Narrative:

I was working the satellite handoff position at atlanta approach control. Cpr X was released off fulton county airport on a sbound IFR flight plan. Standard procedure is to bring such traffic overhead atlanta hartsfield in a 'corridor' at 6000 ft. The traffic departed runway 8 on a heading of 030. The departure controller issued a climb to 6000 and a turn to heading of 160, which would have put the aircraft in the corridor. As handoff man, I initiated a handoff to the south satellite controller, who subsequently handed it off to the hartsfield south departure controller. The problem occurred when the pilot turned to a heading of 260. The attention of both the radar controller and myself was diverted by another situation and before we noticed the heading of the cpr aircraft, he was in an area where numerous aircraft are being fed to the hartsfield final, also at 6000 ft. Luckily the south departure controller had pointed the traffic out to the arrival sectors and separation was not compromised. The situation occurred due to a communication mixup, specifically a missed readback, because there were other matters to attend to and the controller knew a 160 heading would put the cpr aircraft where he wanted him and he wouldn't have to worry about it. In his mind that aircraft was taken care of and not a problem for anyone. However, without the action of the south departure controller it could have developed into a very dangerous situation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CPR X NON ADHERENCE TO ATC CLRNC READBACK AND FLEW WRONG HDG UNAUTHORIZED AIRSPACE ENTRY. PLTDEV.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING THE SATELLITE HDOF POS AT ATLANTA APCH CTL. CPR X WAS RELEASED OFF FULTON COUNTY ARPT ON A SBOUND IFR FLT PLAN. STANDARD PROC IS TO BRING SUCH TFC OVERHEAD ATLANTA HARTSFIELD IN A 'CORRIDOR' AT 6000 FT. THE TFC DEPARTED RWY 8 ON A HDG OF 030. THE DEP CTLR ISSUED A CLB TO 6000 AND A TURN TO HDG OF 160, WHICH WOULD HAVE PUT THE ACFT IN THE CORRIDOR. AS HDOF MAN, I INITIATED A HDOF TO THE S SATELLITE CTLR, WHO SUBSEQUENTLY HANDED IT OFF TO THE HARTSFIELD S DEP CTLR. THE PROBLEM OCCURRED WHEN THE PLT TURNED TO A HDG OF 260. THE ATTN OF BOTH THE RADAR CTLR AND MYSELF WAS DIVERTED BY ANOTHER SITUATION AND BEFORE WE NOTICED THE HDG OF THE CPR ACFT, HE WAS IN AN AREA WHERE NUMEROUS ACFT ARE BEING FED TO THE HARTSFIELD FINAL, ALSO AT 6000 FT. LUCKILY THE S DEP CTLR HAD POINTED THE TFC OUT TO THE ARR SECTORS AND SEPARATION WAS NOT COMPROMISED. THE SITUATION OCCURRED DUE TO A COM MIXUP, SPECIFICALLY A MISSED READBACK, BECAUSE THERE WERE OTHER MATTERS TO ATTEND TO AND THE CTLR KNEW A 160 HDG WOULD PUT THE CPR ACFT WHERE HE WANTED HIM AND HE WOULDN'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT IT. IN HIS MIND THAT ACFT WAS TAKEN CARE OF AND NOT A PROBLEM FOR ANYONE. HOWEVER, WITHOUT THE ACTION OF THE S DEP CTLR IT COULD HAVE DEVELOPED INTO A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.