Narrative:

At XA13 on 12/sun/89 the boston ARTCC lost all radar coverage, frequencys, landlines. Approximately 10 mins later frequency 121.35 (buec) returned and was the only frequency covering about 11 sectors. At this time 2 aircraft contacted me. 1) air carrier X on his way to ord, and 2) GA Y an albany arrival. We established both of these aircraft in holding. Air carrier X over syr, and GA Y over alb and used them to contact other aircraft on unmonitored frequencys. Through these aircraft, we communicated with probably 15 others, as well as other facs to inform them of our problem. Without their help this bad situation could have been much worse. This is the second time an occurrence like this has occurred at the boston ARTCC. I believe the last time was late in the summer of 1989 and lasted for 6 mins. If the problem had been rectified the first time, I doubt it would have happened again. This occurrence lasted for 45 mins. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter said outage lasted approximately 35-45 mins. His sector only had 1 frequency to communicate with. Other sectors may have had emergency frequency available. Outage was human error and occurred at the telephone building downtown. Apparently all telephone company lines are routed through the telephone company building except a few of them. Outage last summer was caused by an overheat problem at the same building. Local newspapers and media, and regional office involved. As a result of this, a team of controller personnel from each sector were gathered to select priority lines for each sector that will come on line first. All personnel working when incident occurred, including other facility and pilots that assisted were presented with letters of commendations. Reporter feels that facility was on top of situation, but that it should not have occurred. Supplemental information from acn 132733: luckily the total loss of radar, frequency and telecon capabilities that occurred at the boston ARTCC came on one of the slowest traffic days of the year, 12/sun/89. Also an ice storm had hampered traffic for 2 days further reducing the number of aircraft in the sky. Loss of separation did not occur, because aircraft in sector 6 airspace were already stacked in a holding pattern. If the same situation were to occur again during a moderate to heavy traffic period, I feel confident that not only would there be a significant number of operational errors, but that it would once again be sheer luck if there were no loss of life.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMPLETE RADAR AND ATC FREQ AND INTERPHONE FAILURE. SECOND OCCURRENCE IN 6 MONTHS.

Narrative: AT XA13 ON 12/SUN/89 THE BOSTON ARTCC LOST ALL RADAR COVERAGE, FREQS, LANDLINES. APPROX 10 MINS LATER FREQ 121.35 (BUEC) RETURNED AND WAS THE ONLY FREQ COVERING ABOUT 11 SECTORS. AT THIS TIME 2 ACFT CONTACTED ME. 1) ACR X ON HIS WAY TO ORD, AND 2) GA Y AN ALBANY ARR. WE ESTABLISHED BOTH OF THESE ACFT IN HOLDING. ACR X OVER SYR, AND GA Y OVER ALB AND USED THEM TO CONTACT OTHER ACFT ON UNMONITORED FREQS. THROUGH THESE ACFT, WE COMMUNICATED WITH PROBABLY 15 OTHERS, AS WELL AS OTHER FACS TO INFORM THEM OF OUR PROBLEM. WITHOUT THEIR HELP THIS BAD SITUATION COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH WORSE. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME AN OCCURRENCE LIKE THIS HAS OCCURRED AT THE BOSTON ARTCC. I BELIEVE THE LAST TIME WAS LATE IN THE SUMMER OF 1989 AND LASTED FOR 6 MINS. IF THE PROBLEM HAD BEEN RECTIFIED THE FIRST TIME, I DOUBT IT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED AGAIN. THIS OCCURRENCE LASTED FOR 45 MINS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: REPORTER SAID OUTAGE LASTED APPROX 35-45 MINS. HIS SECTOR ONLY HAD 1 FREQ TO COMMUNICATE WITH. OTHER SECTORS MAY HAVE HAD EMER FREQ AVAILABLE. OUTAGE WAS HUMAN ERROR AND OCCURRED AT THE TELEPHONE BUILDING DOWNTOWN. APPARENTLY ALL TELCO LINES ARE ROUTED THROUGH THE TELCO BUILDING EXCEPT A FEW OF THEM. OUTAGE LAST SUMMER WAS CAUSED BY AN OVERHEAT PROBLEM AT THE SAME BUILDING. LCL NEWSPAPERS AND MEDIA, AND REGIONAL OFFICE INVOLVED. AS A RESULT OF THIS, A TEAM OF CTLR PERSONNEL FROM EACH SECTOR WERE GATHERED TO SELECT PRIORITY LINES FOR EACH SECTOR THAT WILL COME ON LINE FIRST. ALL PERSONNEL WORKING WHEN INCIDENT OCCURRED, INCLUDING OTHER FAC AND PLTS THAT ASSISTED WERE PRESENTED WITH LETTERS OF COMMENDATIONS. REPORTER FEELS THAT FAC WAS ON TOP OF SITUATION, BUT THAT IT SHOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION FROM ACN 132733: LUCKILY THE TOTAL LOSS OF RADAR, FREQ AND TELECON CAPABILITIES THAT OCCURRED AT THE BOSTON ARTCC CAME ON ONE OF THE SLOWEST TFC DAYS OF THE YEAR, 12/SUN/89. ALSO AN ICE STORM HAD HAMPERED TFC FOR 2 DAYS FURTHER REDUCING THE NUMBER OF ACFT IN THE SKY. LOSS OF SEPARATION DID NOT OCCUR, BECAUSE ACFT IN SECTOR 6 AIRSPACE WERE ALREADY STACKED IN A HOLDING PATTERN. IF THE SAME SITUATION WERE TO OCCUR AGAIN DURING A MODERATE TO HEAVY TFC PERIOD, I FEEL CONFIDENT THAT NOT ONLY WOULD THERE BE A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF OPERATIONAL ERRORS, BUT THAT IT WOULD ONCE AGAIN BE SHEER LUCK IF THERE WERE NO LOSS OF LIFE.

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.