Late frequency change made to adjacent facility.

Attributes
ACN	110138
Time
Date	198905
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : mkc
State Reference	MO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 15000 msl bound upper : 15000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : mci
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	departure other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller radar : 14 controller supervisory : 3
ASRS Report	110138
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Working a midnight watch east radar, I had atx X depart mkc to irk climbing to 15000'. I believe I handed off the aircraft through automation right away. Through scanning the radar I observed the aircraft about 8 mi east of mkc VOR about 7000' climbing. Later I was working other aircraft when I observed the atx X about 8 mi east of lasso at 15000' requesting higher. What concerned me was the tag had dropped off and I had no visibility clue that the handoff had been made. I immediately called ZKC and asked if they had got the handoff on atx X. They said yes, so I changed the aircraft to their frequency. This was a relief to hear. As a personal operating practice, I am now going to write an 'right' on the strip when I observe the handoff taken by automation to provide a visibility reminder that the handoff had been taken in case the tag drops again. I will circle the 'right' after the communication has been transferred according to the ATC handbook. Factors that contributed to this: 1) tag dropped. 2) no visibility clue handoff was made through automation. 3) late in transferring communications. The aforementioned strip marking should alleviate this from happening again.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LATE FREQ CHANGE MADE TO ADJACENT FAC.

Narrative: WORKING A MIDNIGHT WATCH E RADAR, I HAD ATX X DEPART MKC TO IRK CLBING TO 15000'. I BELIEVE I HANDED OFF THE ACFT THROUGH AUTOMATION RIGHT AWAY. THROUGH SCANNING THE RADAR I OBSERVED THE ACFT ABOUT 8 MI E OF MKC VOR ABOUT 7000' CLBING. LATER I WAS WORKING OTHER ACFT WHEN I OBSERVED THE ATX X ABOUT 8 MI E OF LASSO AT 15000' REQUESTING HIGHER. WHAT CONCERNED ME WAS THE TAG HAD DROPPED OFF AND I HAD NO VIS CLUE THAT THE HDOF HAD BEEN MADE. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED ZKC AND ASKED IF THEY HAD GOT THE HDOF ON ATX X. THEY SAID YES, SO I CHANGED THE ACFT TO THEIR FREQ. THIS WAS A RELIEF TO HEAR. AS A PERSONAL OPERATING PRACTICE, I AM NOW GOING TO WRITE AN 'R' ON THE STRIP WHEN I OBSERVE THE HDOF TAKEN BY AUTOMATION TO PROVIDE A VIS REMINDER THAT THE HDOF HAD BEEN TAKEN IN CASE THE TAG DROPS AGAIN. I WILL CIRCLE THE 'R' AFTER THE COM HAS BEEN TRANSFERRED ACCORDING TO THE ATC HANDBOOK. FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THIS: 1) TAG DROPPED. 2) NO VIS CLUE HDOF WAS MADE THROUGH AUTOMATION. 3) LATE IN TRANSFERRING COMS. THE AFOREMENTIONED STRIP MARKING SHOULD ALLEVIATE THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN.

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.