Narrative:

I was working the area C, sector 34, position R34. Shortly after I assumed the duties, I was told by the watch supervisor that I would be getting traffic going to lga via hnk-ign/dny-ign and that this was all precoordinated with central flow/ZNY and ZBW. We were in a swap program. The first 3 aircraft en route to lga were flashing to bos, separated and sufficiently in trail. At that time I also had traffic en route to jfk and teb descending, and traffic out of metropolitan airports climbing wbound. In addition I had 3 other handoffs from north.Y. Area D, who just came out of a hold at mip, as a result of this central flow/north.Y./boston agreement. There was also traffic en route to lga and other points coming from cle center. By this time I was really getting busy and the watch supervisor at first sat down to help me on the H34 position. After a few mins, he called on another fpl controller from sector 50 and told him to work H34. A few mins later (or it may have been seconds) I overheard H34 calling ZBW for the handoffs. I was very busy and had no inkling that bos would not take the handoffs on traffic they agreed to. What also contributed to this feeling was that 2 nights before, same kind of agreement was worked out between central flow/north.Y./boston, and I worked 27 inbnds to lga via hnk-ign in a 45 min time span, about the same time of the night, under same swap conditions. I had vectored several aircraft to make it work, and reduced everybody to 250 KTS. That night, bos was not taking early handoffs. As a matter of fact, on quite a number of handoffs, we had to call them and they would finally take the handoff verbally, but let the machine handoff flash a little more before taking it. I would like to emphasize that flashing handoffs near or at ZBW boundary is nothing unusual and is common to bos center mode of operation. Ever since resectorization in 3/88 and our giving ZBW the hnk corridor airspace, we have constantly experienced their reluctance in answering handoff lines. When my handoff man finally got the verbal unacceptance of traffic from bos center, I started to bring back the first 3 aircraft, which were already past the boundary. I started clearing everyone to hold at bgm. In the process of containment, the other 3 aircraft made wide swings and infringed upon ZBW's airspace 5-10 mi. Sector #34, since resectored in 3/88, is not conducive to high vol traffic and containment at the same time. When you have a situation where an intrail has been worked out, and then you are told they don't want this traffic, it is very difficult to contain west/O spillage--coupled with high density traffic, it's downright impossible. In this particular situation, my first priority was to separate traffic, and then to contain from ZBW. You just can't stop that many aircraft on a dime. I don't have too big of a problem in accepting ZBW's request to hold traffic in my airspace, but I find it unconscionable to have 3 people at bos dny sector, none of which knew how to handle situation properly, except not answer the handoff line. Yet they had time to situation and record all the limited data/codes to write us up. I know now that I was wrong in going on blind faith and not containing in time, but there is a lot more to this than just that.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT PENETRATED ZBW AIRSPACE WITHOUT BEING APPROVED BY ZBW. REPORTER ALLEGES CONTINUOUS PROBLEM BETWEEN ZNY AND ZBW BECAUSE ZBW REFUSES HANDOFFS. OPERATIONAL DEVIATION.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING THE AREA C, SECTOR 34, POS R34. SHORTLY AFTER I ASSUMED THE DUTIES, I WAS TOLD BY THE WATCH SUPVR THAT I WOULD BE GETTING TFC GOING TO LGA VIA HNK-IGN/DNY-IGN AND THAT THIS WAS ALL PRECOORDINATED WITH CENTRAL FLOW/ZNY AND ZBW. WE WERE IN A SWAP PROGRAM. THE FIRST 3 ACFT ENRTE TO LGA WERE FLASHING TO BOS, SEPARATED AND SUFFICIENTLY IN TRAIL. AT THAT TIME I ALSO HAD TFC ENRTE TO JFK AND TEB DSNDING, AND TFC OUT OF METROPOLITAN ARPTS CLBING WBOUND. IN ADDITION I HAD 3 OTHER HDOFS FROM N.Y. AREA D, WHO JUST CAME OUT OF A HOLD AT MIP, AS A RESULT OF THIS CENTRAL FLOW/N.Y./BOSTON AGREEMENT. THERE WAS ALSO TFC ENRTE TO LGA AND OTHER POINTS COMING FROM CLE CENTER. BY THIS TIME I WAS REALLY GETTING BUSY AND THE WATCH SUPVR AT FIRST SAT DOWN TO HELP ME ON THE H34 POS. AFTER A FEW MINS, HE CALLED ON ANOTHER FPL CTLR FROM SECTOR 50 AND TOLD HIM TO WORK H34. A FEW MINS LATER (OR IT MAY HAVE BEEN SECS) I OVERHEARD H34 CALLING ZBW FOR THE HDOFS. I WAS VERY BUSY AND HAD NO INKLING THAT BOS WOULD NOT TAKE THE HDOFS ON TFC THEY AGREED TO. WHAT ALSO CONTRIBUTED TO THIS FEELING WAS THAT 2 NIGHTS BEFORE, SAME KIND OF AGREEMENT WAS WORKED OUT BTWN CENTRAL FLOW/N.Y./BOSTON, AND I WORKED 27 INBNDS TO LGA VIA HNK-IGN IN A 45 MIN TIME SPAN, ABOUT THE SAME TIME OF THE NIGHT, UNDER SAME SWAP CONDITIONS. I HAD VECTORED SEVERAL ACFT TO MAKE IT WORK, AND REDUCED EVERYBODY TO 250 KTS. THAT NIGHT, BOS WAS NOT TAKING EARLY HDOFS. AS A MATTER OF FACT, ON QUITE A NUMBER OF HDOFS, WE HAD TO CALL THEM AND THEY WOULD FINALLY TAKE THE HDOF VERBALLY, BUT LET THE MACHINE HDOF FLASH A LITTLE MORE BEFORE TAKING IT. I WOULD LIKE TO EMPHASIZE THAT FLASHING HDOFS NEAR OR AT ZBW BOUNDARY IS NOTHING UNUSUAL AND IS COMMON TO BOS CENTER MODE OF OPERATION. EVER SINCE RESECTORIZATION IN 3/88 AND OUR GIVING ZBW THE HNK CORRIDOR AIRSPACE, WE HAVE CONSTANTLY EXPERIENCED THEIR RELUCTANCE IN ANSWERING HDOF LINES. WHEN MY HDOF MAN FINALLY GOT THE VERBAL UNACCEPTANCE OF TFC FROM BOS CENTER, I STARTED TO BRING BACK THE FIRST 3 ACFT, WHICH WERE ALREADY PAST THE BOUNDARY. I STARTED CLRING EVERYONE TO HOLD AT BGM. IN THE PROCESS OF CONTAINMENT, THE OTHER 3 ACFT MADE WIDE SWINGS AND INFRINGED UPON ZBW'S AIRSPACE 5-10 MI. SECTOR #34, SINCE RESECTORED IN 3/88, IS NOT CONDUCIVE TO HIGH VOL TFC AND CONTAINMENT AT THE SAME TIME. WHEN YOU HAVE A SITUATION WHERE AN INTRAIL HAS BEEN WORKED OUT, AND THEN YOU ARE TOLD THEY DON'T WANT THIS TFC, IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO CONTAIN W/O SPILLAGE--COUPLED WITH HIGH DENSITY TFC, IT'S DOWNRIGHT IMPOSSIBLE. IN THIS PARTICULAR SITUATION, MY FIRST PRIORITY WAS TO SEPARATE TFC, AND THEN TO CONTAIN FROM ZBW. YOU JUST CAN'T STOP THAT MANY ACFT ON A DIME. I DON'T HAVE TOO BIG OF A PROB IN ACCEPTING ZBW'S REQUEST TO HOLD TFC IN MY AIRSPACE, BUT I FIND IT UNCONSCIONABLE TO HAVE 3 PEOPLE AT BOS DNY SECTOR, NONE OF WHICH KNEW HOW TO HANDLE SITUATION PROPERLY, EXCEPT NOT ANSWER THE HDOF LINE. YET THEY HAD TIME TO SIT AND RECORD ALL THE LIMITED DATA/CODES TO WRITE US UP. I KNOW NOW THAT I WAS WRONG IN GOING ON BLIND FAITH AND NOT CONTAINING IN TIME, BUT THERE IS A LOT MORE TO THIS THAN JUST THAT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.