Small Aircraft; Low Wing; 1 Eng; Fixed Gear
Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Air Traffic Control Time Certified In Pos 1 (yrs) 8
Confusion; Training / Qualification
ATC Issue All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
General None Reported / Taken
Human Factors; Procedure
Aircraft are going into TUS approaches airspace (IFR/VFR) who either land at an airport in their airspace or who make practice approaches and then return to the PHX terminal area.  We often see these types of flights due to the high number of flight schools in southwest Arizona.  These flight plans are terminating in TUS approaches airspace.  At some point the aircraft land and takeoff again or they terminate their flight following and return to the PHX terminal area.  Once these aircraft cross back into ZAB airspace they auto-pop back on our scope on their previous flight plan/data block.  Some of these aircraft are squawking 1200 or their previous assigned beacon code.  Once these aircraft auto-pop back they are conflict alerting and creating a huge distraction to a very busy sector.  We coordinate with the TUS controllers and verify that these aircraft are not receiving ATC services on their way back.  Often times the response from TUS is that the aircraft landed or that they terminated flight following.The 7110.65 5-2-2 a.2 Note 2 requires TUS approach to remove the flight plan.  They are not complying with this paragraph.5-2-2. DISCRETE ENVIRONMENTa. Issue discrete beacon codes assigned by thecomputer. Computer-assigned codes may be modifiedas required.1. TERMINAL. Aircraft that will remain withinthe terminal facility's delegated airspace must beassigned a code from the code subset allocated to theterminal facility.2. TERMINAL. Unless otherwise specified in afacility directive or a letter of agreement; aircraft thatwill enter an adjacent ATTS facility's delegatedairspace must be assigned a beacon code assigned bythe ARTCC computer.NOTE:1. This will provide the adjacent facility advanceinformation on the aircraft and will cause auto-acquisitionof the aircraft prior to handoff.2. When an IFR aircraft; or a VFR aircraft that has beenassigned a beacon code by the ARTCC computer andwhose flight plan will terminate in another facility's area;cancels ATC service or does not activate the flight plan;ensure that appropriate action is taken to remove strips(RS message) on that aircraft.ZAB management has already spoken with TUS management on this issue and they believe that this is an ERAM issue.  They told us that they do not have the staffing to staff the Flight Data position; so they are unable to remove these types of flight plans.TUS should remove the flight plans.
ZAB FLM reported that IFR aircraft that transition to TUS Approach airspace; on return flight auto-pop back on the Centers scopes and should be on VFR code not the previous IFR code which causes confusion to the Center Controller.