Narrative:

At xx:30 local on 1/sun/91, I had just been relieved from sector 17 radar associate and was filling out a students training form when we lost all power to the radar consoles and radios. There were approximately 6 aircraft in the sector at the time. I told the radar associate to see if we still had land line communications and to call the monton center, have them expand out and to take anyone they saw. He then called the underlying approach controls and informed them of the situation. I then went over to sector 01/02 and they were in the process of doing the same thing with both monton and montreal ctrs. The low altitude sector, 15/16 had only one aircraft and portland (maine) approach was able to contact him on their tunable radio set. At xx:35 radio coverage was restored and we began to establish some control again. At xx:41 the backup radar system came on line and I worked at sector 01/02 feeding the aircraft back into the system while the radar controller reidented the aircraft. The center continued on backup through out the remainder of the shift and I was told did not return to NAS radar until 7 hours later. Supplemental information from acn 168939. Evening of 1/91, I was the radar controller at the time of this incident. Radar lost power, also I lost my frequencys (primary). I then attempted to engage the backup radios, also dead. The backup radar (darc) was also dead. An aircraft at FL370 was in close proximity to the canadian airspace, thus I called them (luckily I still had my land lines) and they said he was radar with them and they would contact him by another means. By this time, the radios came back so I was able to talk to another aircraft at FL120. Shortly after the radios came back the backup radar system came back also. Supplemental information from acn 168855. I was working the right side at sector 15/16 combined. Boston center experienced a complete loss of frequencys and radar at all sectors. Portland approach was able to take control of the only aircraft I was working with their tunable frequency. I immediately called all abutting and underlying facs to hold traffic clear of boston center airspace. Supplemental information from acn 168859. I was working the nantucket manual sector. We experienced a total computer failure affecting both the radar and frequencys. After approximately 10 mins we were able to bring back the 'darc' radar. The frequencys also returned approximately the same time. For approximately 1 hour after the initial failure, we were unable to make computer entries at the manual position. All adjacent facs were notified to assist us during the critical time.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMPLETE RADIO AND RADAR FAILURE AT ZBW.

Narrative: AT XX:30 LCL ON 1/SUN/91, I HAD JUST BEEN RELIEVED FROM SECTOR 17 RADAR ASSOCIATE AND WAS FILLING OUT A STUDENTS TRNING FORM WHEN WE LOST ALL PWR TO THE RADAR CONSOLES AND RADIOS. THERE WERE APPROX 6 ACFT IN THE SECTOR AT THE TIME. I TOLD THE RADAR ASSOCIATE TO SEE IF WE STILL HAD LAND LINE COMS AND TO CALL THE MONTON CTR, HAVE THEM EXPAND OUT AND TO TAKE ANYONE THEY SAW. HE THEN CALLED THE UNDERLYING APCH CTLS AND INFORMED THEM OF THE SITUATION. I THEN WENT OVER TO SECTOR 01/02 AND THEY WERE IN THE PROCESS OF DOING THE SAME THING WITH BOTH MONTON AND MONTREAL CTRS. THE LOW ALT SECTOR, 15/16 HAD ONLY ONE ACFT AND PORTLAND (MAINE) APCH WAS ABLE TO CONTACT HIM ON THEIR TUNABLE RADIO SET. AT XX:35 RADIO COVERAGE WAS RESTORED AND WE BEGAN TO ESTABLISH SOME CTL AGAIN. AT XX:41 THE BACKUP RADAR SYS CAME ON LINE AND I WORKED AT SECTOR 01/02 FEEDING THE ACFT BACK INTO THE SYS WHILE THE RADAR CTLR REIDENTED THE ACFT. THE CTR CONTINUED ON BACKUP THROUGH OUT THE REMAINDER OF THE SHIFT AND I WAS TOLD DID NOT RETURN TO NAS RADAR UNTIL 7 HRS LATER. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 168939. EVENING OF 1/91, I WAS THE RADAR CTLR AT THE TIME OF THIS INCIDENT. RADAR LOST PWR, ALSO I LOST MY FREQS (PRIMARY). I THEN ATTEMPTED TO ENGAGE THE BACKUP RADIOS, ALSO DEAD. THE BACKUP RADAR (DARC) WAS ALSO DEAD. AN ACFT AT FL370 WAS IN CLOSE PROX TO THE CANADIAN AIRSPACE, THUS I CALLED THEM (LUCKILY I STILL HAD MY LAND LINES) AND THEY SAID HE WAS RADAR WITH THEM AND THEY WOULD CONTACT HIM BY ANOTHER MEANS. BY THIS TIME, THE RADIOS CAME BACK SO I WAS ABLE TO TALK TO ANOTHER ACFT AT FL120. SHORTLY AFTER THE RADIOS CAME BACK THE BACKUP RADAR SYS CAME BACK ALSO. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 168855. I WAS WORKING THE R SIDE AT SECTOR 15/16 COMBINED. BOSTON CTR EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE LOSS OF FREQS AND RADAR AT ALL SECTORS. PORTLAND APCH WAS ABLE TO TAKE CTL OF THE ONLY ACFT I WAS WORKING WITH THEIR TUNABLE FREQ. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED ALL ABUTTING AND UNDERLYING FACS TO HOLD TFC CLR OF BOSTON CTR AIRSPACE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 168859. I WAS WORKING THE NANTUCKET MANUAL SECTOR. WE EXPERIENCED A TOTAL COMPUTER FAILURE AFFECTING BOTH THE RADAR AND FREQS. AFTER APPROX 10 MINS WE WERE ABLE TO BRING BACK THE 'DARC' RADAR. THE FREQS ALSO RETURNED APPROX THE SAME TIME. FOR APPROX 1 HR AFTER THE INITIAL FAILURE, WE WERE UNABLE TO MAKE COMPUTER ENTRIES AT THE MANUAL POS. ALL ADJACENT FACS WERE NOTIFIED TO ASSIST US DURING THE CRITICAL TIME.

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.