Narrative:

This event was classified as an operational deviation by FAA management. I was working a combined radar sector with light traffic. I had a military aircraft sbound on a standard route. While the aircraft was about 15 mi from the receiving sector's airspace in an automated handoff status; the receiving controller yelled over he was not taking the handoff unless I asked the aircraft his destination. He must have thought the flight plan was incomplete. He also had very light traffic. I looked at the flight plan and confirmed that it was complete. Aircraft X's flight plan terminated at a radial/fix point. This was an entry point into a vr route. This is common for a military flight plan. The receiving controller must have been confused by this. It is interesting that no previous controllers were concerned with this information. In addition; it was very clearly explained in the remarks section of the flight plan exactly what aircraft X was going to do at the radial/fix (cancel IFR and enter vr route). After confirming the flight plan was complete; I explained it to the receiving sector. The radar associate at the receiving sector and I had a discussion about the information. He agreed that aircraft X's flight plan was ok and complete. The aircraft was still in my airspace and in automatic handoff status to the receiving controller. I asked them again to take the handoff. The radar associate put his hand up in a gesture of frustration. He indicated that he couldn't take the handoff because the radar controller did not want to. I asked several times for them to please take the handoff. They had no conflicts for this airplane. I did not want to spin (hold) an aircraft for no reason. They never indicated for me to hold the aircraft. I assumed the receiving controller was being stubborn and just giving me a hard time. I have worked with him for many yrs and know his personality. I thought he would take the handoff. The supervisor was then in the aisle behind us. I asked him what he wanted me to do. He just replied 'hold on.' aircraft X had then entered the receiving controller's airspace. I was getting busy with other airplanes and asked for help. I didn't get any help. At that point; aircraft X was 10 mi in the next sector; still in handoff status. The receiving controller would not accept it. To keep the situation safe; I had to turn the aircraft back towards my airspace. The supervisor relieved the other controller with a replacement. The new controller took the handoff and aircraft X was turned on course. This incident could have been prevented if the receiving controller was not so stubborn. He has had a similar attitude for yrs; but it has never been corrected by FAA management.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZBW CTLR EXPERIENCED OPDEV WHEN RECEIVING CTLR REFUSED HDOF ON AN ACFT WITH A PERCEIVED INCOMPLETE DATA BLOCK.

Narrative: THIS EVENT WAS CLASSIFIED AS AN OPDEV BY FAA MGMNT. I WAS WORKING A COMBINED RADAR SECTOR WITH LIGHT TFC. I HAD A MIL ACFT SBOUND ON A STANDARD RTE. WHILE THE ACFT WAS ABOUT 15 MI FROM THE RECEIVING SECTOR'S AIRSPACE IN AN AUTOMATED HDOF STATUS; THE RECEIVING CTLR YELLED OVER HE WAS NOT TAKING THE HDOF UNLESS I ASKED THE ACFT HIS DEST. HE MUST HAVE THOUGHT THE FLT PLAN WAS INCOMPLETE. HE ALSO HAD VERY LIGHT TFC. I LOOKED AT THE FLT PLAN AND CONFIRMED THAT IT WAS COMPLETE. ACFT X'S FLT PLAN TERMINATED AT A RADIAL/FIX POINT. THIS WAS AN ENTRY POINT INTO A VR RTE. THIS IS COMMON FOR A MIL FLT PLAN. THE RECEIVING CTLR MUST HAVE BEEN CONFUSED BY THIS. IT IS INTERESTING THAT NO PREVIOUS CTLRS WERE CONCERNED WITH THIS INFO. IN ADDITION; IT WAS VERY CLRLY EXPLAINED IN THE REMARKS SECTION OF THE FLT PLAN EXACTLY WHAT ACFT X WAS GOING TO DO AT THE RADIAL/FIX (CANCEL IFR AND ENTER VR RTE). AFTER CONFIRMING THE FLT PLAN WAS COMPLETE; I EXPLAINED IT TO THE RECEIVING SECTOR. THE RADAR ASSOCIATE AT THE RECEIVING SECTOR AND I HAD A DISCUSSION ABOUT THE INFO. HE AGREED THAT ACFT X'S FLT PLAN WAS OK AND COMPLETE. THE ACFT WAS STILL IN MY AIRSPACE AND IN AUTO HDOF STATUS TO THE RECEIVING CTLR. I ASKED THEM AGAIN TO TAKE THE HDOF. THE RADAR ASSOCIATE PUT HIS HAND UP IN A GESTURE OF FRUSTRATION. HE INDICATED THAT HE COULDN'T TAKE THE HDOF BECAUSE THE RADAR CTLR DID NOT WANT TO. I ASKED SEVERAL TIMES FOR THEM TO PLEASE TAKE THE HDOF. THEY HAD NO CONFLICTS FOR THIS AIRPLANE. I DID NOT WANT TO SPIN (HOLD) AN ACFT FOR NO REASON. THEY NEVER INDICATED FOR ME TO HOLD THE ACFT. I ASSUMED THE RECEIVING CTLR WAS BEING STUBBORN AND JUST GIVING ME A HARD TIME. I HAVE WORKED WITH HIM FOR MANY YRS AND KNOW HIS PERSONALITY. I THOUGHT HE WOULD TAKE THE HDOF. THE SUPVR WAS THEN IN THE AISLE BEHIND US. I ASKED HIM WHAT HE WANTED ME TO DO. HE JUST REPLIED 'HOLD ON.' ACFT X HAD THEN ENTERED THE RECEIVING CTLR'S AIRSPACE. I WAS GETTING BUSY WITH OTHER AIRPLANES AND ASKED FOR HELP. I DIDN'T GET ANY HELP. AT THAT POINT; ACFT X WAS 10 MI IN THE NEXT SECTOR; STILL IN HDOF STATUS. THE RECEIVING CTLR WOULD NOT ACCEPT IT. TO KEEP THE SIT SAFE; I HAD TO TURN THE ACFT BACK TOWARDS MY AIRSPACE. THE SUPVR RELIEVED THE OTHER CTLR WITH A REPLACEMENT. THE NEW CTLR TOOK THE HDOF AND ACFT X WAS TURNED ON COURSE. THIS INCIDENT COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED IF THE RECEIVING CTLR WAS NOT SO STUBBORN. HE HAS HAD A SIMILAR ATTITUDE FOR YRS; BUT IT HAS NEVER BEEN CORRECTED BY FAA MGMNT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.