2010-12 · NASA ASRS report 925042
Several ZDV Controllers described a deviation event when an aircraft data block was inadvertently dropped and the aircraft transited several sectors without communication or hand off.
I had been on position on Sector 18 RADAR for a few minutes when I inadvertently dropped the track on Air Carrier X who was at FL380 flying from east to west through my sector. I do not know how I accidentally dropped the track but was told during the review of the event that it was my position that dropped the track on that aircraft. I did not see Air Carrier X's limited data block after its track had been dropped. Air Carrier X continued through my sector with no full data block and into the next sector; Sector 46; with no hand off and no full data block until it reached the next sector to the west; Sector 65; who then noticed the limited data block about to enter their airspace without a hand off or full data block. I watched the Falcon replay of when the track was dropped and saw that it happened while I was focused on the left side of the scope monitoring an aircraft I had descended for traffic; Air Carrier X was on the right side of the scope. The rest of the session became busier with arrivals coming from the south during a miles-in-trail restriction; and other traffic conflicts. The two factors that I believe contributed to this are keyboard entry errors and not scanning for limited data blocks within my own sector. Recommendation; I have only been told that it was my position that dropped the track so at this point in time I do not know what type of keyboard entry I had been trying to make at the time the track was accidentally dropped.
Air Carrier X entered Sector 46 airspace from Sector 18 and [was] not noticed by either Sector 46R or RA positions until Sector 65 called Sector 46RA to advise they had RADAR contact on untracked target they thought to be Air Carrier X based on code observed. Sector 65 requested communications with Air Carrier X but Sector 46 never had communications with the aircraft. Dim display settings on Sector 46 may have contributed to why untracked target or data block [was] not noticed. Recommendation; brighter settings on sector display may have helped. Double bright Mode C intruders might help.
More incidents for this aircraft family
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.
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