Narrative:

Poor automation system. DH8 departed roa to clt. The flight plan showed a requested altitude of FL200. Our LOA with ZDC requires clt propellers to be at 10000 ft at 25 mi south of roa, so I assigned 10000 ft to the aircraft and amended it in the NAS computer. Once the flight plan is amended in the computer, the ARTS tag should no longer 'hand off' or 'flash' to ZDC (airspace above us up to 11000 ft) but instead, should hand off to the adjacent facility to the south -- gso approach. To confirm the above normally operating methods, the NAS computer generated an en route strip showing the aircraft at 10000 ft. This strip also showed a coordination facility identify in box 7, indicating that the flight plan was on-line to gso. I flashed the data tag, the handoff was accepted, and I changed their frequency to gso approach. After switching the aircraft, center advised me that they had taken the handoff and were flashing it to gso. Gso accepted the center's handoff before the aircraft entered their airspace, but the aircraft could just as easily entered gso's space without a handoff or coordination. The controller could have an operational error without even knowing that the ARTS was not working as it should. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated the problem has been given to automation personnel for follow-up. Reporter indicated that the facility has been told by outside facility personnel that that is the way it is referring to the amended flight plan and handoff process. Reporter alleges that the facility has not briefed controller personnel on the problem so that it is remedied at the FD/clearance delivery position rather than at the dc position after the flight is airborne.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HDOF MADE TO GSO BY RPTR IS TAKEN BY THE CTR AFTER AN AMENDED ALT HAD BEEN INPUT TO NAS COMPUTER TO DIRECT THE HDOF TO GSO. RPTR ALLEGES THAT WITH THIS SIT, AN ACFT COULD ENTER GSO AIRSPACE WITHOUT A HDOF RESULTING IN AN OPERROR.

Narrative: POOR AUTOMATION SYS. DH8 DEPARTED ROA TO CLT. THE FLT PLAN SHOWED A REQUESTED ALT OF FL200. OUR LOA WITH ZDC REQUIRES CLT PROPS TO BE AT 10000 FT AT 25 MI S OF ROA, SO I ASSIGNED 10000 FT TO THE ACFT AND AMENDED IT IN THE NAS COMPUTER. ONCE THE FLT PLAN IS AMENDED IN THE COMPUTER, THE ARTS TAG SHOULD NO LONGER 'HAND OFF' OR 'FLASH' TO ZDC (AIRSPACE ABOVE US UP TO 11000 FT) BUT INSTEAD, SHOULD HAND OFF TO THE ADJACENT FACILITY TO THE S -- GSO APCH. TO CONFIRM THE ABOVE NORMALLY OPERATING METHODS, THE NAS COMPUTER GENERATED AN ENRTE STRIP SHOWING THE ACFT AT 10000 FT. THIS STRIP ALSO SHOWED A COORD FACILITY IDENT IN BOX 7, INDICATING THAT THE FLT PLAN WAS ON-LINE TO GSO. I FLASHED THE DATA TAG, THE HDOF WAS ACCEPTED, AND I CHANGED THEIR FREQ TO GSO APCH. AFTER SWITCHING THE ACFT, CTR ADVISED ME THAT THEY HAD TAKEN THE HDOF AND WERE FLASHING IT TO GSO. GSO ACCEPTED THE CTR'S HDOF BEFORE THE ACFT ENTERED THEIR AIRSPACE, BUT THE ACFT COULD JUST AS EASILY ENTERED GSO'S SPACE WITHOUT A HDOF OR COORD. THE CTLR COULD HAVE AN OPERROR WITHOUT EVEN KNOWING THAT THE ARTS WAS NOT WORKING AS IT SHOULD. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THE PROB HAS BEEN GIVEN TO AUTOMATION PERSONNEL FOR FOLLOW-UP. RPTR INDICATED THAT THE FACILITY HAS BEEN TOLD BY OUTSIDE FACILITY PERSONNEL THAT THAT IS THE WAY IT IS REFERRING TO THE AMENDED FLT PLAN AND HDOF PROCESS. RPTR ALLEGES THAT THE FACILITY HAS NOT BRIEFED CTLR PERSONNEL ON THE PROB SO THAT IT IS REMEDIED AT THE FD/CD POS RATHER THAN AT THE DC POS AFTER THE FLT IS AIRBORNE.

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.