Narrative:

The sector complexity was less than moderate with standard logan; providence and bradley terminal arrs and departures. WX was not an issue or a factor in this error. This sector; the bosox sector; position 47; at ZBW; is able to use reduced separation standards below class a airspace (3 NM) due to single-site adaptation utilizing a mixture of single-site adapted ARSR and ASR-9 terminal sensors. Sensor failures or maintenance schedules that take sensors out of the system disable various portions of the sector for reduced separation standards. Regrettably; due to human error; I used less than standard separation in an entirely controled manner between air carrier X and air carrier Y (both aircraft were proceeding in the same direction (northwest) at ATC assigned speeds (250 KTS) when the cov (coventry; rhode island) ASR-9 was OTS due to failure). Because cov was OTS the required separation was 5 NM; if cov had been in service then 3 NM would have been the standard separation. The ability of en route ATC to use reduced separation standards is a vast improvement over traditional decades old procedures; however; since the installation of uret (user request evaluation tool); the sector information area (sia) where information pertinent to the sector operation is maintained has become increasingly difficult to maintain. Information about sensor outages and other issues that affect the sector is normally maintained in the sia area.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZBW CTLR EXPERIENCED OPERROR AT 13000 WHEN UTILIZING REDUCED LATERAL SEPARATION DURING SENSOR OUTAGE.

Narrative: THE SECTOR COMPLEXITY WAS LESS THAN MODERATE WITH STANDARD LOGAN; PROVIDENCE AND BRADLEY TERMINAL ARRS AND DEPS. WX WAS NOT AN ISSUE OR A FACTOR IN THIS ERROR. THIS SECTOR; THE BOSOX SECTOR; POS 47; AT ZBW; IS ABLE TO USE REDUCED SEPARATION STANDARDS BELOW CLASS A AIRSPACE (3 NM) DUE TO SINGLE-SITE ADAPTATION UTILIZING A MIXTURE OF SINGLE-SITE ADAPTED ARSR AND ASR-9 TERMINAL SENSORS. SENSOR FAILURES OR MAINT SCHEDULES THAT TAKE SENSORS OUT OF THE SYS DISABLE VARIOUS PORTIONS OF THE SECTOR FOR REDUCED SEPARATION STANDARDS. REGRETTABLY; DUE TO HUMAN ERROR; I USED LTSS IN AN ENTIRELY CTLED MANNER BTWN ACR X AND ACR Y (BOTH ACFT WERE PROCEEDING IN THE SAME DIRECTION (NW) AT ATC ASSIGNED SPDS (250 KTS) WHEN THE COV (COVENTRY; RHODE ISLAND) ASR-9 WAS OTS DUE TO FAILURE). BECAUSE COV WAS OTS THE REQUIRED SEPARATION WAS 5 NM; IF COV HAD BEEN IN SVC THEN 3 NM WOULD HAVE BEEN THE STANDARD SEPARATION. THE ABILITY OF ENRTE ATC TO USE REDUCED SEPARATION STANDARDS IS A VAST IMPROVEMENT OVER TRADITIONAL DECADES OLD PROCS; HOWEVER; SINCE THE INSTALLATION OF URET (USER REQUEST EVALUATION TOOL); THE SECTOR INFO AREA (SIA) WHERE INFO PERTINENT TO THE SECTOR OP IS MAINTAINED HAS BECOME INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN. INFO ABOUT SENSOR OUTAGES AND OTHER ISSUES THAT AFFECT THE SECTOR IS NORMALLY MAINTAINED IN THE SIA AREA.

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.