Departure controller failed to change reporter over to ZDC.

Attributes
ACN	96797
Time
Date	198810
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : ric
State Reference	VA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 8000 msl bound upper : 8000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : ric
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute airway : v157
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 24 flight time total : 1145
ASRS Report	96797
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : departure
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Deviation

Narrative:

Proceeding south on V157, I was in good communications contact with ric approach/departure control. At some point south of richmond departure control should have passed me to some other control activity, probably ZDC or raleigh durham approach. When that did not happen, I tried to contact ric but was apparently too far away, so I looked up the frequency for raleigh durham approach and finally reached them when I was about 40 mi north of the raleigh durham VOR on V155. As a result, there was concern and confusion in the cockpit for a time while we were apparently under the control of no one. I suspect this incident occurred because the ric controller was rather busy at the time. He was especially involved with another pilot who kept questioning, arguing and complaining about vectors which kept him from flying direct to his destination. I thought the controller was exceptionally polite with this other pilot and probably should have been less tolerant of him.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DEP CTLR FAILED TO CHANGE REPORTER OVER TO ZDC.

Narrative: PROCEEDING S ON V157, I WAS IN GOOD COMS CONTACT WITH RIC APCH/DEP CTL. AT SOME POINT S OF RICHMOND DEP CTL SHOULD HAVE PASSED ME TO SOME OTHER CTL ACTIVITY, PROBABLY ZDC OR RALEIGH DURHAM APCH. WHEN THAT DID NOT HAPPEN, I TRIED TO CONTACT RIC BUT WAS APPARENTLY TOO FAR AWAY, SO I LOOKED UP THE FREQ FOR RALEIGH DURHAM APCH AND FINALLY REACHED THEM WHEN I WAS ABOUT 40 MI N OF THE RALEIGH DURHAM VOR ON V155. AS A RESULT, THERE WAS CONCERN AND CONFUSION IN THE COCKPIT FOR A TIME WHILE WE WERE APPARENTLY UNDER THE CTL OF NO ONE. I SUSPECT THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED BECAUSE THE RIC CTLR WAS RATHER BUSY AT THE TIME. HE WAS ESPECIALLY INVOLVED WITH ANOTHER PLT WHO KEPT QUESTIONING, ARGUING AND COMPLAINING ABOUT VECTORS WHICH KEPT HIM FROM FLYING DIRECT TO HIS DEST. I THOUGHT THE CTLR WAS EXCEPTIONALLY POLITE WITH THIS OTHER PLT AND PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE BEEN LESS TOLERANT OF HIM.

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.