Narrative:

At the time of the incident which is the subject of this report, I was working the radar position at the albany sector (22) at bos ARTCC. The sector was not combined with any other at the time of the incident. The radar associate position was staffed, however the radar associate controller was dividing his attention between the albany sector and the syracuse sector (23) which had no radar associate controller at the time. I had been working the position for 1 hour and 52 mins when the incident occurred. Recognizing the signs of mental fatigue, I had advised the area supervisor that I was approaching 2 hours on position about 5 mins before the incident. Although no OJT was taking place at the time, a full performance level controller was training a developmental at the delancey sector (24) radar associate position earlier in the period. Air carrier X, the aircraft described above, had departed bdl en route to pit. It was proceeding direct center direct hnk. Small transport Y was eastbound at FL210, proceeding direct gdm to land at bvy. This aircraft, by local procedure, had to leave my airspace at FL180. After initially becoming aware of air carrier X, I diverted my attention to seeing that the point-out and handoff coordination for 3 successive alb departures proceeding northwest had been accomplished. These aircraft also had to be separated from an aircraft northeast bound at FL210, and needing descent to land at rut. Air carrier X checked in on the frequency level at 17000'. I checked his position and direction of flight, and envisioned a route center direct cam. With no traffic on that track, I issued clearance to climb and maintain FL230 and initiated a computer handoff to the cam sector (39). Shortly thereafter, I issued clearance for small transport Y to descend and maintain FL180. I then returned my attention to the alb departures and the rut inbound. An interphone call directed my attention to the northeast quadrant of my sector to coordinate a pilot request for an aircraft then at FL240 above my airspace. An additional interphone call directed my attention to that quadrant to approve a request for control for another aircraft that was leaving my area. I then received an interphone call from the cam sector requesting that I handoff air carrier X to sector 38. I then looked back to air carrier X in the southeast corner of my sector and observed C/a with small transport Y. I issued instructions for each aircraft to turn right. Air carrier X acknowledged and blocked the portion of my transmission addressed to small transport Y. A loss of required separation subsequently occurred. This narrative represents the chain of events to the best of my recollection. I have not yet reviewed the voice monitor tapes or the computer printouts.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR WAS DESCENDED THROUGH AN ALT OF A DESCENDING SMT RESULTING IN LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION.

Narrative: AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT WHICH IS THE SUBJECT OF THIS RPT, I WAS WORKING THE RADAR POS AT THE ALBANY SECTOR (22) AT BOS ARTCC. THE SECTOR WAS NOT COMBINED WITH ANY OTHER AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. THE RADAR ASSOCIATE POS WAS STAFFED, HOWEVER THE RADAR ASSOCIATE CTLR WAS DIVIDING HIS ATTN BTWN THE ALBANY SECTOR AND THE SYRACUSE SECTOR (23) WHICH HAD NO RADAR ASSOCIATE CTLR AT THE TIME. I HAD BEEN WORKING THE POS FOR 1 HR AND 52 MINS WHEN THE INCIDENT OCCURRED. RECOGNIZING THE SIGNS OF MENTAL FATIGUE, I HAD ADVISED THE AREA SUPVR THAT I WAS APCHING 2 HRS ON POS ABOUT 5 MINS BEFORE THE INCIDENT. ALTHOUGH NO OJT WAS TAKING PLACE AT THE TIME, A FULL PERFORMANCE LEVEL CTLR WAS TRNING A DEVELOPMENTAL AT THE DELANCEY SECTOR (24) RADAR ASSOCIATE POS EARLIER IN THE PERIOD. ACR X, THE ACFT DESCRIBED ABOVE, HAD DEPARTED BDL ENRTE TO PIT. IT WAS PROCEEDING DIRECT CTR DIRECT HNK. SMT Y WAS EBND AT FL210, PROCEEDING DIRECT GDM TO LAND AT BVY. THIS ACFT, BY LCL PROC, HAD TO LEAVE MY AIRSPACE AT FL180. AFTER INITIALLY BECOMING AWARE OF ACR X, I DIVERTED MY ATTN TO SEEING THAT THE POINT-OUT AND HDOF COORD FOR 3 SUCCESSIVE ALB DEPS PROCEEDING NW HAD BEEN ACCOMPLISHED. THESE ACFT ALSO HAD TO BE SEPARATED FROM AN ACFT NE BOUND AT FL210, AND NEEDING DSCNT TO LAND AT RUT. ACR X CHKED IN ON THE FREQ LEVEL AT 17000'. I CHKED HIS POS AND DIRECTION OF FLT, AND ENVISIONED A ROUTE CTR DIRECT CAM. WITH NO TFC ON THAT TRACK, I ISSUED CLRNC TO CLB AND MAINTAIN FL230 AND INITIATED A COMPUTER HDOF TO THE CAM SECTOR (39). SHORTLY THEREAFTER, I ISSUED CLRNC FOR SMT Y TO DSND AND MAINTAIN FL180. I THEN RETURNED MY ATTN TO THE ALB DEPS AND THE RUT INBND. AN INTERPHONE CALL DIRECTED MY ATTN TO THE NE QUADRANT OF MY SECTOR TO COORDINATE A PLT REQUEST FOR AN ACFT THEN AT FL240 ABOVE MY AIRSPACE. AN ADDITIONAL INTERPHONE CALL DIRECTED MY ATTN TO THAT QUADRANT TO APPROVE A REQUEST FOR CTL FOR ANOTHER ACFT THAT WAS LEAVING MY AREA. I THEN RECEIVED AN INTERPHONE CALL FROM THE CAM SECTOR REQUESTING THAT I HDOF ACR X TO SECTOR 38. I THEN LOOKED BACK TO ACR X IN THE SE CORNER OF MY SECTOR AND OBSERVED C/A WITH SMT Y. I ISSUED INSTRUCTIONS FOR EACH ACFT TO TURN RIGHT. ACR X ACKNOWLEDGED AND BLOCKED THE PORTION OF MY XMISSION ADDRESSED TO SMT Y. A LOSS OF REQUIRED SEPARATION SUBSEQUENTLY OCCURRED. THIS NARRATIVE REPRESENTS THE CHAIN OF EVENTS TO THE BEST OF MY RECOLLECTION. I HAVE NOT YET REVIEWED THE VOICE MONITOR TAPES OR THE COMPUTER PRINTOUTS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.