Narrative:

Aircraft X departed bos on the runway 15R RNAV SID per LOA (heading 120 climbing to 3;000). I radar identified the aircraft then instructed them to turn left direct brrro intersection and climb and maintain 5;000. I can not recall what the pilot read back but I recognized the aircraft turning south to the rhode intersection. The conflict occurred when another aircraft was in the downwind to runway 4R at 5;000. The course to the rhode intersection was underlying the arrival downwind. I instructed aircraft X to turn left to 180 and then further left to 120 with out delay. Aircraft X was on a diverging heading by the time that vertical separation was lost with the aircraft on the down wind. The confusion over the issuance and pilot acknowledgment of the RNAV departure procedures from the bos airport will eventually evolve into a near miss situation. The strip marking and the camera used to broadcast the strip to the TRACON is either unintelligible (strip marking) or so poorly lit the entire strip is unrecognizable. Earlier in the evening another aircraft departed runway 15R with the RNAV in the pdr portion of the strip and the pilot denied being issued the departure procedure. Prior to this event there have been a lot of issues with ZBW taking hand off's. When the RNAV departures started there was an OM at boston center (ZBW ) who wrote an memorandum which instructed the controllers there not to take hand off's or climb aircraft from the TRACON until a specific intersection. This was to be briefed as a good operating procedure. The RNAV SID's are designed to get aircraft higher quicker. By not taking the hand off; the aircraft are level and lower on the departure. This creates an issue for the TRACON controller by questioning if a hand off has been made but also a compression issue in most situations because of aircraft weight and performance. There is no written procedure to pass speed information so one must call the sector. There have been a few occasions when they do not answer and one is forced to switch the aircraft with out proper land line coordination. This will cause issues this summer when volume increases. The RNAV SID's also create one westbound route from boston where we had two before. There have been instances where controllers have taken aircraft off the departure route in order to expedite the flow of traffic; not for immediate traffic situations. These instances were not premeditated or reckless behavior from the controller. In these instances TRACON management team has briefed the controller that type of flow will not be permitted and to leave the aircraft on the route as much as possible. This has led to more step climbing and speed restrictions which creates more conflicts with arriving traffic; not even considering the negative impact to the customers. This also has another impact. Aircraft not on a RNAV (logan SID) do not have speed restrictions built on the departure for west bound flight off runway 22. On numerous instances; there have been unforeseen overtakes during the west bound turns; which is also during the hand off to the center. This has made for instances where the TRACON had standard separation but the center did not. Recommendation; change intersection names so there is no confusion. Install uret to replace hand written strips and camera. Develop a ground procedure that insures all aircraft have the proper departure procedure prior to takeoff.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A90 Controller gave a detailed account of a alleged unsafe condition regrading the new RNAV departure procedures from BOS; suggesting a number of enhanced operational procedures that should reduce errors.

Narrative: Aircraft X departed BOS on the Runway 15R RNAV SID per LOA (Heading 120 Climbing to 3;000). I RADAR identified the aircraft then instructed them to turn left direct BRRRO Intersection and climb and maintain 5;000. I can not recall what the pilot read back but I recognized the aircraft turning south to the RHODE Intersection. The conflict occurred when another aircraft was in the downwind to Runway 4R at 5;000. The course to the RHODE Intersection was underlying the arrival downwind. I instructed Aircraft X to turn left to 180 and then further left to 120 with out delay. Aircraft X was on a diverging heading by the time that vertical separation was lost with the aircraft on the down wind. The confusion over the issuance and pilot acknowledgment of the RNAV departure procedures from the BOS airport will eventually evolve into a near miss situation. The strip marking and the camera used to broadcast the strip to the TRACON is either unintelligible (strip marking) or so poorly lit the entire strip is unrecognizable. Earlier in the evening another aircraft departed Runway 15R with the RNAV in the PDR portion of the strip and the pilot denied being issued the departure procedure. Prior to this event there have been a lot of issues with ZBW taking hand off's. When the RNAV departures started there was an OM at Boston Center (ZBW ) who wrote an memorandum which instructed the controllers there not to take hand off's or climb aircraft from the TRACON until a specific intersection. This was to be briefed as a good operating procedure. The RNAV SID's are designed to get aircraft higher quicker. By not taking the hand off; the aircraft are level and lower on the departure. This creates an issue for the TRACON controller by questioning if a hand off has been made but also a compression issue in most situations because of aircraft weight and performance. There is no written procedure to pass speed information so one must call the sector. There have been a few occasions when they do not answer and one is forced to switch the aircraft with out proper land line coordination. This will cause issues this summer when volume increases. The RNAV SID's also create one westbound route from Boston where we had two before. There have been instances where controllers have taken aircraft off the departure route in order to expedite the flow of traffic; not for immediate traffic situations. These instances were not premeditated or reckless behavior from the controller. In these instances TRACON management team has briefed the controller that type of flow will not be permitted and to leave the aircraft on the route as much as possible. This has led to more step climbing and speed restrictions which creates more conflicts with arriving traffic; not even considering the negative impact to the customers. This also has another impact. Aircraft not on a RNAV (Logan SID) do not have speed restrictions built on the departure for West bound flight off Runway 22. On numerous instances; there have been unforeseen overtakes during the west bound turns; which is also during the hand off to the Center. This has made for instances where the TRACON had standard separation but the Center did not. Recommendation; change intersection names so there is no confusion. Install URET to replace hand written strips and camera. Develop a ground procedure that insures all aircraft have the proper departure procedure prior to takeoff.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of April 2012 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.