ZBW ARTCC radar controller states a saturated sector was not very well managed by the tmu.

Attributes
ACN	480330
Time
Date	200007
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zbw.artcc
State Reference	NH
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Weather Elements	Rain
Light	Daylight
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar pilot : private
Experience	controller radar : 10 controller time certified in position1 : 7 flight time total : 80
ASRS Report	480330
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : handoff position
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other controllerb
Resolutory Action	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Facility ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Facility
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : zbw.artcc staffing : zbw.artcc

Narrative:

The ZBW bosox sector became completely saturated with overflt, departure and transitional arrival traffic. There was no warning of such a high level of traffic in a short period of time. There was inadequate supervisory intervention to limit the impact of departures from 3 underlying approach controls (boa/nca/bda). The radar associate position was staffed, but saturated with strips to be a contributing member of the radar separation team. The handoff position should have been staffed, but was not, either due to staffing or supervisory decision. During this period of time, the sector was involved in several conflict points. There were hot spots northeast of hfd, west of bos, east of baf and output, all at the same time. There were many and various in-trails in effect during this entire period. There is no reason why this volume of traffic was allowed to converge into the bosox sector without tmu intervention. There were no restrs on departures to elevate any pressure off this sector.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZBW ARTCC RADAR CTLR STATES A SATURATED SECTOR WAS NOT VERY WELL MANAGED BY THE TMU.

Narrative: THE ZBW BOSOX SECTOR BECAME COMPLETELY SATURATED WITH OVERFLT, DEP AND TRANSITIONAL ARR TFC. THERE WAS NO WARNING OF SUCH A HIGH LEVEL OF TFC IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. THERE WAS INADEQUATE SUPERVISORY INTERVENTION TO LIMIT THE IMPACT OF DEPS FROM 3 UNDERLYING APCH CTLS (BOA/NCA/BDA). THE RADAR ASSOCIATE POS WAS STAFFED, BUT SATURATED WITH STRIPS TO BE A CONTRIBUTING MEMBER OF THE RADAR SEPARATION TEAM. THE HDOF POS SHOULD HAVE BEEN STAFFED, BUT WAS NOT, EITHER DUE TO STAFFING OR SUPERVISORY DECISION. DURING THIS PERIOD OF TIME, THE SECTOR WAS INVOLVED IN SEVERAL CONFLICT POINTS. THERE WERE HOT SPOTS NE OF HFD, W OF BOS, E OF BAF AND OUTPUT, ALL AT THE SAME TIME. THERE WERE MANY AND VARIOUS IN-TRAILS IN EFFECT DURING THIS ENTIRE PERIOD. THERE IS NO REASON WHY THIS VOLUME OF TFC WAS ALLOWED TO CONVERGE INTO THE BOSOX SECTOR WITHOUT TMU INTERVENTION. THERE WERE NO RESTRS ON DEPS TO ELEVATE ANY PRESSURE OFF THIS SECTOR.

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.