Narrative:

Operator, not pilot, filed 2 flight plans, different destinations. 1 was sent pre departure clearance, 2ND issued verbally 52 mins later. Release was obtained from approach control on 1ST destination, pilot flied route for 2ND destination. No loss of separation. Departure release obtained from approach control using automated (ARTS) rundown. This system is not supposed to allow entry if more then 1 flight plan is in the system, as was the case here. Both strips situation at ground control for another 20 mins. Ground controller does not notice duplication, aircraft calls for taxi and ground controller passes smo strip to local. Local enters beacon code into ARTS rundown, ARTS accepts entry, approach releases aircraft. Approach notices problem when aircraft levels at 4000 ft versus expected 15000 ft. Problem is as follows: rerouting by company is routine, often causes duplicate flight plans to be filed. Company does not remove, or possibly cannot remove duplicates. Since 1ST flight plan is sent pre departure clearance and then given to ground control, clearance delivery has little clue that the next flight plan is a duplicate. In this case, the pilot stated there might be other flight plans, but since the previous had been processed 52 mins earlier, I had no memory of it. Finding only the approach that was the actual aircraft destination, saw no conflict. Typically, duplicates which are issued verbally are caught at clearance because both are present at the same time. Sending via pre departure clearance 1ST flight plan removes it from the view of clearance delivery, making the situation of multiple flight plans difficult to notice. ARTS is designed to show error message of 'duplicate identify,' duplicate call sign, when multiple flight plans exist. When this happens, a flight plan readout is done, all flight plans are displayed and you question the pilot of the intended destination. The fact that ARTS accepted the entry and the aircraft was released is a problem that needs to be addressed. This situation, multiple flight plans, happens on average more than once daily and is usually caught when the ARTS refuses the entry.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SJC CTLR EXPRESSED FRUSTRATION REGARDING ARTS EQUIP FAILURE TO DETECT DUPLICATE FLT PLANS.

Narrative: OPERATOR, NOT PLT, FILED 2 FLT PLANS, DIFFERENT DESTS. 1 WAS SENT PDC, 2ND ISSUED VERBALLY 52 MINS LATER. RELEASE WAS OBTAINED FROM APCH CTL ON 1ST DEST, PLT FLIED RTE FOR 2ND DEST. NO LOSS OF SEPARATION. DEP RELEASE OBTAINED FROM APCH CTL USING AUTOMATED (ARTS) RUNDOWN. THIS SYS IS NOT SUPPOSED TO ALLOW ENTRY IF MORE THEN 1 FLT PLAN IS IN THE SYS, AS WAS THE CASE HERE. BOTH STRIPS SIT AT GND CTL FOR ANOTHER 20 MINS. GND CTLR DOES NOT NOTICE DUPLICATION, ACFT CALLS FOR TAXI AND GND CTLR PASSES SMO STRIP TO LCL. LCL ENTERS BEACON CODE INTO ARTS RUNDOWN, ARTS ACCEPTS ENTRY, APCH RELEASES ACFT. APCH NOTICES PROB WHEN ACFT LEVELS AT 4000 FT VERSUS EXPECTED 15000 FT. PROB IS AS FOLLOWS: REROUTING BY COMPANY IS ROUTINE, OFTEN CAUSES DUPLICATE FLT PLANS TO BE FILED. COMPANY DOES NOT REMOVE, OR POSSIBLY CANNOT REMOVE DUPLICATES. SINCE 1ST FLT PLAN IS SENT PDC AND THEN GIVEN TO GND CTL, CLRNC DELIVERY HAS LITTLE CLUE THAT THE NEXT FLT PLAN IS A DUPLICATE. IN THIS CASE, THE PLT STATED THERE MIGHT BE OTHER FLT PLANS, BUT SINCE THE PREVIOUS HAD BEEN PROCESSED 52 MINS EARLIER, I HAD NO MEMORY OF IT. FINDING ONLY THE APCH THAT WAS THE ACTUAL ACFT DEST, SAW NO CONFLICT. TYPICALLY, DUPLICATES WHICH ARE ISSUED VERBALLY ARE CAUGHT AT CLRNC BECAUSE BOTH ARE PRESENT AT THE SAME TIME. SENDING VIA PDC 1ST FLT PLAN REMOVES IT FROM THE VIEW OF CLRNC DELIVERY, MAKING THE SIT OF MULTIPLE FLT PLANS DIFFICULT TO NOTICE. ARTS IS DESIGNED TO SHOW ERROR MESSAGE OF 'DUPLICATE IDENT,' DUPLICATE CALL SIGN, WHEN MULTIPLE FLT PLANS EXIST. WHEN THIS HAPPENS, A FLT PLAN READOUT IS DONE, ALL FLT PLANS ARE DISPLAYED AND YOU QUESTION THE PLT OF THE INTENDED DEST. THE FACT THAT ARTS ACCEPTED THE ENTRY AND THE ACFT WAS RELEASED IS A PROB THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. THIS SIT, MULTIPLE FLT PLANS, HAPPENS ON AVERAGE MORE THAN ONCE DAILY AND IS USUALLY CAUGHT WHEN THE ARTS REFUSES THE ENTRY.

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.