Narrative:

I was working local control west combined with our local control helicopter position, and also working arrs to our active departure runway, because our parallel landing runway was closed. A TRACON sector called me to advise cpr X a helicopter was inbound from the southwest, and asked me if the helicopter could make it in visually. 'Visibility approach or VFR?' I told him the helicopter should make it in visually. I thought the helicopter was inbound VFR. TRACON soon handed off the helicopter by ARTS (at 2000') and I accepted the handoff. I issued a TCA clearance and asked cpr X to start a descend, and reiterated it was a VFR descent. He said he was unable. I assumed it was for operational purposes. (We later found out there was an unrpted layer of clouds at 1800'.) I continued to depart fixed wing aircraft off runway 22R, anticipating cpr X would descend. I turned air carrier Y 250 degrees and sent him to departure frequency, again anticipating the cpr X would descend and have air carrier Y in sight. Cpr X said he would start a descent. I issued it, and cpr X came right back and said unable at this time. I then coordinated with the departure controller to turn air carrier Y back to 220 degrees or 180 degrees to provide latitude sep. Cpr X then said he could descend. I gave the descent and issued air carrier Y as traffic, assuming air carrier Y was turning southbound away from cpr X. (The tapes showed the departure controller never issued air carrier Y a turn back to 200 or 180 degrees.) cpr X said he had air carrier Y in sight and I told him to maintain visibility sep from it. I thought cpr X was VFR and did not provide IFR sep. I was confident that when the 2 aircraft passed there was sufficient VFR sep. The cpr X pilot filed the report saying there was not. Supplemental information from acn 146086: I handed off cpr Y helicopter to the tower for an approach to the boston city helipad. I then observed the helicopter come in close proximity to air carrier Y, which had just departed runway 22R. I assumed at the time that the tower was applying visibility sep. Supplemental information from acn 146085: I received a pointout on cpr X, an light transport descending to land southwest of bos at a helipad. Air carrier Y was departing runway 22R at bos, assigned a 250 degree heading. Local control was working both these aircraft. Air carrier Y was climbing to 3000'. The local controller had frequency change air carrier Y to my frequency. Realizing her mistake she overrode my position at the same time air carrier Y was checking in on the frequency. The local controller stated to turn air carrier Z to a 220 degree or 180 degree heading. I stated I did not have an air carrier Z on my frequency. She restated air carrier Y. During this I did not hear air carrier Y check in on the frequency. I began to scan the radar scope and I head an air carrier northwest of bos at 4000'. Checking the departure screen I saw the departure strip on air carrier Y. In the confusion I issued a turn to wrong aircraft and traffic. Then restated it for air carrier Y. Air carrier Y reported the helicopter in sight and was issued a 250 degree heading. He was already by the traffic. The local controller did not realize that cpr X was on an IFR flight plan.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CPR X HAD LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION FROM ACR Y. SYSTEM ERROR.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING LCL CTL W COMBINED WITH OUR LCL CTL HELI POS, AND ALSO WORKING ARRS TO OUR ACTIVE DEP RWY, BECAUSE OUR PARALLEL LNDG RWY WAS CLOSED. A TRACON SECTOR CALLED ME TO ADVISE CPR X A HELI WAS INBND FROM THE SW, AND ASKED ME IF THE HELI COULD MAKE IT IN VISUALLY. 'VIS APCH OR VFR?' I TOLD HIM THE HELI SHOULD MAKE IT IN VISUALLY. I THOUGHT THE HELI WAS INBND VFR. TRACON SOON HANDED OFF THE HELI BY ARTS (AT 2000') AND I ACCEPTED THE HDOF. I ISSUED A TCA CLRNC AND ASKED CPR X TO START A DSND, AND REITERATED IT WAS A VFR DSNT. HE SAID HE WAS UNABLE. I ASSUMED IT WAS FOR OPERATIONAL PURPOSES. (WE LATER FOUND OUT THERE WAS AN UNRPTED LAYER OF CLOUDS AT 1800'.) I CONTINUED TO DEPART FIXED WING ACFT OFF RWY 22R, ANTICIPATING CPR X WOULD DSND. I TURNED ACR Y 250 DEGS AND SENT HIM TO DEP FREQ, AGAIN ANTICIPATING THE CPR X WOULD DSND AND HAVE ACR Y IN SIGHT. CPR X SAID HE WOULD START A DSNT. I ISSUED IT, AND CPR X CAME RIGHT BACK AND SAID UNABLE AT THIS TIME. I THEN COORDINATED WITH THE DEP CTLR TO TURN ACR Y BACK TO 220 DEGS OR 180 DEGS TO PROVIDE LAT SEP. CPR X THEN SAID HE COULD DSND. I GAVE THE DSNT AND ISSUED ACR Y AS TFC, ASSUMING ACR Y WAS TURNING SBND AWAY FROM CPR X. (THE TAPES SHOWED THE DEP CTLR NEVER ISSUED ACR Y A TURN BACK TO 200 OR 180 DEGS.) CPR X SAID HE HAD ACR Y IN SIGHT AND I TOLD HIM TO MAINTAIN VIS SEP FROM IT. I THOUGHT CPR X WAS VFR AND DID NOT PROVIDE IFR SEP. I WAS CONFIDENT THAT WHEN THE 2 ACFT PASSED THERE WAS SUFFICIENT VFR SEP. THE CPR X PLT FILED THE RPT SAYING THERE WAS NOT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 146086: I HANDED OFF CPR Y HELI TO THE TWR FOR AN APCH TO THE BOSTON CITY HELIPAD. I THEN OBSERVED THE HELI COME IN CLOSE PROX TO ACR Y, WHICH HAD JUST DEPARTED RWY 22R. I ASSUMED AT THE TIME THAT THE TWR WAS APPLYING VIS SEP. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 146085: I RECEIVED A POINTOUT ON CPR X, AN LTT DSNDING TO LAND SW OF BOS AT A HELIPAD. ACR Y WAS DEPARTING RWY 22R AT BOS, ASSIGNED A 250 DEG HDG. LCL CTL WAS WORKING BOTH THESE ACFT. ACR Y WAS CLBING TO 3000'. THE LCL CTLR HAD FREQ CHANGE ACR Y TO MY FREQ. REALIZING HER MISTAKE SHE OVERRODE MY POS AT THE SAME TIME ACR Y WAS CHKING IN ON THE FREQ. THE LCL CTLR STATED TO TURN ACR Z TO A 220 DEG OR 180 DEG HDG. I STATED I DID NOT HAVE AN ACR Z ON MY FREQ. SHE RESTATED ACR Y. DURING THIS I DID NOT HEAR ACR Y CHK IN ON THE FREQ. I BEGAN TO SCAN THE RADAR SCOPE AND I HEAD AN ACR NW OF BOS AT 4000'. CHKING THE DEP SCREEN I SAW THE DEP STRIP ON ACR Y. IN THE CONFUSION I ISSUED A TURN TO WRONG ACFT AND TFC. THEN RESTATED IT FOR ACR Y. ACR Y RPTED THE HELI IN SIGHT AND WAS ISSUED A 250 DEG HDG. HE WAS ALREADY BY THE TFC. THE LCL CTLR DID NOT REALIZE THAT CPR X WAS ON AN IFR FLT PLAN.

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