E135 flight crew initiate question of frequency change approaching lga while under ZNY control.

Attributes
ACN	535235
Time
Date	200201
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lga.airport
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl single value : 19000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zny.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	EMB ERJ 135 ER&LR
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 90 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 350
ASRS Report	535235
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew faa : investigated
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Deviation Inter Facility Coordination Failure

Narrative:

Flying bgr to lga, normal cruise at FL190, communicating with ZBW. I noted we were getting too close to new york to be talking to ZBW, so I queried the controller for a new york frequency. Controller seemed confused as to who we were, so I contacted a familiar local new york frequency. He directed me to another frequency who gave us vectors (somewhat perturbed) to descend for approach. Normal approach and landing followed. Was asked to contact controller via telephone. Contacted controller and explained above. No further actions noted. I believe there may have been an ATC shift change which did not pick us up. Therefore, we were not handed off to next frequency. Possible remedies were for me to have contacted center earlier -- the duration which we weren't contacted was unnaturally long. Controller should have been also able to trace back our aircraft via the flight tag/transponder strip. Controller shouldn't have allowed aircraft to enter his airspace without handoff.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: E135 FLC INITIATE QUESTION OF FREQ CHANGE APCHING LGA WHILE UNDER ZNY CTL.

Narrative: FLYING BGR TO LGA, NORMAL CRUISE AT FL190, COMMUNICATING WITH ZBW. I NOTED WE WERE GETTING TOO CLOSE TO NEW YORK TO BE TALKING TO ZBW, SO I QUERIED THE CTLR FOR A NEW YORK FREQ. CTLR SEEMED CONFUSED AS TO WHO WE WERE, SO I CONTACTED A FAMILIAR LCL NEW YORK FREQ. HE DIRECTED ME TO ANOTHER FREQ WHO GAVE US VECTORS (SOMEWHAT PERTURBED) TO DSND FOR APCH. NORMAL APCH AND LNDG FOLLOWED. WAS ASKED TO CONTACT CTLR VIA TELEPHONE. CONTACTED CTLR AND EXPLAINED ABOVE. NO FURTHER ACTIONS NOTED. I BELIEVE THERE MAY HAVE BEEN AN ATC SHIFT CHANGE WHICH DID NOT PICK US UP. THEREFORE, WE WERE NOT HANDED OFF TO NEXT FREQ. POSSIBLE REMEDIES WERE FOR ME TO HAVE CONTACTED CTR EARLIER -- THE DURATION WHICH WE WEREN'T CONTACTED WAS UNNATURALLY LONG. CTLR SHOULD HAVE BEEN ALSO ABLE TO TRACE BACK OUR ACFT VIA THE FLT TAG/XPONDER STRIP. CTLR SHOULDN'T HAVE ALLOWED ACFT TO ENTER HIS AIRSPACE WITHOUT HDOF.

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.