ZAB center controller observed an aircraft flying off its assigned route and below the minimum IFR a...

Attributes
ACN	1463722
Time
Date	201707
Local Time Of Day	1801-2400
Place
Locale Reference	ZAB.ARTCC
State Reference	NM
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	Beech 1900
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	Cruise
Route In Use	Direct
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Function	Enroute
Qualification	Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Experience	Air Traffic Control Time Certified In Pos 1 (yrs) 2
Events
Anomaly	ATC Issue All Types Deviation - Procedural Published Material / Policy Deviation - Procedural Clearance Deviation - Track / Heading All Types Inflight Event / Encounter CFTT / CFIT

Narrative:

I showed aircraft X's route to be onm direct tcs direct fhu. After onm aircraft X appeared to proceed direct fhu and not tcs. Weather was impacting the sector and I was dealing with something in the northern half of my sector before I realized aircraft X was flashing MSAW (minimum safe altitude warning) with the mountains. Aircraft X was at his cruising altitude of 12;000 feet and the mia (minimum IFR altitude) around the magdalena mountains is 12;800 feet. I immediately gave a vector away from the mountains. I questioned the pilot and he said he was showing the same route and didn't know why his plane turned off route. Once clear of the 12;800 foot mia I cleared aircraft X direct on course. I am not sure if the aircraft broke the mia or not.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZAB Center Controller observed an aircraft flying off its assigned route and below the Minimum IFR Altitude.

Narrative: I showed Aircraft X's route to be ONM direct TCS direct FHU. After ONM Aircraft X appeared to proceed direct FHU and not TCS. Weather was impacting the sector and I was dealing with something in the northern half of my sector before I realized Aircraft X was flashing MSAW (Minimum Safe Altitude Warning) with the Mountains. Aircraft X was at his cruising altitude of 12;000 feet and the MIA (Minimum IFR Altitude) around the Magdalena Mountains is 12;800 feet. I immediately gave a vector away from the mountains. I questioned the pilot and he said he was showing the same route and didn't know why his plane turned off route. Once clear of the 12;800 foot MIA I cleared Aircraft X direct on course. I am not sure if the aircraft broke the MIA or not.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site 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.

ZAB center controller observed an aircraft flying off its assigned route and below the minimum IFR altitude.