Narrative:

Aircraft at FL390 was in crosstell, as I assumed control of the sector, to an adjacent sector/center. Time was approximately XA00. There was much discussion and activity in the area, as it was a change in shift time. People were milling about and it was rather loud and distracting. At the time, my sector was busy with many aircraft needing climb or descent clrncs. I became quite involved in getting aircraft on the 'right' side of each other. When there was a bit of a lull, I noticed that the aircraft that was in crosstell was getting close to the edge of my airspace and the handoff had not yet been accepted. I then noticed that the aircraft was flashing to a sector that had subsequently closed. I immediately called the sector that should have been receiving the handoff, and in the meantime tried to flash the aircraft at the appropriate sector. The handoff was failing, but I was then talking to the accepting controller who called 'radar contact' on the aircraft. I was then able to also automatic-handoff the aircraft. In the process of all of this, I am not certain that the aircraft was in the prescribed distance within my airspace for a handoff. A contributing factor was the noise and activity during a disruptive shift change. In the future, I will be more diligent not to have the noise and commotion be a deterrent to vigilance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A ZAU ARTCC CTLR BECOMES DISTR AND HANDS AN ACFT OFF TO ZMP ARTCC LATE.

Narrative: ACFT AT FL390 WAS IN CROSSTELL, AS I ASSUMED CTL OF THE SECTOR, TO AN ADJACENT SECTOR/CTR. TIME WAS APPROX XA00. THERE WAS MUCH DISCUSSION AND ACTIVITY IN THE AREA, AS IT WAS A CHANGE IN SHIFT TIME. PEOPLE WERE MILLING ABOUT AND IT WAS RATHER LOUD AND DISTRACTING. AT THE TIME, MY SECTOR WAS BUSY WITH MANY ACFT NEEDING CLB OR DSCNT CLRNCS. I BECAME QUITE INVOLVED IN GETTING ACFT ON THE 'RIGHT' SIDE OF EACH OTHER. WHEN THERE WAS A BIT OF A LULL, I NOTICED THAT THE ACFT THAT WAS IN CROSSTELL WAS GETTING CLOSE TO THE EDGE OF MY AIRSPACE AND THE HDOF HAD NOT YET BEEN ACCEPTED. I THEN NOTICED THAT THE ACFT WAS FLASHING TO A SECTOR THAT HAD SUBSEQUENTLY CLOSED. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED THE SECTOR THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECEIVING THE HDOF, AND IN THE MEANTIME TRIED TO FLASH THE ACFT AT THE APPROPRIATE SECTOR. THE HDOF WAS FAILING, BUT I WAS THEN TALKING TO THE ACCEPTING CTLR WHO CALLED 'RADAR CONTACT' ON THE ACFT. I WAS THEN ABLE TO ALSO AUTO-HDOF THE ACFT. IN THE PROCESS OF ALL OF THIS, I AM NOT CERTAIN THAT THE ACFT WAS IN THE PRESCRIBED DISTANCE WITHIN MY AIRSPACE FOR A HDOF. A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS THE NOISE AND ACTIVITY DURING A DISRUPTIVE SHIFT CHANGE. IN THE FUTURE, I WILL BE MORE DILIGENT NOT TO HAVE THE NOISE AND COMMOTION BE A DETERRENT TO VIGILANCE.

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.