Light transport transits airspace without contact.

Attributes
ACN	273996
Time
Date	199406
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : mdt
State Reference	PA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 5000 msl bound upper : 5000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	cruise other cruise other descent other
Route In Use	enroute airway : mdt
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 5300 flight time type : 3500
ASRS Report	272996
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation Inter Facility Coordination Failure
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

While talking to bwi departure we requested 5000 ft as final altitude. Departure accommodated and handed us off to harrisburg approach. Harrisburg was very busy. I cannot recall whether he responded to our initial call. Approximately 50 mi later we realized we should be talking to abe approach. We questioned harrisburg but could not raise him on the frequency so we switched to abe approach. Abe asked us our altitude and vectored us for landing. Upon landing we were asked to call harrisburg on the phone. Apparently bwi never entered 5000 ft as our new final altitude. Harrisburg never expected us at 5000 ft and never heard our call. Therefore we flew through harrisburg's sector undetected. There were no known conflicts. If we had been more persistent in our initial call this would have been avoided.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LTT TRANSITS AIRSPACE WITHOUT CONTACT.

Narrative: WHILE TALKING TO BWI DEP WE REQUESTED 5000 FT AS FINAL ALT. DEP ACCOMMODATED AND HANDED US OFF TO HARRISBURG APCH. HARRISBURG WAS VERY BUSY. I CANNOT RECALL WHETHER HE RESPONDED TO OUR INITIAL CALL. APPROX 50 MI LATER WE REALIZED WE SHOULD BE TALKING TO ABE APCH. WE QUESTIONED HARRISBURG BUT COULD NOT RAISE HIM ON THE FREQ SO WE SWITCHED TO ABE APCH. ABE ASKED US OUR ALT AND VECTORED US FOR LNDG. UPON LNDG WE WERE ASKED TO CALL HARRISBURG ON THE PHONE. APPARENTLY BWI NEVER ENTERED 5000 FT AS OUR NEW FINAL ALT. HARRISBURG NEVER EXPECTED US AT 5000 FT AND NEVER HEARD OUR CALL. THEREFORE WE FLEW THROUGH HARRISBURG'S SECTOR UNDETECTED. THERE WERE NO KNOWN CONFLICTS. IF WE HAD BEEN MORE PERSISTENT IN OUR INITIAL CALL THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED.

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.