diff --git a/Utilities/DataHelper/src/TrackExtended.cc b/Utilities/DataHelper/src/TrackExtended.cc
index 2c2d1412a8d23968af301373655048ce25d25a3d..762247e6e3ca7a3b115fc8bacb69ced2fb6133c1 100644
--- a/Utilities/DataHelper/src/TrackExtended.cc
+++ b/Utilities/DataHelper/src/TrackExtended.cc
@@ -33,7 +33,11 @@ TrackExtended::TrackExtended( TrackerHitExtended * trackerhit) {
 TrackExtended::~TrackExtended() {}
 
 ConstTrack TrackExtended::getTrack() {
-    return _track;
+  if(!_track.isAvailable()){
+    std::cout << "Error: track not available" << _track.isAvailable() << " id= " << _track.id() << std::endl;
+    throw std::runtime_error("Error: track not available");
+  }
+  return _track;
 }
 
 const float * TrackExtended::getSeedPosition() {