Narrative:

I was the radar controller on duty during the evening shift. GA twin X was overflying a portion of knoxville approach control airspace between hch and hours. Before receiving a radar handoff from ATC center the flight data block was in track update (tu) status, indicating that we were not receiving good beacon information at that time. Atl center called requesting the position of the aircraft as they saw an aircraft with his assigned beacon code near the hours VOR. My flight progress strip indicated that a radar handoff had been made back to atl center. The aircraft had flown about 20 mi in atl center airspace west/O coordination. I think that possibly the flight data block had dropped, since atl did not get an automatic-acquire on the aircraft, which normally they would, whether or not we initiate the handoff or not. I think something needs to be done to improve our beacon so that we will not lose the data block while it is in track update status. No other traffic was involved in this incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA TWIN OVERFLEW TYS AIRSPACE IFR AND WAS ALLOWED TO PENETRATE ZTL AIRSPACE WITHOUT HANDOFF OR COORD. OPERATIONAL DEVIATION.

Narrative: I WAS THE RADAR CTLR ON DUTY DURING THE EVENING SHIFT. GA TWIN X WAS OVERFLYING A PORTION OF KNOXVILLE APCH CTL AIRSPACE BTWN HCH AND HRS. BEFORE RECEIVING A RADAR HDOF FROM ATC CENTER THE FLT DATA BLOCK WAS IN TRACK UPDATE (TU) STATUS, INDICATING THAT WE WERE NOT RECEIVING GOOD BEACON INFO AT THAT TIME. ATL CENTER CALLED REQUESTING THE POS OF THE ACFT AS THEY SAW AN ACFT WITH HIS ASSIGNED BEACON CODE NEAR THE HRS VOR. MY FLT PROGRESS STRIP INDICATED THAT A RADAR HDOF HAD BEEN MADE BACK TO ATL CENTER. THE ACFT HAD FLOWN ABOUT 20 MI IN ATL CENTER AIRSPACE W/O COORD. I THINK THAT POSSIBLY THE FLT DATA BLOCK HAD DROPPED, SINCE ATL DID NOT GET AN AUTO-ACQUIRE ON THE ACFT, WHICH NORMALLY THEY WOULD, WHETHER OR NOT WE INITIATE THE HDOF OR NOT. I THINK SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE TO IMPROVE OUR BEACON SO THAT WE WILL NOT LOSE THE DATA BLOCK WHILE IT IS IN TRACK UPDATE STATUS. NO OTHER TFC WAS INVOLVED IN THIS INCIDENT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.