Narrative:

There was a strong front with convective activity in the sector. Aircraft were refusing to descend before passing the WX line. Complexity was increased because of this; and because tmu had accepted swap aircraft from other ctrs. The supervisor asked me to 'be an extra set of eyes.' I could see that the situation was close to crucial because of the number of strips. I asked the radar associate to work handoff position and I took over radar associate duties. This action helped; but there was a coordination mistake made and an aircraft penetrated another sector without proper coordination. 1) tmu caught flatfooted because of time of yr. 2) supervisor should have anticipated heavy workload and assigned personnel accordingly. 3) controllers can be too cooperative; allowing too many aircraft into a sector; and not asserting or demanding help. In this case; that cooperation cost all the controllers a trip to the principal's office. Sadly; sometimes 'no good deed goes unpunished.' know when to say no!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZBW RADAR ASSOCIATE CTLR DESCRIBED OPDEV AS ACFT WAS ALLOWED TO ENTER ANOTHER SECTOR WITHOUT COORD.

Narrative: THERE WAS A STRONG FRONT WITH CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY IN THE SECTOR. ACFT WERE REFUSING TO DSND BEFORE PASSING THE WX LINE. COMPLEXITY WAS INCREASED BECAUSE OF THIS; AND BECAUSE TMU HAD ACCEPTED SWAP ACFT FROM OTHER CTRS. THE SUPVR ASKED ME TO 'BE AN EXTRA SET OF EYES.' I COULD SEE THAT THE SITUATION WAS CLOSE TO CRUCIAL BECAUSE OF THE NUMBER OF STRIPS. I ASKED THE RADAR ASSOCIATE TO WORK HDOF POS AND I TOOK OVER RADAR ASSOCIATE DUTIES. THIS ACTION HELPED; BUT THERE WAS A COORD MISTAKE MADE AND AN ACFT PENETRATED ANOTHER SECTOR WITHOUT PROPER COORD. 1) TMU CAUGHT FLATFOOTED BECAUSE OF TIME OF YR. 2) SUPVR SHOULD HAVE ANTICIPATED HVY WORKLOAD AND ASSIGNED PERSONNEL ACCORDINGLY. 3) CTLRS CAN BE TOO COOPERATIVE; ALLOWING TOO MANY ACFT INTO A SECTOR; AND NOT ASSERTING OR DEMANDING HELP. IN THIS CASE; THAT COOPERATION COST ALL THE CTLRS A TRIP TO THE PRINCIPAL'S OFFICE. SADLY; SOMETIMES 'NO GOOD DEED GOES UNPUNISHED.' KNOW WHEN TO SAY NO!

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.