Narrative:

Aircraft X departing atl for cyow. The flight plan timed out of host. A80 called me (ZTL-D38) to coordination routing. They told me they entered dtw descending into host to 'point' the flight plan in host in the right direction. They coordination that they needed 'help' entering the aircraft route of flight. I told them that I would be able to do that. I asked how the aircraft was cleared to cyow (ottawa; canada). They had no idea. I instructed them to ask the aircraft or atl clearance delivery how the aircraft had been cleared. They would not do this. They issued delaying turns to the aircraft to keep it in A80 airspace. My supervisor ordered me to call A80 and initiate a handoff; telling me that we had time to ascertain the aircraft routing prior to the aircraft getting to dtw. I told my supervisor that we did not even know if aircraft X had been cleared over dtw (as it turns out; he had not been). How can a facility monitor an aircraft route of flight if we do not know the route of flight? What would happen if the aircraft 'missed' his frequency? Is it not incumbent upon the xferring controller to relay all pertinent information; including route of flight; to the receiving controller? This is an unsafe situation. The local procedure of 'taking the handoff' and letting the aircraft 'straighten the flight plan out' is unacceptable.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZTL CTLR EXPRESSED FRUSTRATION REGARDING SUPVR'S ORDERS TO ACCEPT A HDOF ON AN ATL DEP THAT HAD NO AUTOMATED INFO IN THE ATC SYS.

Narrative: ACFT X DEPARTING ATL FOR CYOW. THE FLT PLAN TIMED OUT OF HOST. A80 CALLED ME (ZTL-D38) TO COORD ROUTING. THEY TOLD ME THEY ENTERED DTW DSNDING INTO HOST TO 'POINT' THE FLT PLAN IN HOST IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. THEY COORD THAT THEY NEEDED 'HELP' ENTERING THE ACFT RTE OF FLT. I TOLD THEM THAT I WOULD BE ABLE TO DO THAT. I ASKED HOW THE ACFT WAS CLRED TO CYOW (OTTAWA; CANADA). THEY HAD NO IDEA. I INSTRUCTED THEM TO ASK THE ACFT OR ATL CLRNC DELIVERY HOW THE ACFT HAD BEEN CLRED. THEY WOULD NOT DO THIS. THEY ISSUED DELAYING TURNS TO THE ACFT TO KEEP IT IN A80 AIRSPACE. MY SUPVR ORDERED ME TO CALL A80 AND INITIATE A HDOF; TELLING ME THAT WE HAD TIME TO ASCERTAIN THE ACFT ROUTING PRIOR TO THE ACFT GETTING TO DTW. I TOLD MY SUPVR THAT WE DID NOT EVEN KNOW IF ACFT X HAD BEEN CLRED OVER DTW (AS IT TURNS OUT; HE HAD NOT BEEN). HOW CAN A FACILITY MONITOR AN ACFT RTE OF FLT IF WE DO NOT KNOW THE RTE OF FLT? WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF THE ACFT 'MISSED' HIS FREQ? IS IT NOT INCUMBENT UPON THE XFERRING CTLR TO RELAY ALL PERTINENT INFO; INCLUDING RTE OF FLT; TO THE RECEIVING CTLR? THIS IS AN UNSAFE SITUATION. THE LCL PROC OF 'TAKING THE HDOF' AND LETTING THE ACFT 'STRAIGHTEN THE FLT PLAN OUT' IS UNACCEPTABLE.

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.