Narrative:

I relieved a controller on the btm sector. A GA aircraft Y cancelled IFR and the data block of GA X was in the area. I inadvertently removed strips on X instead of Y . The aircraft crossed the sector boundary west/O coordination which was declared a system deviation. Aircraft X called sector 19 (gtf) and requested to cancel his IFR. The controller checked sectors around him until he found out where the aircraft came from before it entered sector 19. The supervisor was informed and the investigation was started. No evasive action was taken. By aircraft X and no other aircraft were involved. I believe the situation occurred because the wrong data block was removed from the system. More attention be given to data blocks and do not remove strips. Supplemental information from acn 95074: I was working the d-side of btm sector. Aircraft X was not on the scope, but aircraft Y that had cancelled IFR at bzn, was in coast track so I removed the data block assigned to that aircraft. The r-man was busy and I had appreq'ed the aircraft in question wrong altitude for direction of flight and the aircraft was in radar the last I saw, so I removed the strip from the sector.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: IFR ACFT PROCEEDED FROM ONE ARTCC SECTOR SECTOR INTO ADJACENT SECTOR WITHOUT COORD, POINTOUT OR HANDOFF BECAUSE TARGET HAD BEEN MISTAKENLY DROPPED. OPERATIONAL DEVIATION.

Narrative: I RELIEVED A CTLR ON THE BTM SECTOR. A GA ACFT Y CANCELLED IFR AND THE DATA BLOCK OF GA X WAS IN THE AREA. I INADVERTENTLY REMOVED STRIPS ON X INSTEAD OF Y . THE ACFT CROSSED THE SECTOR BOUNDARY W/O COORD WHICH WAS DECLARED A SYS DEVIATION. ACFT X CALLED SECTOR 19 (GTF) AND REQUESTED TO CANCEL HIS IFR. THE CTLR CHKED SECTORS AROUND HIM UNTIL HE FOUND OUT WHERE THE ACFT CAME FROM BEFORE IT ENTERED SECTOR 19. THE SUPVR WAS INFORMED AND THE INVESTIGATION WAS STARTED. NO EVASIVE ACTION WAS TAKEN. BY ACFT X AND NO OTHER ACFT WERE INVOLVED. I BELIEVE THE SITUATION OCCURRED BECAUSE THE WRONG DATA BLOCK WAS REMOVED FROM THE SYS. MORE ATTN BE GIVEN TO DATA BLOCKS AND DO NOT REMOVE STRIPS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 95074: I WAS WORKING THE D-SIDE OF BTM SECTOR. ACFT X WAS NOT ON THE SCOPE, BUT ACFT Y THAT HAD CANCELLED IFR AT BZN, WAS IN COAST TRACK SO I REMOVED THE DATA BLOCK ASSIGNED TO THAT ACFT. THE R-MAN WAS BUSY AND I HAD APPREQ'ED THE ACFT IN QUESTION WRONG ALT FOR DIRECTION OF FLT AND THE ACFT WAS IN RADAR THE LAST I SAW, SO I REMOVED THE STRIP FROM THE SECTOR.

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.