Narrative:

I am employed as an air traffic control specialist at dulles tower, chantilly, va, certified on all operational positions. I was working a radar arrival/departure position at the time of incident. The incident involved an small transport aircraft on an IFR flight plan at 12,000' transiting my sector's airspace. The pilot had checked in on frequency at the appropriate time. Upon becoming distracted by other traffic in the sector, the aircraft was allowed to exit the dulles airspace and enter washington center airspace without a radar handoff accomplished. Upon realizing the error, I coordinated with the appropriate center sector, radar identity was established and communication transfer completed. I do not believe traffic volume or any other factors was a causal factor in this incident. The aircraft was on a route not customary to the normal flow, which may have placed it in a position to be less noticeable. Upon further investigation into dulles radar tracking data, it was discovered that the ARTS data track dropped from the target at least 10 NM prior to airspace exit, which was quite probably a factor in aircraft recognition.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMT ENTERED ADJACENT AIRSPACE WITHOUT A HANDOFF.

Narrative: I AM EMPLOYED AS AN AIR TFC CTL SPECIALIST AT DULLES TWR, CHANTILLY, VA, CERTIFIED ON ALL OPERATIONAL POSITIONS. I WAS WORKING A RADAR ARR/DEP POSITION AT THE TIME OF INCIDENT. THE INCIDENT INVOLVED AN SMT ACFT ON AN IFR FLT PLAN AT 12,000' TRANSITING MY SECTOR'S AIRSPACE. THE PLT HAD CHECKED IN ON FREQ AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME. UPON BECOMING DISTRACTED BY OTHER TFC IN THE SECTOR, THE ACFT WAS ALLOWED TO EXIT THE DULLES AIRSPACE AND ENTER WASHINGTON CENTER AIRSPACE WITHOUT A RADAR HANDOFF ACCOMPLISHED. UPON REALIZING THE ERROR, I COORDINATED WITH THE APPROPRIATE CENTER SECTOR, RADAR IDENTITY WAS ESTABLISHED AND COM TRANSFER COMPLETED. I DO NOT BELIEVE TFC VOLUME OR ANY OTHER FACTORS WAS A CAUSAL FACTOR IN THIS INCIDENT. THE ACFT WAS ON A ROUTE NOT CUSTOMARY TO THE NORMAL FLOW, WHICH MAY HAVE PLACED IT IN A POSITION TO BE LESS NOTICEABLE. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION INTO DULLES RADAR TRACKING DATA, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE ARTS DATA TRACK DROPPED FROM THE TARGET AT LEAST 10 NM PRIOR TO AIRSPACE EXIT, WHICH WAS QUITE PROBABLY A FACTOR IN ACFT RECOGNITION.

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.