Narrative:

I was on an IFR flight from bdr to 3b1 in VMC on top. It was the usual fri afternoon east coast crunch of traffic. I was handed off to bdl en route. ATC constant talk. I wanted to get a change in routing after communication. Unable to get word in edgewise until near communication. Unusual to be kept by bdl this long, but with the daily changes in the expanded east coast plan, no one knows where sectors are today. When I finally got through to bdl, he gave me a change to mht approach departure. Three more quick fix changes and a female controller said I had been NORDO for some time. I told her bdl had just handed me off to a prior mht controller. I am certain bdl forgot me and I was not familiar with how big their sector was. They are very grabby at bdl, hoping to be a TCA or center someday. As I was well over cloud deck and in severe clear at 9,000, I perceive there could not have been a conflict. However, I am certain bdl controller needs reminder to keep track of his screen. If I had been IMC, safety clearly would have been compromised. The east coast plan has placed an unbelievable burden on ATC and cockpit crews with many sectors and frequent ATC handoffs. As an active CFI with instrument students, I am amazed at the # of frequency changes, especially flying from bdr, which is under the ny TRACON, but at the edge of bos center. Bdl controls a large sector of connecticut airspace, with the resulting fix changes from bdr to ny TRACON to bos to bdl (sometimes more than 1 fix here) to bos, all within 15 min of takeoff. Additionally, the preferred routes do not cover many destinations from bdr and it is a crap shoot as to whether an airman will guess the correct routing. Flight service (bdr AFSS is on my field) has no useful knowledge. Ny TRACON will not answer their phone (ask bdr's tower manager) and the confusion is widespread. Thank heaven I have been flying for some time and have adapted to the need to think quick in the cockpit with fix and route changes. There must be some logic brought in around bdr or there will be an unfortunate happening. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following. Reporter is an experienced aviation attorney and did a followup investigation to find out exactly what happened during this flight. Position tapes revealed that bdl approach control had failed to effect a frequency change to ZBW at their northeast boundary. The aircraft traversed the short distance in ZBW's airspace and entered mht approach control's airspace before reporter asked bdl approach control for a change of route over communication VORTAC. It was then that bdl approach control discovered their error and changed reporter over to mht approach control frequency. No conflict occurred while reporter's aircraft target was observed by ZBW and mht passing through their airspace, apparently NORDO.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CTLR LOST TRACK OF REPORTER'S ACFT AND ALLOWED THE UNCOORD PENETRATION OF TWO ADJACENT FACS AIRSPACE.

Narrative: I WAS ON AN IFR FLT FROM BDR TO 3B1 IN VMC ON TOP. IT WAS THE USUAL FRI AFTERNOON EAST COAST CRUNCH OF TFC. I WAS HANDED OFF TO BDL ENRTE. ATC CONSTANT TALK. I WANTED TO GET A CHANGE IN ROUTING AFTER COM. UNABLE TO GET WORD IN EDGEWISE UNTIL NEAR COM. UNUSUAL TO BE KEPT BY BDL THIS LONG, BUT WITH THE DAILY CHANGES IN THE EXPANDED EAST COAST PLAN, NO ONE KNOWS WHERE SECTORS ARE TODAY. WHEN I FINALLY GOT THROUGH TO BDL, HE GAVE ME A CHANGE TO MHT APCH DEP. THREE MORE QUICK FIX CHANGES AND A FEMALE CTLR SAID I HAD BEEN NORDO FOR SOME TIME. I TOLD HER BDL HAD JUST HANDED ME OFF TO A PRIOR MHT CTLR. I AM CERTAIN BDL FORGOT ME AND I WAS NOT FAMILIAR WITH HOW BIG THEIR SECTOR WAS. THEY ARE VERY GRABBY AT BDL, HOPING TO BE A TCA OR CENTER SOMEDAY. AS I WAS WELL OVER CLOUD DECK AND IN SEVERE CLR AT 9,000, I PERCEIVE THERE COULD NOT HAVE BEEN A CONFLICT. HOWEVER, I AM CERTAIN BDL CTLR NEEDS REMINDER TO KEEP TRACK OF HIS SCREEN. IF I HAD BEEN IMC, SAFETY CLRLY WOULD HAVE BEEN COMPROMISED. THE EAST COAST PLAN HAS PLACED AN UNBELIEVABLE BURDEN ON ATC AND COCKPIT CREWS WITH MANY SECTORS AND FREQUENT ATC HDOFS. AS AN ACTIVE CFI WITH INSTRUMENT STUDENTS, I AM AMAZED AT THE # OF FREQ CHANGES, ESPECIALLY FLYING FROM BDR, WHICH IS UNDER THE NY TRACON, BUT AT THE EDGE OF BOS CENTER. BDL CTLS A LARGE SECTOR OF CONNECTICUT AIRSPACE, WITH THE RESULTING FIX CHANGES FROM BDR TO NY TRACON TO BOS TO BDL (SOMETIMES MORE THAN 1 FIX HERE) TO BOS, ALL WITHIN 15 MIN OF TKOF. ADDITIONALLY, THE PREFERRED ROUTES DO NOT COVER MANY DESTINATIONS FROM BDR AND IT IS A CRAP SHOOT AS TO WHETHER AN AIRMAN WILL GUESS THE CORRECT ROUTING. FLT SVC (BDR AFSS IS ON MY FIELD) HAS NO USEFUL KNOWLEDGE. NY TRACON WILL NOT ANSWER THEIR PHONE (ASK BDR'S TWR MGR) AND THE CONFUSION IS WIDESPREAD. THANK HEAVEN I HAVE BEEN FLYING FOR SOME TIME AND HAVE ADAPTED TO THE NEED TO THINK QUICK IN THE COCKPIT WITH FIX AND ROUTE CHANGES. THERE MUST BE SOME LOGIC BROUGHT IN AROUND BDR OR THERE WILL BE AN UNFORTUNATE HAPPENING. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING. RPTR IS AN EXPERIENCED AVIATION ATTORNEY AND DID A FOLLOWUP INVESTIGATION TO FIND OUT EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED DURING THIS FLT. POS TAPES REVEALED THAT BDL APCH CTL HAD FAILED TO EFFECT A FREQ CHANGE TO ZBW AT THEIR NE BOUNDARY. THE ACFT TRAVERSED THE SHORT DISTANCE IN ZBW'S AIRSPACE AND ENTERED MHT APCH CTL'S AIRSPACE BEFORE RPTR ASKED BDL APCH CTL FOR A CHANGE OF ROUTE OVER COM VORTAC. IT WAS THEN THAT BDL APCH CTL DISCOVERED THEIR ERROR AND CHANGED RPTR OVER TO MHT APCH CTL FREQ. NO CONFLICT OCCURRED WHILE RPTR'S ACFT TARGET WAS OBSERVED BY ZBW AND MHT PASSING THROUGH THEIR AIRSPACE, APPARENTLY NORDO.

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.