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.