Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Air Traffic Control Time Certified In Pos 1 (yrs) 4.0
Confusion; Human-Machine Interface; Situational Awareness; Communication Breakdown
ATC Issue All Types; Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Conflict Airborne Conflict; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Air Traffic Control Separated Traffic; Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification
ATC Equipment / Nav Facility / Buildings; Airspace Structure; Procedure
Aircraft X started calling me saying he had my frequency just in case of loss communications. It took me a while to get to him since I was very busy at the time and didn't know exactly where he was. Initially I thought it was just an aircraft trying to request flight following or an aircraft on the wrong frequency. Well; Aircraft X was an IFR aircraft right over the RSW VORTAC that had departed KEYW about 45 minutes prior. Aircraft X was given an IFR clearance from KEYW Tower; shipped to NQX Approach; then lost communications with NQX Approach. Aircraft X was never handed off to Miami Center. Therefore; he flew through Miami Center for about 95 miles; approximately 40 minutes without Miami Center having any type of Data Block; Flight Plan Information; Radar Identification; etc. Aircraft X was level at 110 the whole time he flew through Miami Center. We know this because we looked up the original Beacon Code he was assigned in Falcon. I tried to look up his flight plan through his call sign and through his beacon code but we had absolutely nothing on this aircraft. I immediately called for a D-Side so they could help me out with this situation. Once I was able to radar identify him; I noticed he had already entered R67's Airspace. I immediately called R67 and told them that Aircraft X was an IFR Aircraft at 110 in which we had no information on. The R67 controller immediately stopped an aircraft at 100 that was climbing high right underneath Aircraft X. I proceeded to give Aircraft X an official Miami Center Clearance to [destination airport]. I made sure to ask him who gave him his initial clearance and who was the last controller he spoke too. I made Aircraft X give me his Search and Rescue information on the frequency and shipped him to R67. I'm not sure who gave him loss communications to 132.4. I'm guessing he tried several Miami Center frequency's and one of the Miami Center Controllers were able to give him my frequency based on his location. In my opinion; this was an extremely dangerous and unsafe situation. I'm not sure if Aircraft X was ever in conflict with any other aircraft or if we loss standard separation on the course of his flight prior to the RSW VORTAC. I know that my sector was very busy at the time in which he called and it's a very high possibility that I might have descended or climbed one of my aircraft right through him. All I ever saw was a mode c intruder with no altitude. I hope this unsafe event gets investigated so we can fix the problem and prevent this from happening again.I'm not sure what type of NORDO procedures are used in NQX but I recommend that they start using one if they aren't doing so already. Aircraft X flew through 3 Miami Center Sectors on an IFR Clearance at 110 Feet and nobody ever knew that he was there.
An IFR aircraft was NORDO and their Radar Data tag was not displayed on ATC radar displays at the ARTCC. The aircraft flew through three ARTCC sectors without the controllers knowledge.