Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Air Traffic Control Time Certified In Pos 1 (yrs) 23
Troubleshooting; Human-Machine Interface; Situational Awareness; Time Pressure; Confusion; Communication Breakdown; Distraction
ATC Issue All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
ATC Equipment / Nav Facility / Buildings; Procedure
This report concerns another overdue aircraft; the aircraft was not in the position that the flight plan predicted; but nobody was aware. Since the advent of URET/CCLD [User Request Evaluation Tool/ Core Capability Limited Deployment] (or whatever it's called now); controllers have become more reliant upon the machine's notification of any overdue aircraft; having a more passive relationship with the data presented and awaiting any alerts. When I assumed the sector the relief briefing went well and everything seemed in order. As I assumed the sector; I ensured I was caught up on the current traffic situations and then began checking URET for other traffic. There was little traffic so I quickly came to Aircraft X; still showing [unknown] track control (probably an approach control facility); but the route display was NW bound @ 50; curious; and then I noted he left NDZ for MGM by way of AR; probably not. There was no overdue notification on the flight plan. Noting that the flight plan had already progressed my sector and was supposed to be halfway through Helena-Low; I called the previous sector (UBS-lo) to inquire and have him check back for the aircraft. I stood up to see my partner's URET on Helena-low and there was no overdue notification there either; I told him I had called UBS-lo. I printed out a flight strip on Aircraft X and gave it to my supervisor; telling her that he was overdue. She came by to tell me that Aircraft X was on the deck at MGM; and someone removed strips on the flight plan. The situation was easily remedied once someone took action.Although this lack of action on overdue aircraft happens frequently; and that is a safety issue that needs to be readdress. I'm curious which sector (if any) ever received an overdue notification on this aircraft that didn't show up at the predicted location & time. My sector and Helena-low received no overdue notification on the flight plan. Controllers rely upon the good help of URET; but often overly so. Every aircraft/flight plan requires our awareness (where is he going/landing? when will he want to start down? does this flight plan make sense?). RUNDE is in Arkansas and RUNOE is on the GPS3 @MGM; probably a simple Base Ops typo that the transferring controller could have caught. Some people tell me; 'Well it's probably a flight plan error.' 'You don't guess he's really traveling that way do you?' We're not paid to guess. Ensure you know where your pilots are and where they're going. Thankfully this pilot wasn't in a peanut field (this time).
ZME Controller reports of an overdue aircraft that he becomes aware of. Controller checks information and finds later that this aircraft is at a different airport than he expected. Controller noted that two fixes may have helped the automation problem; RUNDE and RUNOE.