF. SINCE I HAD ENTERED NO 'DEP MESSAGE' ON THIS FLT INTO THE SYS, THERE WAS NO DATA BLOCK ON THE RADAR DISPLAY. THE RADAR CTLR ASSUMED I HAD FORGOTTEN TO DO THIS WHEN TAKING A HDOF FROM NASSAU, AND TOLD ME TO DO IT NOW. I TOLD HIM THERE WAS NO FLT PLAN IN THE SYS AND WE WEREN'T SUPPOSED TO BE WORKING THAT ACFT. I CONTACTED NASSAU APCH TO DETERMINE WHAT WAS GOING ON (WHICH CUT OUT THE SECTOR FREQ FROM MY HEADSET). THE APCH CTLR APOLOGIZED FOR SENDING ACR X TO MY FREQ AND ASKED ME TO SEND HIM BACK TO HIS FREQ. I DISCONNECTED THE LANDLINE CIRCUIT TO NASSAU APCH TO RELAY THAT INFO TO THE RADAR CTLR, BUT IN THE MEANTIME, HE HAD TOLD ACR X THAT THERE WAS NO FLT PLAN IN THE SYS FOR HIM AND ADVISED HIM THAT VFR ADVISORIES COULD BE PROVIDED TO HIS DEST. ACR X ACCEPTED THIS AND CLBED TO 12500 FT FOR VFR FLT FOLLOWING TO MYGF. I THEN CONTACTED NASSAU APCH TO INFORM THEM OF OUR ACTIONS. THE ACR PLT WAS CLRLY UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT HE WAS ON AN IFR FLT WHEN SENT TO OUR FREQ. I SUSPECT NASSAU GAVE THE PLT AN IFR CLRNC WITH A CLRNC LIMIT OF 30 DME, AND THEN ATTEMPTED TO HAND HIM OFF INSTEAD OF TERMINATE RADAR SVC WITH HIM. BOTH THE RADAR CTLR AND I WERE TOO BUSY TO QUERY NASSAU ABOUT WHAT THEY HAD DONE. THE ACFT PROCEEDED TO MYGF VFR WITHOUT INCIDENT.

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.