ARTCC radar controller made incorrect data entry on an air carrier aircraft at FL330 indicating that the aircraft had been handed off to the next controller. The aircraft was still on controller's frequency. The aircraft went through 2 sectors and into the next center's airspace until the mistake was caught.

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Attributes
ACN	333670
Time
Date	199604
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : eri
State Reference	PA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 33000 msl bound upper : 33000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zob
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-9 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
ASRS Report	333670
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Deviation

Narrative:

The data block had been inadvertently slant zeroed indicating the aircraft had been handed off and had received a frequency change to the next sector when it actually hadn't. The aircraft entered 2 sectors and another center as a limited data block before it was detected. The data block would reappear after I dropped it and I was not aware that this meant I had track control of the data block.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ARTCC RADAR CTLR MADE INCORRECT DATA ENTRY ON AN ACR ACFT AT FL330 INDICATING THAT THE ACFT HAD BEEN HANDED OFF TO THE NEXT CTLR. THE ACFT WAS STILL ON CTLR'S FREQ. THE ACFT WENT THROUGH 2 SECTORS AND INTO THE NEXT CTR'S AIRSPACE UNTIL THE MISTAKE WAS CAUGHT.

Narrative: THE DATA BLOCK HAD BEEN INADVERTENTLY SLANT ZEROED INDICATING THE ACFT HAD BEEN HANDED OFF AND HAD RECEIVED A FREQ CHANGE TO THE NEXT SECTOR WHEN IT ACTUALLY HADN'T. THE ACFT ENTERED 2 SECTORS AND ANOTHER CTR AS A LIMITED DATA BLOCK BEFORE IT WAS DETECTED. THE DATA BLOCK WOULD REAPPEAR AFTER I DROPPED IT AND I WAS NOT AWARE THAT THIS MEANT I HAD TRACK CTL OF THE DATA BLOCK.

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.