Narrative:

A F900 aircraft was conducting multiple approachs to rac airport. I also had a fast moving overflt which needed to get to a lower altitude for its sequence to ord; but this aircraft could not descend because a different sector had traffic below it arriving mke airport. Because the mke arrival was not descending as it normally would; the ord en route aircraft was hung up high. I slowed the ord en route aircraft to 250 KTS; so it would be prepared for descent below 10000 ft. I informed ewn tower the F900 would fly through their airspace conducting an approach to rac airport. Then a supervisor came to me to give me a manual handoff for a second aircraft en route to ord as it was entering my airspace. The supervisor explained for the last 40 mi they had not been able to get the aircraft to acquire a radar tag properly for some reason and they had been working on it. Since it was close behind the first aircraft en route to ord I requested that the second aircraft be slowed to 250 KTS also and gave it radar contact. I was then given the flight progress strip on the untagged aircraft. There was a flight data block coasting along with the aircraft stuck in a handoff status to mke approach; but I noticed it was for a different aircraft with a very similar call sign. I checked the beacon code assignment for both aircraft and found they were different; so I manually entered the call sign and beacon code for the second aircraft to get a flight data block for it to acquire on my STAR display. It was at this time I should have been turning the F900 off the downwind to the base; for the ILS approach to rac. The sector working the arrs to mke was busy and training. I coordinated with them for the descent of the 2 aircraft through their airspace to ord in reference to the aircraft they were working. I then began coordinating with C90 approach for a manual handoff of the second en route aircraft because automation was still not working. Just after I got the aircraft handed off to C90 the supervisor asked me how I got the data tag on the second aircraft. I explained how the coasting data tag was for a different aircraft on a different beacon code assignment; so I manually entered the actual en route aircraft. I told the first aircraft to contact C90 approach. Then the pilot of the F900 called me. During the time I was distraction with getting the untracked aircraft acquired and handed off the F900 had continued on the downwind and was encroaching on C90 satellite airspace. I instructed the aircraft to make a right turn to a 360 degree heading away from C90 airspace. After the pilot acknowledged I called C90 and pointed the aircraft out to them and requested an exclusion airspace that they give us for approachs to our airports near the border with them. C90 approved the pointout and gave me the exclusion airspace. The F900 continued without further incident. From the time I should have turned the F900's base to when it encroached on C90's airspace; it traveled about 6 mi and about 90 or so seconds passed. I allowed the unusual situation of the untracked aircraft to keep my attention. Since there was not much time to get the en route aircraft to the proper altitude I could have asked the supervisor for assistance in handing it off to C90 approach while I worked all my traffic and coordinated with the in-facility sector about the 2 aircraft I had to point out to them descending through their airspace. Normally I would have handed the 2 aircraft off to mek arrival sector; but because they were busy and were training; I decided to help them out and just point the 2 aircraft out reference the mke arrs they were working because the 1 aircraft was having problems getting a data block acquired and required a manual handoff to C90. There is not much airspace to work with when running approachs to rac and enw when mke is landing runway 1L and when C90 has aircraft on approach to ugn airport. The F900's base and turn to the ILS should have stayed foremost in my scan and actions. I could have alternated between the flight progress strip (fps) for the F900 and scanning its position with the fps for my other aircraft using the strips to keep working through all my traffic. Just as the controller before me did; I could have used the supervisor as a resource to assist in the manual handoff of the en route aircraft. By using my tools; the fps to assist my scanning all my aircraft and the supervisor's assistance in the handoff the F900 would have been turned at the proper place and time and not encroached on C90 airspace.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MKE TRACON CTLR EXPERIENCED OPDEV AT 2600 INTO C90 AIRSPACE WHEN DISTR WITH OVERFLT TFC EXPERIENCING RADAR IDENT PROBS.

Narrative: A F900 ACFT WAS CONDUCTING MULTIPLE APCHS TO RAC ARPT. I ALSO HAD A FAST MOVING OVERFLT WHICH NEEDED TO GET TO A LOWER ALT FOR ITS SEQUENCE TO ORD; BUT THIS ACFT COULD NOT DSND BECAUSE A DIFFERENT SECTOR HAD TFC BELOW IT ARRIVING MKE ARPT. BECAUSE THE MKE ARR WAS NOT DSNDING AS IT NORMALLY WOULD; THE ORD ENRTE ACFT WAS HUNG UP HIGH. I SLOWED THE ORD ENRTE ACFT TO 250 KTS; SO IT WOULD BE PREPARED FOR DSCNT BELOW 10000 FT. I INFORMED EWN TWR THE F900 WOULD FLY THROUGH THEIR AIRSPACE CONDUCTING AN APCH TO RAC ARPT. THEN A SUPVR CAME TO ME TO GIVE ME A MANUAL HDOF FOR A SECOND ACFT ENRTE TO ORD AS IT WAS ENTERING MY AIRSPACE. THE SUPVR EXPLAINED FOR THE LAST 40 MI THEY HAD NOT BEEN ABLE TO GET THE ACFT TO ACQUIRE A RADAR TAG PROPERLY FOR SOME REASON AND THEY HAD BEEN WORKING ON IT. SINCE IT WAS CLOSE BEHIND THE FIRST ACFT ENRTE TO ORD I REQUESTED THAT THE SECOND ACFT BE SLOWED TO 250 KTS ALSO AND GAVE IT RADAR CONTACT. I WAS THEN GIVEN THE FLT PROGRESS STRIP ON THE UNTAGGED ACFT. THERE WAS A FLT DATA BLOCK COASTING ALONG WITH THE ACFT STUCK IN A HDOF STATUS TO MKE APCH; BUT I NOTICED IT WAS FOR A DIFFERENT ACFT WITH A VERY SIMILAR CALL SIGN. I CHKED THE BEACON CODE ASSIGNMENT FOR BOTH ACFT AND FOUND THEY WERE DIFFERENT; SO I MANUALLY ENTERED THE CALL SIGN AND BEACON CODE FOR THE SECOND ACFT TO GET A FLT DATA BLOCK FOR IT TO ACQUIRE ON MY STAR DISPLAY. IT WAS AT THIS TIME I SHOULD HAVE BEEN TURNING THE F900 OFF THE DOWNWIND TO THE BASE; FOR THE ILS APCH TO RAC. THE SECTOR WORKING THE ARRS TO MKE WAS BUSY AND TRAINING. I COORDINATED WITH THEM FOR THE DSCNT OF THE 2 ACFT THROUGH THEIR AIRSPACE TO ORD IN REF TO THE ACFT THEY WERE WORKING. I THEN BEGAN COORDINATING WITH C90 APCH FOR A MANUAL HDOF OF THE SECOND ENRTE ACFT BECAUSE AUTOMATION WAS STILL NOT WORKING. JUST AFTER I GOT THE ACFT HANDED OFF TO C90 THE SUPVR ASKED ME HOW I GOT THE DATA TAG ON THE SECOND ACFT. I EXPLAINED HOW THE COASTING DATA TAG WAS FOR A DIFFERENT ACFT ON A DIFFERENT BEACON CODE ASSIGNMENT; SO I MANUALLY ENTERED THE ACTUAL ENRTE ACFT. I TOLD THE FIRST ACFT TO CONTACT C90 APCH. THEN THE PLT OF THE F900 CALLED ME. DURING THE TIME I WAS DISTR WITH GETTING THE UNTRACKED ACFT ACQUIRED AND HANDED OFF THE F900 HAD CONTINUED ON THE DOWNWIND AND WAS ENCROACHING ON C90 SATELLITE AIRSPACE. I INSTRUCTED THE ACFT TO MAKE A R TURN TO A 360 DEG HDG AWAY FROM C90 AIRSPACE. AFTER THE PLT ACKNOWLEDGED I CALLED C90 AND POINTED THE ACFT OUT TO THEM AND REQUESTED AN EXCLUSION AIRSPACE THAT THEY GIVE US FOR APCHS TO OUR ARPTS NEAR THE BORDER WITH THEM. C90 APPROVED THE POINTOUT AND GAVE ME THE EXCLUSION AIRSPACE. THE F900 CONTINUED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. FROM THE TIME I SHOULD HAVE TURNED THE F900'S BASE TO WHEN IT ENCROACHED ON C90'S AIRSPACE; IT TRAVELED ABOUT 6 MI AND ABOUT 90 OR SO SECONDS PASSED. I ALLOWED THE UNUSUAL SITUATION OF THE UNTRACKED ACFT TO KEEP MY ATTN. SINCE THERE WAS NOT MUCH TIME TO GET THE ENRTE ACFT TO THE PROPER ALT I COULD HAVE ASKED THE SUPVR FOR ASSISTANCE IN HANDING IT OFF TO C90 APCH WHILE I WORKED ALL MY TFC AND COORDINATED WITH THE IN-FACILITY SECTOR ABOUT THE 2 ACFT I HAD TO POINT OUT TO THEM DSNDING THROUGH THEIR AIRSPACE. NORMALLY I WOULD HAVE HANDED THE 2 ACFT OFF TO MEK ARR SECTOR; BUT BECAUSE THEY WERE BUSY AND WERE TRAINING; I DECIDED TO HELP THEM OUT AND JUST POINT THE 2 ACFT OUT REF THE MKE ARRS THEY WERE WORKING BECAUSE THE 1 ACFT WAS HAVING PROBS GETTING A DATA BLOCK ACQUIRED AND REQUIRED A MANUAL HDOF TO C90. THERE IS NOT MUCH AIRSPACE TO WORK WITH WHEN RUNNING APCHS TO RAC AND ENW WHEN MKE IS LNDG RWY 1L AND WHEN C90 HAS ACFT ON APCH TO UGN ARPT. THE F900'S BASE AND TURN TO THE ILS SHOULD HAVE STAYED FOREMOST IN MY SCAN AND ACTIONS. I COULD HAVE ALTERNATED BTWN THE FLT PROGRESS STRIP (FPS) FOR THE F900 AND SCANNING ITS POS WITH THE FPS FOR MY OTHER ACFT USING THE STRIPS TO KEEP WORKING THROUGH ALL MY TFC. JUST AS THE CTLR BEFORE ME DID; I COULD HAVE USED THE SUPVR AS A RESOURCE TO ASSIST IN THE MANUAL HDOF OF THE ENRTE ACFT. BY USING MY TOOLS; THE FPS TO ASSIST MY SCANNING ALL MY ACFT AND THE SUPVR'S ASSISTANCE IN THE HDOF THE F900 WOULD HAVE BEEN TURNED AT THE PROPER PLACE AND TIME AND NOT ENCROACHED ON C90 AIRSPACE.

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.