Narrative:

The radar controller was working a moderate volume of traffic (8-10 aircraft) with some complexity. We (I) had just accepted a radar handoff on the 1ST aircraft, aircraft X at FL210 approximately 26 mi from the swestern boundary of the sector. About 40 seconds later, a call from ZBW came. I answered the line and approved a pointout aircraft Y (B737-200) climbing towards snowhill (located on J174 southwest of the sector). Before approving the pointout, I scanned the sector for conflicting traffic. No immediate or potential conflicts were detected. The traffic at FL210 was 129 mi southwest of aircraft Y. According to radar data playback of the incident and still about 20 mi from the sector boundary. An LOA between ZNY and ZBW requires isp departures (aircraft Y) to cross the boundary at or above 15000 ft. Because of an automation problem, ZNY cannot automatically display a 'tag' (full data block) on traffic climbing to an altitude above ZNY airspace from ZBW to ZDC. As a result, we only manually enter the beacon code assignment into our database which forces the limited radar data to be highlighted. Additionally, the radar associate controller verbally informs to radar controller while physically pointing to the target on the display. I accomplished these tasks and the radar controller acknowledged the pointout. The radar controller stopped another departure under the slow climbing B737/200 indicating his continuous awareness of its presence, however, he did not remember the overflt at FL210 until he gave aircraft X 2 turns away too late. Factors contributing to this incident include: 1) lack of experience on my part with this sector's flows and unique traps, 2) failure of radar controller to detect conflict in a timely manner, 3) poor climb rate, approximately 800 FPM, of B737-200, 4) failure of ZBW controller to comply with LOA with ZNY -- aircraft Y crossed boundary at 14000 ft, 5) inability of interface automation to permit transiting sector to display full data block, and 6) distracted by other duties, I also failed to detect conflict.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZNY CTLR OVERLOOKS ENRTE ACFT WHEN ISSUING A CLB CLRNC WHICH RESULTS IN OPERROR. ZNY ZBW LOA NONCOMPLIANCE AND AUTOMATION CONSTRAINTS COMPLICATE EVENT.

Narrative: THE RADAR CTLR WAS WORKING A MODERATE VOLUME OF TFC (8-10 ACFT) WITH SOME COMPLEXITY. WE (I) HAD JUST ACCEPTED A RADAR HDOF ON THE 1ST ACFT, ACFT X AT FL210 APPROX 26 MI FROM THE SWESTERN BOUNDARY OF THE SECTOR. ABOUT 40 SECONDS LATER, A CALL FROM ZBW CAME. I ANSWERED THE LINE AND APPROVED A POINTOUT ACFT Y (B737-200) CLBING TOWARDS SNOWHILL (LOCATED ON J174 SW OF THE SECTOR). BEFORE APPROVING THE POINTOUT, I SCANNED THE SECTOR FOR CONFLICTING TFC. NO IMMEDIATE OR POTENTIAL CONFLICTS WERE DETECTED. THE TFC AT FL210 WAS 129 MI SW OF ACFT Y. ACCORDING TO RADAR DATA PLAYBACK OF THE INCIDENT AND STILL ABOUT 20 MI FROM THE SECTOR BOUNDARY. AN LOA BTWN ZNY AND ZBW REQUIRES ISP DEPS (ACFT Y) TO CROSS THE BOUNDARY AT OR ABOVE 15000 FT. BECAUSE OF AN AUTOMATION PROB, ZNY CANNOT AUTOMATICALLY DISPLAY A 'TAG' (FULL DATA BLOCK) ON TFC CLBING TO AN ALT ABOVE ZNY AIRSPACE FROM ZBW TO ZDC. AS A RESULT, WE ONLY MANUALLY ENTER THE BEACON CODE ASSIGNMENT INTO OUR DATABASE WHICH FORCES THE LIMITED RADAR DATA TO BE HIGHLIGHTED. ADDITIONALLY, THE RADAR ASSOCIATE CTLR VERBALLY INFORMS TO RADAR CTLR WHILE PHYSICALLY POINTING TO THE TARGET ON THE DISPLAY. I ACCOMPLISHED THESE TASKS AND THE RADAR CTLR ACKNOWLEDGED THE POINTOUT. THE RADAR CTLR STOPPED ANOTHER DEP UNDER THE SLOW CLBING B737/200 INDICATING HIS CONTINUOUS AWARENESS OF ITS PRESENCE, HOWEVER, HE DID NOT REMEMBER THE OVERFLT AT FL210 UNTIL HE GAVE ACFT X 2 TURNS AWAY TOO LATE. FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THIS INCIDENT INCLUDE: 1) LACK OF EXPERIENCE ON MY PART WITH THIS SECTOR'S FLOWS AND UNIQUE TRAPS, 2) FAILURE OF RADAR CTLR TO DETECT CONFLICT IN A TIMELY MANNER, 3) POOR CLB RATE, APPROX 800 FPM, OF B737-200, 4) FAILURE OF ZBW CTLR TO COMPLY WITH LOA WITH ZNY -- ACFT Y CROSSED BOUNDARY AT 14000 FT, 5) INABILITY OF INTERFACE AUTOMATION TO PERMIT TRANSITING SECTOR TO DISPLAY FULL DATA BLOCK, AND 6) DISTRACTED BY OTHER DUTIES, I ALSO FAILED TO DETECT CONFLICT.

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.