Small aircraft on IFR flight, enters and passes through approach control airspace at an altitude dif...

Attributes
ACN	83539
Time
Date	198803
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : ggg
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 4000 msl bound upper : 6000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zfw tracon : ggg tracon : tyr
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute airway : ggg enroute airway : zfw
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller non radar : 2 controller radar : 3
ASRS Report	83539
Person 2
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : private
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : investigated
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Inter Facility Coordination Failure Operational Deviation

Narrative:

At XA53 shv approach control gave me overflt coordination on small aircraft X, mlu V94 maf at 6000'. At XB03, shv approach control revised the altitude to 4000'. At XB49, small aircraft X made initial call up level at 6000'. I failed to notice the difference in actual altitude (6000) and posted altitude (4000') at XC06 the information on small aircraft X was passed to tyr approach. At XC14 the aircraft was actually in ZFW airspace at 6000 and not handed off. Zrw became aware of small aircraft X at 6000 at approximately XC55. Callback conversation revealed the following information: an operational deviation was processed by GGG tracab and the investigation resulted in a controller in shv approach control being de-certified for failing to re-coordination the chg in altitude of the small aircraft. The controller (reporter) was also de-certified for failing to properly verify the altitude of the small aircraft on initial contact. Reporter stated that the small aircraft pilot had stated his altitude on initial contact but she had not heard the report of 6000'. The small aircraft traversed the entire length of reporter's airspace without handoff or coordination because of its altitude. Tyr approach control, a non-radar facility, has airspace only to 4000 and the center owns above that. The aircraft continued about 60 miles into ZFW's airspace before the error was discovered. Miraculously, no conflict occurred with other air traffic.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA ON IFR FLT, ENTERS AND PASSES THROUGH APCH CTL AIRSPACE AT AN ALT DIFFERENT FROM THE ONE COORD BY PREVIOUS FAC.

Narrative: AT XA53 SHV APPROACH CONTROL GAVE ME OVERFLT COORD ON SMA X, MLU V94 MAF AT 6000'. AT XB03, SHV APPROACH CONTROL REVISED THE ALTITUDE TO 4000'. AT XB49, SMA X MADE INITIAL CALL UP LEVEL AT 6000'. I FAILED TO NOTICE THE DIFFERENCE IN ACTUAL ALTITUDE (6000) AND POSTED ALTITUDE (4000') AT XC06 THE INFORMATION ON SMA X WAS PASSED TO TYR APPROACH. AT XC14 THE ACFT WAS ACTUALLY IN ZFW AIRSPACE AT 6000 AND NOT HANDED OFF. ZRW BECAME AWARE OF SMA X AT 6000 AT APPROXIMATELY XC55. CALLBACK CONVERSATION REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION: AN OPERATIONAL DEVIATION WAS PROCESSED BY GGG TRACAB AND THE INVESTIGATION RESULTED IN A CTLR IN SHV APCH CTL BEING DE-CERTIFIED FOR FAILING TO RE-COORD THE CHG IN ALT OF THE SMA. THE CTLR (RPTR) WAS ALSO DE-CERTIFIED FOR FAILING TO PROPERLY VERIFY THE ALT OF THE SMA ON INITIAL CONTACT. RPTR STATED THAT THE SMA PLT HAD STATED HIS ALT ON INITIAL CONTACT BUT SHE HAD NOT HEARD THE REPORT OF 6000'. THE SMA TRAVERSED THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF RPTR'S AIRSPACE WITHOUT HANDOFF OR COORD BECAUSE OF ITS ALT. TYR APCH CTL, A NON-RADAR FAC, HAS AIRSPACE ONLY TO 4000 AND THE CENTER OWNS ABOVE THAT. THE ACFT CONTINUED ABOUT 60 MILES INTO ZFW'S AIRSPACE BEFORE THE ERROR WAS DISCOVERED. MIRACULOUSLY, NO CONFLICT OCCURRED WITH OTHER AIR TFC.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.

Small aircraft on IFR flight, enters and passes through approach control airspace at an altitude different from the one coordination by previous facility.