Narrative:

I work in area D at ZBW. The aircraft carrier X was performing maneuvers in W105. For some reason, 12 fgt aircraft could not land on deck. They were observed squawking 7700 in W105. The aircraft began to come up on center frequency saying they were at an emergency fuel status. The aircraft requested to land at pease AFB in nh. I began accepting handoffs and started sequencing aircraft into pease. Pease AFB closes on the midnight shift. The tower remains open. The tower did not possess radar (BRITE) capability this evening. Due to the above scenario, I was forced to sequence the fgt's and descend them to al altitude where they could see the runway at pease. When the aircraft observed the field, I switched them to pease tower frequency. I could not clear the aircraft for approach as it would take too long to receive a cancellation and may contribute to an aircraft running out of fuel (or several). 1 of the first aircraft on approach requested and landed in the arresting gear at the approach end of runway 34. Subsequent arrs had to fly over this aircraft before landing. ZBW is assuming approach control airspace on the midnight shift. We had limited training as approach controllers and we are not able to adequately handle situations of this magnitude. Many approachs overlap which forces center controllers to work 1 aircraft in and 1 aircraft out. This means aircraft are unnecessarily delayed due to staffing requirements. Recommendations: 1) require approach controls to remain open 24 hours a day to facilitate aircraft movement. 2) increase center staffing during the midnight shift.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMERGENCY LOW FUEL STATE OF MIL FGT'S DIVERTED TO MIL ARPT. SITUATION: ARTCC WORKS APCH CTL ON MID SHIFTS.

Narrative: I WORK IN AREA D AT ZBW. THE ACFT CARRIER X WAS PERFORMING MANEUVERS IN W105. FOR SOME REASON, 12 FGT ACFT COULD NOT LAND ON DECK. THEY WERE OBSERVED SQUAWKING 7700 IN W105. THE ACFT BEGAN TO COME UP ON CENTER FREQ SAYING THEY WERE AT AN EMER FUEL STATUS. THE ACFT REQUESTED TO LAND AT PEASE AFB IN NH. I BEGAN ACCEPTING HDOFS AND STARTED SEQUENCING ACFT INTO PEASE. PEASE AFB CLOSES ON THE MIDNIGHT SHIFT. THE TWR REMAINS OPEN. THE TWR DID NOT POSSESS RADAR (BRITE) CAPABILITY THIS EVENING. DUE TO THE ABOVE SCENARIO, I WAS FORCED TO SEQUENCE THE FGT'S AND DSND THEM TO AL ALT WHERE THEY COULD SEE THE RWY AT PEASE. WHEN THE ACFT OBSERVED THE FIELD, I SWITCHED THEM TO PEASE TWR FREQ. I COULD NOT CLR THE ACFT FOR APCH AS IT WOULD TAKE TOO LONG TO RECEIVE A CANCELLATION AND MAY CONTRIBUTE TO AN ACFT RUNNING OUT OF FUEL (OR SEVERAL). 1 OF THE FIRST ACFT ON APCH REQUESTED AND LANDED IN THE ARRESTING GEAR AT THE APCH END OF RWY 34. SUBSEQUENT ARRS HAD TO FLY OVER THIS ACFT BEFORE LNDG. ZBW IS ASSUMING APCH CTL AIRSPACE ON THE MIDNIGHT SHIFT. WE HAD LIMITED TRNING AS APCH CTLRS AND WE ARE NOT ABLE TO ADEQUATELY HANDLE SITUATIONS OF THIS MAGNITUDE. MANY APCHS OVERLAP WHICH FORCES CENTER CTLRS TO WORK 1 ACFT IN AND 1 ACFT OUT. THIS MEANS ACFT ARE UNNECESSARILY DELAYED DUE TO STAFFING REQUIREMENTS. RECOMMENDATIONS: 1) REQUIRE APCH CTLS TO REMAIN OPEN 24 HRS A DAY TO FACILITATE ACFT MOVEMENT. 2) INCREASE CENTER STAFFING DURING THE MIDNIGHT SHIFT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.