Narrative:

I was working ZME sector R-1 and R-2 combined without a radar associate. Not very busy. I noticed an aircraft enter my airspace at FL230, northeast of rzc VORTAC, from the direction of springfield, mo, on a beacon code assigned to another aircraft. Aircraft X called on 126.1 just as I was doing some other duties and didn't get to respond to the aircraft. The pilot tried another frequency and called ZME sector R-27 on 132.37. That controller called me and asked if I was working aircraft X and I responded no. The controller said he was over rzc at FL230 and I gave him 119.25. As the plane checked in, I looked the flight plan up in the computer and assigned a beacon of XXXX and radar idented the aircraft. At the time I didn't have a track nor did anyone at ZME, the aircraft was flying along as a limited target. After radar identing aircraft X, I had to '/ ok' to start a data block track and then I cleared the aircraft direct sasie..SASIE2.ftw, assigned the aircraft FL230, and told the pilot to expect further climb clearance shortly. I also called ZKC sector R-72 (sgf low) and asked them if they knew anything about the aircraft. The controller said that he just sat down and showed the aircraft handed off, I informed him that ZME had no track on the aircraft and I would call him back. I next called sgf approach and asked them what they knew since the aircraft departed 3DW in their airspace. They said they climbed the aircraft to 15000 ft and handed the aircraft off to ZKC R-72 (sgw low). I handed aircraft X off to ZME R-22 (rzc high) and shipped the aircraft so he could get to his final FL350. Then I called rzc approach and asked them if they knew anything about aircraft X and they said that they inadvertently took a handoff on the aircraft and saw he was climbing through FL220 and dropped the track knowing he'd never enter their airspace. It appears the aircraft automatic-handed to rzc approach because the handoff was not specifically directed to ZME sector R-2 by ZKC sector K-72.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZME CTLR CHRONICLES MISTAKEN AUTOMATED IDENT BY FSM THAT RESULTED IN CONFUSION WITH BOTH ZME AND ZKC CTLRS.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING ZME SECTOR R-1 AND R-2 COMBINED WITHOUT A RADAR ASSOCIATE. NOT VERY BUSY. I NOTICED AN ACFT ENTER MY AIRSPACE AT FL230, NE OF RZC VORTAC, FROM THE DIRECTION OF SPRINGFIELD, MO, ON A BEACON CODE ASSIGNED TO ANOTHER ACFT. ACFT X CALLED ON 126.1 JUST AS I WAS DOING SOME OTHER DUTIES AND DIDN'T GET TO RESPOND TO THE ACFT. THE PLT TRIED ANOTHER FREQ AND CALLED ZME SECTOR R-27 ON 132.37. THAT CTLR CALLED ME AND ASKED IF I WAS WORKING ACFT X AND I RESPONDED NO. THE CTLR SAID HE WAS OVER RZC AT FL230 AND I GAVE HIM 119.25. AS THE PLANE CHKED IN, I LOOKED THE FLT PLAN UP IN THE COMPUTER AND ASSIGNED A BEACON OF XXXX AND RADAR IDENTED THE ACFT. AT THE TIME I DIDN'T HAVE A TRACK NOR DID ANYONE AT ZME, THE ACFT WAS FLYING ALONG AS A LIMITED TARGET. AFTER RADAR IDENTING ACFT X, I HAD TO '/ OK' TO START A DATA BLOCK TRACK AND THEN I CLRED THE ACFT DIRECT SASIE..SASIE2.FTW, ASSIGNED THE ACFT FL230, AND TOLD THE PLT TO EXPECT FURTHER CLB CLRNC SHORTLY. I ALSO CALLED ZKC SECTOR R-72 (SGF LOW) AND ASKED THEM IF THEY KNEW ANYTHING ABOUT THE ACFT. THE CTLR SAID THAT HE JUST SAT DOWN AND SHOWED THE ACFT HANDED OFF, I INFORMED HIM THAT ZME HAD NO TRACK ON THE ACFT AND I WOULD CALL HIM BACK. I NEXT CALLED SGF APCH AND ASKED THEM WHAT THEY KNEW SINCE THE ACFT DEPARTED 3DW IN THEIR AIRSPACE. THEY SAID THEY CLBED THE ACFT TO 15000 FT AND HANDED THE ACFT OFF TO ZKC R-72 (SGW LOW). I HANDED ACFT X OFF TO ZME R-22 (RZC HIGH) AND SHIPPED THE ACFT SO HE COULD GET TO HIS FINAL FL350. THEN I CALLED RZC APCH AND ASKED THEM IF THEY KNEW ANYTHING ABOUT ACFT X AND THEY SAID THAT THEY INADVERTENTLY TOOK A HDOF ON THE ACFT AND SAW HE WAS CLBING THROUGH FL220 AND DROPPED THE TRACK KNOWING HE'D NEVER ENTER THEIR AIRSPACE. IT APPEARS THE ACFT AUTO-HANDED TO RZC APCH BECAUSE THE HDOF WAS NOT SPECIFICALLY DIRECTED TO ZME SECTOR R-2 BY ZKC SECTOR K-72.

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.