Caravan Undifferentiated
Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Confusion; Situational Awareness
ATC Issue All Types
General None Reported / Taken
Human Factors; Procedure
A C208 departed FAT on an IFR Flight Plan. The aircraft was handed off to NCT and switched frequencies. Approximately 30 minutes later NCT called with 'hand off unable ARTS'. The aircraft was the C208 at 5;000. We checked the FDIO and there was nothing stored. The aircraft did not have an IFR Flight Plan in the system. NCT apparently cleared the aircraft to FAT and failed to file a Flight Plan. We don't know if the aircraft stopped at his destination or just did a fly by and return. [This is] a problem that would not have occurred if this facility was part of NCT. Something the NCT Controllers can't seem to get into their heads. By no means am I advocating this facility become part of NCT. NCT needs to be made aware that just because it works 'in house' doesn't mean it works with adjacent facilities. Standard procedures should always be followed.
FAT Controller described a confused hand off event when traffic inbound was devoid of any Flight Plan information in the FAT ARTS system; the reporter claiming NCT handled the traffic incorrectly with regard to separate facilities.