Narrative:

Arrs into mht airport and departures out of mht airport are basically on head-on rtes. Arrs must be descended to 9000 ft and handed off to boston approach. Meanwhile the departures are climbed to 10000 ft and handed off to ZBW. In this case a departure was not frequency changed to the center and the aircraft leveled at 10000 ft. The inbound was descending to 9000 ft but had to level at 10000 ft to reduce speed before continuing the descent. This procedure only works when aircraft are switched over. By the time I realized I would not talk to the departure, it was too late to vector the inbound aircraft out of the way. To fix the problem, the procedures need to be changed so the aircraft are route and altitude separated without the need for timely frequency changes. Most airports have the arrival and departure rtes set up and keep the aircraft separated. As mht airport continues to grow, we need procedure that keeps them separated without needing to rely on a frequency change. Supplemental information from acn 618927: aircraft #2 leveled off at 10000 ft when manchester approach called and I told them to try aircraft #2 again. There was traffic at 11000 ft and we could not issue the aircraft a climb. I feel that if aircraft #2 was switched in a timely manner, we could have climbed him above the 11000 ft traffic and separation would not have been lost.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZBW CTLRS INCUR OPERROR BTWN A DEPARTING A319 AND AN INBOUND A306 TO MHT ARPT. ZBW CTLRS BELIEVE LOA WITH A90 REQUIRES AMENDMENT.

Narrative: ARRS INTO MHT ARPT AND DEPS OUT OF MHT ARPT ARE BASICALLY ON HEAD-ON RTES. ARRS MUST BE DSNDED TO 9000 FT AND HANDED OFF TO BOSTON APCH. MEANWHILE THE DEPS ARE CLBED TO 10000 FT AND HANDED OFF TO ZBW. IN THIS CASE A DEP WAS NOT FREQ CHANGED TO THE CTR AND THE ACFT LEVELED AT 10000 FT. THE INBOUND WAS DSNDING TO 9000 FT BUT HAD TO LEVEL AT 10000 FT TO REDUCE SPD BEFORE CONTINUING THE DSCNT. THIS PROC ONLY WORKS WHEN ACFT ARE SWITCHED OVER. BY THE TIME I REALIZED I WOULD NOT TALK TO THE DEP, IT WAS TOO LATE TO VECTOR THE INBOUND ACFT OUT OF THE WAY. TO FIX THE PROB, THE PROCS NEED TO BE CHANGED SO THE ACFT ARE RTE AND ALT SEPARATED WITHOUT THE NEED FOR TIMELY FREQ CHANGES. MOST ARPTS HAVE THE ARR AND DEP RTES SET UP AND KEEP THE ACFT SEPARATED. AS MHT ARPT CONTINUES TO GROW, WE NEED PROC THAT KEEPS THEM SEPARATED WITHOUT NEEDING TO RELY ON A FREQ CHANGE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 618927: ACFT #2 LEVELED OFF AT 10000 FT WHEN MANCHESTER APCH CALLED AND I TOLD THEM TO TRY ACFT #2 AGAIN. THERE WAS TFC AT 11000 FT AND WE COULD NOT ISSUE THE ACFT A CLB. I FEEL THAT IF ACFT #2 WAS SWITCHED IN A TIMELY MANNER, WE COULD HAVE CLBED HIM ABOVE THE 11000 FT TFC AND SEPARATION WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN LOST.

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.