Narrative:

Departed crestview en route to pensacola regional. Received 'flight following' from eglin approach. After some time, eglin called and informed me that 'radar service terminated, squawk 1200.' I thought this odd, as usually they will hand you off to pensacola. The controller did, however, suggest a frequency for pensacola. I immediately tried to raise pensacola approach, but due to an intermittent second radio, was unable for approximately 1 min. During this time, we had already penetrated the class 'C' airspace associated with pensacola and whiting field. After regaining communication with approach (pensacola), I was informed that we had penetrated the airspace some time ago. I called TRACON once on deck back at pensacola. From my conversation with the controller, we determined that apparently the eglin controller 'dumped' us while already in pensacola airspace, or at least within 30 seconds of penetration. By instructing us to squawk VFR, it made it appear to pensacola that we were not talking to anyone and wandered into their airspace on our own accord. The only suggestion I might have for this situation is, if a controller does forget to hand you off in time for you to contact the next TRACON facility, at least he could have the courtesy to let the next facility know about it rather than 'dumping' somebody off in airspace they don't control. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter has heard nothing further from the FAA on this matter. In his call to the pns TRACON, TRACON stated that eglin has done this quite often. Eglin apparently has USAF controllers right out of school that are getting 'on the job training' at the expense of the reporter and others like him. The reporter is now aware of the FAA safety hotline and will start action from that direction.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SMA WAS NOT PROPERLY HANDED OFF FROM VPS TO PNS.

Narrative: DEPARTED CRESTVIEW ENRTE TO PENSACOLA REGIONAL. RECEIVED 'FLT FOLLOWING' FROM EGLIN APCH. AFTER SOME TIME, EGLIN CALLED AND INFORMED ME THAT 'RADAR SVC TERMINATED, SQUAWK 1200.' I THOUGHT THIS ODD, AS USUALLY THEY WILL HAND YOU OFF TO PENSACOLA. THE CTLR DID, HOWEVER, SUGGEST A FREQ FOR PENSACOLA. I IMMEDIATELY TRIED TO RAISE PENSACOLA APCH, BUT DUE TO AN INTERMITTENT SECOND RADIO, WAS UNABLE FOR APPROX 1 MIN. DURING THIS TIME, WE HAD ALREADY PENETRATED THE CLASS 'C' AIRSPACE ASSOCIATED WITH PENSACOLA AND WHITING FIELD. AFTER REGAINING COM WITH APCH (PENSACOLA), I WAS INFORMED THAT WE HAD PENETRATED THE AIRSPACE SOME TIME AGO. I CALLED TRACON ONCE ON DECK BACK AT PENSACOLA. FROM MY CONVERSATION WITH THE CTLR, WE DETERMINED THAT APPARENTLY THE EGLIN CTLR 'DUMPED' US WHILE ALREADY IN PENSACOLA AIRSPACE, OR AT LEAST WITHIN 30 SECONDS OF PENETRATION. BY INSTRUCTING US TO SQUAWK VFR, IT MADE IT APPEAR TO PENSACOLA THAT WE WERE NOT TALKING TO ANYONE AND WANDERED INTO THEIR AIRSPACE ON OUR OWN ACCORD. THE ONLY SUGGESTION I MIGHT HAVE FOR THIS SIT IS, IF A CTLR DOES FORGET TO HAND YOU OFF IN TIME FOR YOU TO CONTACT THE NEXT TRACON FACILITY, AT LEAST HE COULD HAVE THE COURTESY TO LET THE NEXT FACILITY KNOW ABOUT IT RATHER THAN 'DUMPING' SOMEBODY OFF IN AIRSPACE THEY DON'T CTL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR HAS HEARD NOTHING FURTHER FROM THE FAA ON THIS MATTER. IN HIS CALL TO THE PNS TRACON, TRACON STATED THAT EGLIN HAS DONE THIS QUITE OFTEN. EGLIN APPARENTLY HAS USAF CTLRS RIGHT OUT OF SCHOOL THAT ARE GETTING 'ON THE JOB TRAINING' AT THE EXPENSE OF THE RPTR AND OTHERS LIKE HIM. THE RPTR IS NOW AWARE OF THE FAA SAFETY HOTLINE AND WILL START ACTION FROM THAT DIRECTION.

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.