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ZAU d-side controller expressed concern when the radar controller dropped a data block after assuming all coordination had been completed by the d-side controller; the reporter claiming the practice was unsafe and precluded him/her from completing necessary coordination.

Narrative:

I was working awg d-side; and an experienced controller was working awg right. Aircraft X was a stp arrival; which according to SOP's need to be descended to FL360 before our sector boundary. I pointed the aircraft out to the sector below. Radar controller descended the aircraft to FL360 from FL430 expeditiously to get below FL410 traffic. After seeing the aircraft leave FL390 he issued a frequency change and dropped the data block while still within the sector. I didn't see him drop the data block so I didn't point the aircraft out to alo; the sector north of us. Alo called and said aircraft X point-out approved reference some FL370 traffic. I had to find the limited data block of the aircraft they were referring (still in our airspace); which we were not talking to; and say 'traffic observed' for the traffic they told us to miss. They never got close so I didn't call another sector to coordinate. I also thanked the controller who called and initiated the 'point out approved.' the radar controller should not have dropped the data block within our airspace. If the data block had still been visible; I could have seen that they needed a point out to alo; and an apreq descending with arl; the sector below them. Dropping data blocks is unsafe and prevented me from cleaning up the situation the radar controller had unnecessarily created.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZAU D-Side controller expressed concern when the RADAR controller dropped a data block after assuming all coordination had been completed by the D-Side controller; the reporter claiming the practice was unsafe and precluded him/her from completing necessary coordination.

Narrative: I was working AWG D-side; and an experienced controller was working AWG R. Aircraft X was a STP arrival; which according to SOP's need to be descended to FL360 before our sector boundary. I pointed the aircraft out to the sector below. RADAR Controller descended the aircraft to FL360 from FL430 expeditiously to get below FL410 traffic. After seeing the aircraft leave FL390 he issued a frequency change and dropped the data block while still within the sector. I didn't see him drop the data block so I didn't point the aircraft out to ALO; the sector north of us. ALO called and said Aircraft X point-out approved reference some FL370 traffic. I had to find the limited data block of the aircraft they were referring (still in our airspace); which we were not talking to; and say 'traffic observed' for the traffic they told us to miss. They never got close so I didn't call another sector to coordinate. I also thanked the Controller who called and initiated the 'point out approved.' The RADAR Controller should not have dropped the data block within our airspace. If the data block had still been visible; I could have seen that they needed a point out to ALO; and an APREQ descending with ARL; the sector below them. Dropping data blocks is unsafe and prevented me from cleaning up the situation the RADAR Controller had unnecessarily created.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of April 2012 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.