Narrative:

I was working the pwl radar position at boston ARTCC. I observed ny TRACON liberty east sector handing off commuter X to me at 8000 ft northbound on V487. At the same time I also observed the boston center (danbury sector) handing off corp aircraft Y descending from 14000 ft to 8000 ft also northbound on V487 about 4 mi behind aircraft X. I then instructed the pwl radar associate controller to call the danbury sector and tell him to stop aircraft Y's descent at 9000 ft. Corp Y then passed over the top and within a mi laterally of aircraft X. The liberty east controller had approved a pointout from the danbury sector to descend corp Y to 8000 ft. Poor control ability by the liberty east controller was the direct reason that the situation occurred. Poor procedures contributed to this incident. These aircraft (aircraft Y landing pou) should not be routed through the danbury and pawling sectors. Boston center should not control aircraft landing in ny TRACON airspace that depart airports south of ny TRACON airspace. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: tried to get reporter (ZBW controller) to explain the airspace jurisdiction in danbury, pawling, pou area. Reporter says that airspace is pretty well chopped up with ny TRACON owning 11000 to 17000 in their liberty area with 'about a million shelves'. Also the N90 catskill sector owns 5000 & 6000 in area of pou/swf airports. He gave example of aircraft en route to pou from over jfk at fl altitude. That aircraft would work ZNY then ZBW (danbury) then N90 (liberty) then ZBW (pawling) then N90 (catskill) then pou tower. ZBW pawling controllers are supposed to work aircraft which are actually in N90 allocated airspace. This reporter reroutes most of these aircraft so as to keep them in his airspace.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: POTENTIAL CONFLICT AS COMMUTER AND OVERTAKING CORP JET WERE ASSIGNED THE SAME ALT. ERROR CORRECTED BEFORE LOSS OF SEPARATION.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING THE PWL RADAR POS AT BOSTON ARTCC. I OBSERVED NY TRACON LIBERTY E SECTOR HANDING OFF COMMUTER X TO ME AT 8000 FT NBOUND ON V487. AT THE SAME TIME I ALSO OBSERVED THE BOSTON CENTER (DANBURY SECTOR) HANDING OFF CORP ACFT Y DSNDING FROM 14000 FT TO 8000 FT ALSO NBOUND ON V487 ABOUT 4 MI BEHIND ACFT X. I THEN INSTRUCTED THE PWL RADAR ASSOCIATE CTLR TO CALL THE DANBURY SECTOR AND TELL HIM TO STOP ACFT Y'S DSCNT AT 9000 FT. CORP Y THEN PASSED OVER THE TOP AND WITHIN A MI LATERALLY OF ACFT X. THE LIBERTY E CTLR HAD APPROVED A POINTOUT FROM THE DANBURY SECTOR TO DSND CORP Y TO 8000 FT. POOR CTL ABILITY BY THE LIBERTY E CTLR WAS THE DIRECT REASON THAT THE SITUATION OCCURRED. POOR PROCEDURES CONTRIBUTED TO THIS INCIDENT. THESE ACFT (ACFT Y LNDG POU) SHOULD NOT BE ROUTED THROUGH THE DANBURY AND PAWLING SECTORS. BOSTON CENTER SHOULD NOT CTL ACFT LNDG IN NY TRACON AIRSPACE THAT DEPART ARPTS S OF NY TRACON AIRSPACE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION: TRIED TO GET RPTR (ZBW CTLR) TO EXPLAIN THE AIRSPACE JURISDICTION IN DANBURY, PAWLING, POU AREA. RPTR SAYS THAT AIRSPACE IS PRETTY WELL CHOPPED UP WITH NY TRACON OWNING 11000 TO 17000 IN THEIR LIBERTY AREA WITH 'ABOUT A MILLION SHELVES'. ALSO THE N90 CATSKILL SECTOR OWNS 5000 & 6000 IN AREA OF POU/SWF ARPTS. HE GAVE EXAMPLE OF ACFT ENRTE TO POU FROM OVER JFK AT FL ALT. THAT ACFT WOULD WORK ZNY THEN ZBW (DANBURY) THEN N90 (LIBERTY) THEN ZBW (PAWLING) THEN N90 (CATSKILL) THEN POU TWR. ZBW PAWLING CTLRS ARE SUPPOSED TO WORK ACFT WHICH ARE ACTUALLY IN N90 ALLOCATED AIRSPACE. THIS RPTR REROUTES MOST OF THESE ACFT SO AS TO KEEP THEM IN HIS AIRSPACE.

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.