Narrative:

During the beginning of the session at ZNY sector 75; I was giving training on the radar. As traffic starts to build; the controller gets limited indication from uret on how the traffic will enter the sector. By this I mean the following -- when strips were being used; the estimated time entering the sector was printed on the strip in plain sight. A controller knew how the upcoming traffic was spread out. If there were 25 aircraft due to enter the sector; but due to the time on the strip; a controller knew they were spread out over the next 30 mins; this would tell the controller it was going to be steady; but not busy. If the same 25 aircraft were coming over the next 10 mins; the controller knew it would be busy. With uret; there is no time indication on the line for each aircraft. Therefore; the controller has no idea how busy he/she is going to get with the upcoming traffic. The supervisors also have no indication; so at times the placement of a handoff controller is late in coming. This is what happened tonight. Due to the inadequate information displayed by uret; ZNY sector 75 got busy with no handoff person; causing a less than ideal situation. A little later at the same sector; there was holding. The holding template in uret does not record time in the hold. This means that there is no record of how long aircraft have been holding until after they are out of the hold. Once they are taken out of the hold; uret generates a strip with the holding data. However; controllers and supervisors are supposed to be aware at all times how long an aircraft has been holding.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZNY CTLR EXPRESSED CONCERN REGARDING THE URET EQUIP AND ITS LACK OF SECTOR ENTRY TIMES WHICH WOULD AID IN PREDICTING TFC BUILD-UPS.

Narrative: DURING THE BEGINNING OF THE SESSION AT ZNY SECTOR 75; I WAS GIVING TRAINING ON THE RADAR. AS TFC STARTS TO BUILD; THE CTLR GETS LIMITED INDICATION FROM URET ON HOW THE TFC WILL ENTER THE SECTOR. BY THIS I MEAN THE FOLLOWING -- WHEN STRIPS WERE BEING USED; THE ESTIMATED TIME ENTERING THE SECTOR WAS PRINTED ON THE STRIP IN PLAIN SIGHT. A CTLR KNEW HOW THE UPCOMING TFC WAS SPREAD OUT. IF THERE WERE 25 ACFT DUE TO ENTER THE SECTOR; BUT DUE TO THE TIME ON THE STRIP; A CTLR KNEW THEY WERE SPREAD OUT OVER THE NEXT 30 MINS; THIS WOULD TELL THE CTLR IT WAS GOING TO BE STEADY; BUT NOT BUSY. IF THE SAME 25 ACFT WERE COMING OVER THE NEXT 10 MINS; THE CTLR KNEW IT WOULD BE BUSY. WITH URET; THERE IS NO TIME INDICATION ON THE LINE FOR EACH ACFT. THEREFORE; THE CTLR HAS NO IDEA HOW BUSY HE/SHE IS GOING TO GET WITH THE UPCOMING TFC. THE SUPVRS ALSO HAVE NO INDICATION; SO AT TIMES THE PLACEMENT OF A HDOF CTLR IS LATE IN COMING. THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED TONIGHT. DUE TO THE INADEQUATE INFO DISPLAYED BY URET; ZNY SECTOR 75 GOT BUSY WITH NO HDOF PERSON; CAUSING A LESS THAN IDEAL SITUATION. A LITTLE LATER AT THE SAME SECTOR; THERE WAS HOLDING. THE HOLDING TEMPLATE IN URET DOES NOT RECORD TIME IN THE HOLD. THIS MEANS THAT THERE IS NO RECORD OF HOW LONG ACFT HAVE BEEN HOLDING UNTIL AFTER THEY ARE OUT OF THE HOLD. ONCE THEY ARE TAKEN OUT OF THE HOLD; URET GENERATES A STRIP WITH THE HOLDING DATA. HOWEVER; CTLRS AND SUPVRS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE AWARE AT ALL TIMES HOW LONG AN ACFT HAS BEEN HOLDING.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.