Date: 201202
Local time of day: 1801-2400
Location: ZZZ.ARTCC, US
Aircraft: A319
Operator: Air Carrier
Operating under: Part 121
Flight plan: IFR
Mission: Passenger
Flight phase: Climb
Airspace: Class A ZZZ
ATC / advisory: Center ZZZ
Reporter organization: Government
Reporter function: Enroute
Reporter qualification: Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Human factors: Human-Machine Interface; Confusion; Situational Awareness
Anomaly: ATC Issue All Types; Airspace Violation All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Detector: Person Air Traffic Control
When detected: In-flight
Result: General None Reported / Taken
Contributing factors: Human Factors; Procedure
Primary problem: Human Factors

Narrative: I was that RADAR Controller on Sector X. Our Facility Operating Procedures allow controllers to climb departing aircraft to the ceiling of the low altitude sectors without showing that altitude in the Data Block. An A319 checked on to my frequency climbing to FL230 the ceiling of the adjacent sector. As I acknowledged the A319 and was issuing a climb clearance to the A319; I was typing in the hand off command to Sector Y. In normal operations; the departure flight is always climbed to FL260; which is not shown in the Data Block and handed off to Sector Y. As I was issuing the climb clearance to the A319; I was typing 'Y' into the keyboard to hand the A319 off. I ended up climbing the A319 to FL290 when FL260 is the ceiling of my airspace; without coordination to Sector Y. Because I was handing off the A319 to Sector Y while issuing the climb clearance; I must have had 'Y' in my head and issued the climb to FL290 when I meant to climb them to FL260. Sector Y took the hand off of the A319 when the A319 was out of about FL220. The A319 was immediately given the frequency change. The A319 was out of about FL235 when they checked on with Sector Y climbing to FL290. The Sector Y RADAR Controller recognized the error; had no traffic in conflict with the A319; and continued the climb of the A319. The Facility Operating Procedures (FOP) state that the low altitude sector that receives a hand off from approach may climb departures to the ceiling of their airspace without showing that altitude as an interim altitude; and hand that aircraft off to the sector above. I believe that if we are required to show what altitude the aircraft is climbing to at all times; it would reiterate to the climbing controller that the aircraft is in fact climbing to only the ceiling of their sector. It is understanding that situations will occur where an aircraft is being given a climb clearance; supposed to be to FL260 while entering 'Y' in the keyboard to start the hand off and the Controller will mistakenly climb the aircraft to FL290 because that is the number the Controller was focusing on at the time. If the Controller were required to enter the interim altitude; the Controller would have to focus on entering '260' into the keyboard while climbing the aircraft; which could possibly prevent the mistake described above from occurring.




Synopsis: Enroute Controller described an unauthorized airspace entry event when thinking one altitude but assigning another.