Narrative:

The recent deployment of the advanced technologies oceanic procedures system (atops) ocean 21 situation display system represents a significant change in the way IFR flts are approved into oceanic airspace. Previously; using hard copy flight strips at significant fix postings; controllers idented potential conflicts and issued appropriate control restrs in conjunction with granting entry approval into oceanic airspace. Ocean 21 (atops) now performs a traffic search and permits entry if no conflict is detected -- even when data indicates a potential conflict is possible. Air carrier X routed from ewr airport into the north atlantic ICAO (nat) region and western atlantic route system (watrs) via betny kupec A554 tooms. Was coordination by ZNY domestic offshore radar sector 86 over betny at XA17Z at FL370 and mach .78. Air carrier Y (B757) routed from ewr airport in watrs and the nat ICAO region via azezu R511 paepr R511 odeal A554 tooms. At FL370 and mach .79; was already approved into the airspace from ZNY sector 83. Air carrier X forwarded a position report more than 10 mins after passing betny via HF radio operators at comrdo; and reported betny at XA12Z (5 mins earlier than the coordination time of XA17Z). Previously; ocean 21 calculated 11 mins longitudinal separation -- 10 mins required. After updating the position of air carrier X based on the latest report; ocean 21 calculated about 6 mins -- triggering a conflict summary dialogue box. Responding to the imminent conflict summary report; research revealed air carrier Y had not yet forwarded a position report. Subsequently; air carrier Y reported 2 mins -- within allowable tolerances -- earlier than coordination; causing ocean 21 to perform an implied traffic search. Ocean 21 recalculated 8 mins longitudinal separation on converging courses of less than 45 degrees. Determining that FL360 was available; I immediately cleared the lead aircraft (air carrier X) to FL360 to resolve the conflict. Analysis and discussion: ocean 21 behaved exactly as it was designed to work. For unknown reasons; air carrier Y was never coordination by ZNY R86 at the new time although a change by 3 mins or more from the coordination time must be coordination. Pilots and controllers are allowed to miss the mark-up to +/-2 mins without further notification/coordination. This does illustrate a new problem for controllers using the new technology: previously; controllers manually calculating and tracking estimates would identify 'tight sits' and issue control restrs in order to prevent a potential loss of separation due to minor (or not so minor) unrpted/uncoord) changes in control estimates. Ocean 21; satisfied that minimum separation exists based on current data; does not take time adjustments into account until after the occurrence. Controllers and pilots beware.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZNY CTLR EXPRESSED CONCERN REGARDING NEW ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES OCEANIC PROCS SYS (ATOPS) EQUIP AND DESCRIBED CONFLICT UTILIZING THE NEW EQUIP.

Narrative: THE RECENT DEPLOYMENT OF THE ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES OCEANIC PROCS SYS (ATOPS) OCEAN 21 SITUATION DISPLAY SYS REPRESENTS A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN THE WAY IFR FLTS ARE APPROVED INTO OCEANIC AIRSPACE. PREVIOUSLY; USING HARD COPY FLT STRIPS AT SIGNIFICANT FIX POSTINGS; CTLRS IDENTED POTENTIAL CONFLICTS AND ISSUED APPROPRIATE CTL RESTRS IN CONJUNCTION WITH GRANTING ENTRY APPROVAL INTO OCEANIC AIRSPACE. OCEAN 21 (ATOPS) NOW PERFORMS A TFC SEARCH AND PERMITS ENTRY IF NO CONFLICT IS DETECTED -- EVEN WHEN DATA INDICATES A POTENTIAL CONFLICT IS POSSIBLE. ACR X ROUTED FROM EWR ARPT INTO THE NORTH ATLANTIC ICAO (NAT) REGION AND WESTERN ATLANTIC RTE SYS (WATRS) VIA BETNY KUPEC A554 TOOMS. WAS COORD BY ZNY DOMESTIC OFFSHORE RADAR SECTOR 86 OVER BETNY AT XA17Z AT FL370 AND MACH .78. ACR Y (B757) ROUTED FROM EWR ARPT IN WATRS AND THE NAT ICAO REGION VIA AZEZU R511 PAEPR R511 ODEAL A554 TOOMS. AT FL370 AND MACH .79; WAS ALREADY APPROVED INTO THE AIRSPACE FROM ZNY SECTOR 83. ACR X FORWARDED A POS RPT MORE THAN 10 MINS AFTER PASSING BETNY VIA HF RADIO OPERATORS AT COMRDO; AND RPTED BETNY AT XA12Z (5 MINS EARLIER THAN THE COORD TIME OF XA17Z). PREVIOUSLY; OCEAN 21 CALCULATED 11 MINS LONGITUDINAL SEPARATION -- 10 MINS REQUIRED. AFTER UPDATING THE POS OF ACR X BASED ON THE LATEST RPT; OCEAN 21 CALCULATED ABOUT 6 MINS -- TRIGGERING A CONFLICT SUMMARY DIALOGUE BOX. RESPONDING TO THE IMMINENT CONFLICT SUMMARY RPT; RESEARCH REVEALED ACR Y HAD NOT YET FORWARDED A POS RPT. SUBSEQUENTLY; ACR Y RPTED 2 MINS -- WITHIN ALLOWABLE TOLERANCES -- EARLIER THAN COORD; CAUSING OCEAN 21 TO PERFORM AN IMPLIED TFC SEARCH. OCEAN 21 RECALCULATED 8 MINS LONGITUDINAL SEPARATION ON CONVERGING COURSES OF LESS THAN 45 DEGS. DETERMINING THAT FL360 WAS AVAILABLE; I IMMEDIATELY CLRED THE LEAD ACFT (ACR X) TO FL360 TO RESOLVE THE CONFLICT. ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION: OCEAN 21 BEHAVED EXACTLY AS IT WAS DESIGNED TO WORK. FOR UNKNOWN REASONS; ACR Y WAS NEVER COORD BY ZNY R86 AT THE NEW TIME ALTHOUGH A CHANGE BY 3 MINS OR MORE FROM THE COORD TIME MUST BE COORD. PLTS AND CTLRS ARE ALLOWED TO MISS THE MARK-UP TO +/-2 MINS WITHOUT FURTHER NOTIFICATION/COORD. THIS DOES ILLUSTRATE A NEW PROB FOR CTLRS USING THE NEW TECHNOLOGY: PREVIOUSLY; CTLRS MANUALLY CALCULATING AND TRACKING ESTIMATES WOULD IDENT 'TIGHT SITS' AND ISSUE CTL RESTRS IN ORDER TO PREVENT A POTENTIAL LOSS OF SEPARATION DUE TO MINOR (OR NOT SO MINOR) UNRPTED/UNCOORD) CHANGES IN CTL ESTIMATES. OCEAN 21; SATISFIED THAT MINIMUM SEPARATION EXISTS BASED ON CURRENT DATA; DOES NOT TAKE TIME ADJUSTMENTS INTO ACCOUNT UNTIL AFTER THE OCCURRENCE. CTLRS AND PLTS BEWARE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.