ZBW Controllers were distracted by equipment issues while two aircraft converged. They were able to issue corrective actions to maintain separation.
Synopsis
ZBW Controllers were distracted by equipment issues while two aircraft converged. They were able to issue corrective actions to maintain separation.
Narrative
Air Carrier X was flying eastbound from RBV to HTO and given a clearance to descend from FL270 to FL200. A hand off was initiated and accepted by Sector 32. Air Carrier X was issued a frequency change. Military Y was flying Northeast bound from WRI to HTO climbing to FL210. Military Y's route of flight after HTO was to the GFL107018 fix then ENE272045 fix. Initially looking at the flight paths and speeds of these aircraft it did not look like they would come in close proximity. Military Y asked for a clearance direct to the ENE272045 fix which would have kept him on a northeastern course. First; I attempted to use the URET to preview the route. URET did not make previewing the route to that fix available. Instead; I used the radar route command to check for conflicts prior to the Radar Controller issuing the clearance. In doing this; the GFL107018 fix was dropped from the flight plan. The route cleared. Just before the clearance was issued; Military Y changed his request to go direct to the GFL107018 fix which would turn him to the northwest. I clicked on Military Y's route on the URET screen so that I could bring back his previous route since the GFL107018 fix was no longer part of his route. The URET screen gave me an error message saying the route menu list is not available. The radar controller had to ask Military Y what the radial fix was because we no longer had it listed in his flight plan and the route window would not even come up on URET. I typed in the fix as the pilot read it to us using the radar route command and then I looked at the flight plan on the URET screen to tie the GFL107018 fix back into the rest of his route of flight. As I was fixing the route on the flight plan; Military Y was issued the clearance to fly direct to the GFL107018 fix. When this clearance was issued the two radar controllers noticed the conflict between Military Y and Air Carrier X because they were now converging and Air Carrier X was slowly descending and still above Military Y. Both controllers issued instructions to each aircraft in order to maintain separation. Air Carrier X was told to maintain FL220. Military Y was issued a heading. Both aircraft were issued traffic advisories. My radar controller put up a J-ring around Military Y. Military Y was level at FL210 and accelerating. Air Carrier X was descending out of FL220 and slowing down while in his descent. The aircraft were about 7 miles apart. It appeared on the scope that the aircraft were about 5-6 miles apart when the data blocks showed Air Carrier X at FL216; climbing; and Military Y at FL210. Air Carrier X gave a report level at FL220 just as the target was on the line of the Military Y J-ring. Standard separation was regained and Military Y was reissued his clearance direct to the GFL107018 fix. The Front Line Manager was in the isle while this event was occurring. We did not believe that separation was lost but that it was close. We should have been more vigilant is noticing the changing speeds of the aircraft involved as well as the descent rate of Air Carrier X. We were all distracted by trying to work with URET to preview the route request. URET did not make previewing direct to either fix available therefore we had to use the radar commands to get the display. We were further distracted when the pilot changed his route request and the previously issued route could not be displayed by URET. There should have been one controller focusing on the route in the flight plan and another controller watching the scope for possible conflicts.
Second reporter narrative
My Radar Associate was having trouble reentering the GFL radials into the system; and I needed to ask Military Y one or two more times the exact radials. This distracted both me; my Instructor; and my Radar Associate. Once the routing problem was solved I cleared Military Y to the GFL radials and noticed the conflict alert was going off between Air Carrier X and Military Y. Military Y had increased speed significantly and Air Carrier X had decreased. I told the Radar Controller at Sector 32 to stop Air Carrier X at FL220 but at that point he was already going through that altitude and had to climb approximately 400 feet to be level at FL220. Also; I turned Military Y to a 050 heading to parallel Air Carrier X; but then realized that because they were in a turn to the GFL radials it wasn't going to work; so I told them to expedite a turn to heading 080. Air Carrier X leveled off at FL 220 5 miles from Military Y at Fl 210.Keep a close eye on speeds; aircraft speed up when they level off and slow down when they begin a descent. Also don't let other problems take your attention away from what else is happening.
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Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.