Narrative:

Gulfstream G4 in level flight at FL400. Transponder failed in-flight in canadian airspace west of buffalo; ny. A handoff from toronto center to ZOB was not made. Aircraft calls ZOB stating 'I think that toronto center forgot to give us a frequency change center; we are west of flint; mi (fnt) at FL400.' as the radar controller; I initiated a flight plan readout and asked the aircraft to squawk and identify the code assigned for that flight. There were no aircraft in my sector at that altitude and on that transponder code in the area 'west of fnt' so I instructed the aircraft to contact ZOB. The aircraft returned to my frequency and said that chicago was too busy and said return to last frequency. I asked the aircraft if they had a back-up transponder to squawk and identify on the assigned beacon code. I radar idented the aircraft approximately 20 mi north of lansing; mi at FL400 in my sector. At the time I was working approximately 20 aircraft (moderate traffic). I initiated an automated handoff to ZOB prior to the aircraft entering chicago's airspace. 1) the aircraft flew through approximately 200 mi of rvsm airspace at FL400 with no transponder. No transponder failure was noted in the cockpit. 2) with a failed transponder; other aircraft would be unable to respond to TCAS advisories (TA's) or RA's. 3) since primary radar is not required to be monitored at sectors entirely in the class a structure; there was no primary target associated with a pilot position report. This is potentially a fatal flaw of the next generation air traffic controller system (nexgen). Because the pilot was able to utilize a back-up transponder and the availability of primary radar at the sector; I was able to positively identify the aircraft.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZOB CTLR DESCRIBED OPDEV WHEN G4 AT FL400 LOST TRANSPONDER IN CANADIAN AIRSPACE; NO HDOF/COORD; ACFT ID IN ZOB SECTOR.

Narrative: GULFSTREAM G4 IN LEVEL FLT AT FL400. XPONDER FAILED INFLT IN CANADIAN AIRSPACE W OF BUFFALO; NY. A HDOF FROM TORONTO CTR TO ZOB WAS NOT MADE. ACFT CALLS ZOB STATING 'I THINK THAT TORONTO CTR FORGOT TO GIVE US A FREQ CHANGE CTR; WE ARE W OF FLINT; MI (FNT) AT FL400.' AS THE RADAR CTLR; I INITIATED A FLT PLAN READOUT AND ASKED THE ACFT TO SQUAWK AND IDENT THE CODE ASSIGNED FOR THAT FLT. THERE WERE NO ACFT IN MY SECTOR AT THAT ALT AND ON THAT XPONDER CODE IN THE AREA 'W OF FNT' SO I INSTRUCTED THE ACFT TO CONTACT ZOB. THE ACFT RETURNED TO MY FREQ AND SAID THAT CHICAGO WAS TOO BUSY AND SAID RETURN TO LAST FREQ. I ASKED THE ACFT IF THEY HAD A BACK-UP XPONDER TO SQUAWK AND IDENT ON THE ASSIGNED BEACON CODE. I RADAR IDENTED THE ACFT APPROX 20 MI N OF LANSING; MI AT FL400 IN MY SECTOR. AT THE TIME I WAS WORKING APPROX 20 ACFT (MODERATE TFC). I INITIATED AN AUTOMATED HDOF TO ZOB PRIOR TO THE ACFT ENTERING CHICAGO'S AIRSPACE. 1) THE ACFT FLEW THROUGH APPROX 200 MI OF RVSM AIRSPACE AT FL400 WITH NO XPONDER. NO XPONDER FAILURE WAS NOTED IN THE COCKPIT. 2) WITH A FAILED XPONDER; OTHER ACFT WOULD BE UNABLE TO RESPOND TO TCAS ADVISORIES (TA'S) OR RA'S. 3) SINCE PRIMARY RADAR IS NOT REQUIRED TO BE MONITORED AT SECTORS ENTIRELY IN THE CLASS A STRUCTURE; THERE WAS NO PRIMARY TARGET ASSOCIATED WITH A PLT POS RPT. THIS IS POTENTIALLY A FATAL FLAW OF THE NEXT GENERATION AIR TFC CTLR SYS (NEXGEN). BECAUSE THE PLT WAS ABLE TO UTILIZE A BACK-UP XPONDER AND THE AVAILABILITY OF PRIMARY RADAR AT THE SECTOR; I WAS ABLE TO POSITIVELY IDENT THE ACFT.

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.