Narrative:

At approximately XA21 pm, a phone line was cut between the ZNY computer and abe approach, which resulted in need to manually copy all flight plan information and make manual handoffs between abe and adjacent facilities. Adjacent facilities were advised to call ahead with flight plan information prior to handoff being attempted. This information was apparently not passed on when shift changes occurred 2 hours later. I was working drs and a handoff position was open to coordinate inbound and outbound handoffs. 2 1/2 hours later, several adjacent facilities started calling with handoffs. These aircraft (about 8) were coming up on the abe boundaries. Since the flight plan information had not been forwarded, this information had to be copied and the aircraft manually entered into the ARTS ii. Both the handoff person and myself were taking handoffs. The volume of handoffs in addition to the aircraft I was already working caused a very complex situation. At this point departures off of abe were coming off with no ARTS ii tags due to a technical problem further adding to the workload. I then instructed abe tower not to launch any more departures, and I instructed handoff not to take any more aircraft. I failed to put an ARTS ii tag on aircraft, later to be one of the aircraft involved. I tried twice to tag this aircraft but for some reason it did not tag. I became very involved with handoffs to adjacent facilities and then with a lost aircraft and did not notice this untagged aircraft X until I saw it in front of aircraft Y at the same altitude. Both aircraft were turned and the untagged aircraft X also started a descent due to a TCASII alert. This aircraft was then tagged and both aircraft were turned back on course. 9 hours later technician from phone company arrived at abe and within 20 mins all automation was restored.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATC EQUIP PROB RADAR ARTS II. ACFT X SAME ALT ASSIGNED HAD LTSS FROM ACFT Y. SYS ERROR. ACFT X TCASII RA DSND. EVASIVE ACTION TAKEN.

Narrative: AT APPROX XA21 PM, A PHONE LINE WAS CUT BTWN THE ZNY COMPUTER AND ABE APCH, WHICH RESULTED IN NEED TO MANUALLY COPY ALL FLT PLAN INFO AND MAKE MANUAL HDOFS BTWN ABE AND ADJACENT FACILITIES. ADJACENT FACILITIES WERE ADVISED TO CALL AHEAD WITH FLT PLAN INFO PRIOR TO HDOF BEING ATTEMPTED. THIS INFO WAS APPARENTLY NOT PASSED ON WHEN SHIFT CHANGES OCCURRED 2 HRS LATER. I WAS WORKING DRS AND A HDOF POS WAS OPEN TO COORDINATE INBOUND AND OUTBOUND HDOFS. 2 1/2 HRS LATER, SEVERAL ADJACENT FACILITIES STARTED CALLING WITH HDOFS. THESE ACFT (ABOUT 8) WERE COMING UP ON THE ABE BOUNDARIES. SINCE THE FLT PLAN INFO HAD NOT BEEN FORWARDED, THIS INFO HAD TO BE COPIED AND THE ACFT MANUALLY ENTERED INTO THE ARTS II. BOTH THE HDOF PERSON AND MYSELF WERE TAKING HDOFS. THE VOLUME OF HDOFS IN ADDITION TO THE ACFT I WAS ALREADY WORKING CAUSED A VERY COMPLEX SIT. AT THIS POINT DEPS OFF OF ABE WERE COMING OFF WITH NO ARTS II TAGS DUE TO A TECHNICAL PROB FURTHER ADDING TO THE WORKLOAD. I THEN INSTRUCTED ABE TWR NOT TO LAUNCH ANY MORE DEPS, AND I INSTRUCTED HDOF NOT TO TAKE ANY MORE ACFT. I FAILED TO PUT AN ARTS II TAG ON ACFT, LATER TO BE ONE OF THE ACFT INVOLVED. I TRIED TWICE TO TAG THIS ACFT BUT FOR SOME REASON IT DID NOT TAG. I BECAME VERY INVOLVED WITH HDOFS TO ADJACENT FACILITIES AND THEN WITH A LOST ACFT AND DID NOT NOTICE THIS UNTAGGED ACFT X UNTIL I SAW IT IN FRONT OF ACFT Y AT THE SAME ALT. BOTH ACFT WERE TURNED AND THE UNTAGGED ACFT X ALSO STARTED A DSCNT DUE TO A TCASII ALERT. THIS ACFT WAS THEN TAGGED AND BOTH ACFT WERE TURNED BACK ON COURSE. 9 HRS LATER TECHNICIAN FROM PHONE COMPANY ARRIVED AT ABE AND WITHIN 20 MINS ALL AUTOMATION WAS RESTORED.

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.