FAILURE OF A COMS LAND LINE BTWN N90 AND G90 CAUSED SECTOR TO BECOME SATURATED DUE TO HOLDING. DURING THE OUTAGE; INTERFAC COORD HAD TO BE ACCOMPLISHED VIA THE SECTOR TELEPHONES.

Narrative

THE GP1875 LAND LINE IS THE ONLY LAND LINE AVAILABLE FOR THE ISP SECTOR OF THE NY TRACON (N90) TO COMMUNICATE DIRECTLY WITH PROVIDENCE APCH (G90). ON JUN/XX/96; AT APPROX XX00 EST; THE GP1875 LAND LINE FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. INTRAFAC COORD HAD TO BE CONDUCTED OVER THE SECTOR TELEPHONES. THE N90 POS THAT DO THE MOST COORD WITH G90 ARE BEADS HIGH (I-137) AND BEADS (I-138). AT THE TIMES OF THE LAND LINE FAILURES; BEADS HIGH AND BEADS LOW WERE COMBINED (I-137); WITH TRAINING BEING CONDUCTED ON THE ASSOCIATED HDOF POS (I-136). THE WX WAS POOR; WITH LOW IFR CONDITIONS AT GABRESKI-WESTHAMPTON BEACH (FOK); EAST HAMPTON (HTO); AND MOUNTAUK (MTP) ARPTS; CEILINGS OF 200 FT AND VISIBILITIES OF 1 1/2 TO 2 MI IN FOG. NUMEROUS ACFT WERE UNABLE TO COMPLETE APCHS AT HTO; AND AN ACFT ATTEMPTING AN APCH INTO MTP WAS UNABLE TO COMPLETE THAT APCH AS WELL. THIS RESULTED IN NUMEROUS ACFT HOLDING AT THE HTO VOR; AS WELL AS OTHER LOCATIONS; AS WELL AS BEING VECTORED THROUGHOUT THE AIRSPACE FOR SEQUENCING TO FOK. THIS AMOUNT OF HOLDING TFC COMBINED WITH THE NORMAL FRIDAY AFTERNOON TFC GENERATED FROM WITHIN THE N90 AIRSPACE; AS WELL AS INBOUND TO N90; QUICKLY SATURATED THE BEADS HIGH/BEADS LOW AIRSPACE. THE FAILURE OF THE GP1875 LAND LINES MADE TIMELY INTRAFAC COORD AND POINT- OUTS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE; AND SERIOUSLY INCREASED THE WORKLOAD FOR THE RADAR CTLR AS WELL AS THE ASSOCIATED HDOF CTLR. MANY ACFT WERE NEEDLESSLY DELAYED; BOTH IN THE AIR AND ON THE GND; DUE TO THIS EQUIP MALFUNCTION. THE FAILURE OF THE GP1875 LAND LINE WAS PRECEDED BY PROBS EARLIER IN THE DAY. AT APPROX XX45 EST; THE GP1875 LAND LINE WAS RPTED TO HAVE A 'LOUD HUM.' THE LAND LINE WAS TAKEN OTS FOR MAINT. AT APPROX XX00 EST; THE GP1875 LAND LINE WAS RETURNED TO SVC WITH THE HUM STILL BEING RPTED. AT APPROX XX10 EST; THE GP1875 LAND LINE WAS ONCE AGAIN TAKEN OTS FOR MAINT; AND SUBSEQUENTLY RETURNED TO SVC APPROX 1 HR LATER; WITH THE PROB STILL UNRESOLVED. AT APPROX XX30 EST THE LAND LINE WAS ONCE AGAIN RELEASED FOR MAINT AND RETURNED TO SVC APPROX 10 MINS LATER; WITH THE PROB STILL UNRESOLVED. AT APPROX XX00 EST; THE GP1875 FAILED WITHOUT WARNING.