Small Transport; Low Wing; 2 Turboprop Eng
Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Air Traffic Control Time Certified In Pos 1 (yrs) 3
Human-Machine Interface; Confusion; Communication Breakdown; Situational Awareness
ATC Issue All Types; Airspace Violation All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Other / Unknown
Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Air Traffic Control Separated Traffic; Flight Crew Became Reoriented; Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification
Airspace Structure; Human Factors
Aircraft X came on to my frequency asking 'if he had missed the handoff'. I did a database search and nothing came up for that call sign. I asked him for his position and altitude and saw a target in the approximate location at which the aircraft said he was at roughly the same altitude; which was well outside of my airspace by about 30 or 40 miles. The Mode C readout I saw varied around 17;300 feet and fluctuating a couple hundred feet on either side of that; so I gave him a new beacon code; and told him to maintain VFR. I had a couple other clearances to issue; while my D side got everything situated to get a data block set up for the correct sector to be able to easily take radar on the aircraft; again all the while assuming the aircraft was VFR.When I finally asked the aircraft if he was VFR or IFR; he said he was IFR and then his mode C read 17;000 feet. I called that sector immediately and told them the situation. They then asked me to issue a 20 degree right turn for their traffic; but I was uncertain; because I didn't know if it was their airspace or Approach's airspace. I issued the turn anyways and they eventually took radar on the aircraft and I switched the plane to them. I don't believe there was a loss of separation. It appeared that for whatever reason; the aircraft's flight plan was never passed to the Center either manually or automatically from an Approach Control because it also seemed as though the Center sector had no idea who the aircraft was either. Then also theorizing that Norfolk approach switched the aircraft to the incorrect frequency as well.
ZDC Center Controller reported an aircraft called them that was on an IFR flight plan outside of their airspace in another sector and with no radar data tag.