Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Communication Breakdown; Situational Awareness
ATC Issue All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
General None Reported / Taken
ATC Equipment / Nav Facility / Buildings; Human Factors; Procedure
After position transfer I went to check on the traffic. I noticed an untagged discreet beacon code at 70 over DALTS northeast bound. I asked the RADAR Controller who that was. His replied - no idea. I requested a full route on the beacon code to try and determine the aircraft identity. There was none in our system. I then tagged the aircraft with a point out tag and instructed the RADAR Controller to separate from him as though he was IFR. A few miles past ACO the aircraft called us. We had an IFR strip on him but with a different beacon code. He would have come from ZID to ZOB computer system. We changed his beacon code and successfully handed him off before he left our airspace. After discussion with CPCs they are unsure if they took the hand off and if so how the tag may have dropped. I do not believe separation was lost. After I instructed the CPC to provide separation; separation was provided. When aircraft cross over from Center to Center often beacon codes must be changed. Develop a method for facilities to access the neighboring Center computer to search for unknown or unrecognized beacon codes. Simply having a second FDIO labeled the appropriate Center in facilities that border other Centers would allow access to time critical information to help quickly solve/prevent situations such as these.
CAK Controller described an airspace incursion event when unknown/unidentified traffic appeared in his/her airspace; the reporter suggesting a process be developed to allow a search of an adjacent facility's data.