Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Air Traffic Control Time Certified In Pos 1 (yrs) 7
Workload; Situational Awareness; Human-Machine Interface; Distraction; Confusion; Communication Breakdown; Time Pressure
ATC Issue All Types; Airspace Violation All Types; Conflict Airborne Conflict; Deviation - Track / Heading All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance
Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Air Traffic Control Separated Traffic
Procedure; Human Factors
I was working sector 32 where I had accepted a point out on Aircraft X (I don't remember the call sign so I'll call it Aircraft X) northbound going to Boston. There were a flight of military fighters southbound at FL240B250. I had a JFK arrival Aircraft Z (don't remember the call sign I'll call it Aircraft Z) who was at FL220. The sector above me who was working Aircraft X had some traffic he was trying to separate and in order to help I descended Aircraft Z to 140 to give him a lower altitude on Aircraft X if he needed it. Aircraft Z was still in sector 18s airspace and I did not have time to call and get control. As the situation seamed to resolve itself; a minute later we saw that Aircraft X was in conflict alert with Aircraft Y (not sure on the call-sign) and Aircraft Y's altitude was showing FL230B240 in sector 18s airspace with Aircraft X just clipping 18s airspace going northbound. Both myself and the sector working Aircraft X missed that the flight plan on the high altitude map showed the missing sector 18s airspace; but on the low altitude map which they didn't display shows Aircraft X's route of flight just nearly hitting sector 18's airspace. It was in this airspace that sector 18 who didn't get a point out from Aircraft X and didn't see a data block; descended Aircraft Y from FL240B250 to FL230B240. This route that Aircraft X was on was a reroute for VIP airspace. This route which will keep clear of 1 traffic flow is a new route to us and not what we are used to seeing. We all anticipated Aircraft X to be going to a particular fix that we use regularly and he was not. I think what would help in the future would be negotiated routes during SAA/VIP airspace and having the sectors better briefed on the changes and how it could affect them.
I accepted Aircraft Y a flight of 4 on a heading to enter W-105. Upon initial communication they asked for the block FL230B240 for weather. I descended him as requested and he began flashing with Aircraft X that was not shown on my scope.I can wait an additional minute after asking to issue the descent to be certain I have cleared all boundaries in an area where there are so many adjacent sectors.
Five Boston Center Controllers reported a loss of separation when a flight of aircraft were descended through an aircraft's altitude.