Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Communication Breakdown
ATC Issue All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
General None Reported / Taken
Human Factors
Today Commander 114 originally called Sector XX to pick up flight following. The Controller placed the aircraft on Approach frequency since he was still in that airspace. With Approach; the aircraft picked up an IFR clearance and continued onto his destination. After entering Sector XX; the Controller confirmed that he had the weather and NOTAMS and cleared him for the GPS approach in IFR conditions. Another Controller then plugged into the sector to relieve the sector. Before the briefing started the Controller being relieved cleared the aircraft to CTAF and asked the relieving Controller if he/she got that. All acknowledged and then the recorded briefing began. The Controller being relieved indicated that he/she thought about the aircraft but lost track of time and thought that that the aircraft had cancelled. It was not until the relieved Controller came back from break that a data block was still there. The two Controllers questioned each other about the aircraft and that is the first time that I knew about the incident. I gathered the strip and the information and immediately called the front desk so that an ALNOT could be issued. I have spoken to the Controllers involved and they are aware of the severity of the incident. I told them to make sure that information is on the recorded briefing and to not keep anything to themselves.
Commander 114 had come up on my frequency requesting VFR flight following. I had him IDENT and determined that he was not in my airspace and was about to enter TRACON's airspace; so I switched him to their frequency. TRACON called me a few minutes later; asking for the weather at ZZZ. I gave them the full sequence; and they relayed it to Commander 114. I eventually got an IFR handoff on the aircraft at 060; with discretion to 030. When the pilot checked on; I again verified that he had the local weather and NOTAMS for ZZZ. He responded that he did; and requested to go direct NACIR for the GPS35 Approach. I cleared him as requested; then told him to maintain 030 until established on the approach and cleared him for the approach. A few minutes later; I was offered a break. As the relieving Controller was plugging in; I terminated RADAR services with Commander 114 and told him to report closing his Flight Plan on my frequency; or if unable; with radio. When starting the briefing; I said to the relieving Controller 'okay; you heard that'; meaning my clearing Commander 114 off frequency; I also left the correctly marked strip at the sector. I did NOT put this information on the recorded portion of the briefing; however. When I returned form my break; the first thing that the Controller who relieved me asked me was whether or not the aircraft had cancelled his IFR with me before I left. I replied that he had not. At this time; the aircraft was now seriously overdue and we had not heard back from him. We reported it to the Supervisor; who then initiated the necessary procedures to locate the aircraft. Calls to radio and Unicom (Unicom through another aircraft) yielded no results. Search and Rescue ended up having to physically go to the ZZZ airport to look for the aircraft. It was found; safe and sound; on the ramp. When questioned; the pilot replied that he was unaccustomed to flying into airports without a Tower; and had gotten distracted with getting the aircraft parked and unloaded in the rain that increased as he landed. He said that he was just getting ready to call and cancel with flight service when SAR located him. I should have made sure to include information about the aircraft in my recorded briefing to ensure that there was no confusion about him still needing to cancel his IFR with us. The relieving Controller also should have been more aggressive about following up; as he/she said that he/she knew the 30 minutes had already passed before he/she questioned me about the aircraft.
Enroute Controller described a failed coordination event between facility controllers and the pilot of an aircraft inbound to a non-towered airport that resulted an ALNOT and Search and Rescue intervention.