Y90 controller described an absent radar target event during an A90 attempt to make either a point o...

Narrative:

A piper malibu IFR handoff from A90. The aircraft was slow climbing and A90 wanted to enter our airspace or get a handoff. We were busy with a traffic call for an IFR departure off of bdl. We have been having issues with the filter settings on the bdl radar site. We did not have any information on this aircraft besides the flight progress strip. We did not see a data tag or target until we changed to multisite radar. I believe this is a systemic safety issue. I have seen multiple issues in this area with not seeing aircraft. This is the first one I have seen where A90 had to turn an aircraft away from our airspace. I have been trying to track these occurrences and I have seen a few where A90 has called for a point out and I see nothing out there; not a tag; or *; or trk. We see nothing! Having to switch to multisite is a big issue considering we then need increased separation. We also work combined sectors a lot making this situation worse. I would adjust the filters on the bdl and pvd radar sites so we always see at least tags or * on aircraft. We shouldn't have to switch to multisite to see aircraft we should easily be able to see on bdl or pvd radar site.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: Y90 Controller described an absent RADAR target event during an A90 attempt to make either a point out or handoff; the reporter suggesting filter changes on the BDL and OVD RADAR sites.

Narrative: A Piper Malibu IFR handoff from A90. The aircraft was slow climbing and A90 wanted to enter our airspace or get a handoff. We were busy with a traffic call for an IFR departure off of BDL. We have been having issues with the filter settings on the BDL RADAR site. We did not have any information on this aircraft besides the flight progress strip. We did not see a data tag or target until we changed to multisite RADAR. I believe this is a systemic safety issue. I have seen multiple issues in this area with not seeing aircraft. This is the first one I have seen where A90 had to turn an aircraft away from our airspace. I have been trying to track these occurrences and I have seen a few where A90 has called for a point out and I see nothing out there; not a tag; or *; or trk. We see nothing! Having to switch to multisite is a big issue considering we then need increased separation. We also work combined sectors a lot making this situation worse. I would adjust the filters on the BDL and PVD RADAR sites so we always see at least tags or * on aircraft. We shouldn't have to switch to multisite to see aircraft we should easily be able to see on BDL or PVD RADAR site.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2013 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.

Attributes
ACN	1124660
Time
Date	201310
Local Time Of Day	1801-2400
Place
Locale Reference	Y90.TRACON
State Reference	CT
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	PA-46 Malibu Meridian
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	Climb
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Function	Approach Departure
Qualification	Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Events
Anomaly	ATC Issue All Types

Y90 controller described an absent radar target event during an A90 attempt to make either a point out or handoff; the reporter suggesting filter changes on the bdl and ovd radar sites.