Large Transport
Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Air Traffic Control Time Certified In Pos 1 (yrs) 6
Workload; Situational Awareness; Human-Machine Interface; Communication Breakdown; Confusion
ATC Issue All Types; Airspace Violation All Types; Deviation - Track / Heading All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence
Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance
Human Factors; Procedure
I was working sectors 18/19 combined with some weather deviations for the eastern half of the sector. The weather started moving out and I was assigned to train. There was no weather for us on EWR arrivals at the time; and a few minutes later; D-Side completed the hand off and switched Aircraft X to approach (N90 ARD sector) descending to 8;000 on the PHLBO3 arrival. A minute later; the D-side; answered a land line call from N90 ARD controller; who asked the frequency for our sector and told the D-side that Aircraft X was unable to make it to the airport due to weather and was 'coming back to us.' The aircraft was still well in our airspace and we observed the aircraft in a left turn to the west; but we still did not have communications with the pilots. Philadelphia North High sector called us to inquire about the intentions of a code he observed turned towards his airspace; and we had to inform him that we did not know the pilots intentions; only that ARD was sending him back to us.After leaving our airspace and entering Philadelphia's airspace; Aircraft X checked onto our frequency and said he was on a 270 heading (roughly 140 degrees off course). Trainee tried to vector to the left to come back around to hold at ARD. We had assumed that we were holding due to weather at this point; so workload increased immediately. Upon hearing of the holding; another pilot told us he would have to divert. At the same time Aircraft X said he could not go to ARD to hold because of weather and he needed also needed to divert. We completed a hand off to approach and coordinated his diversion. After that ARD called back to tell us that we were not holding; but it was just that one aircraft that couldn't go through the weather. We returned to normal operations.Upon review of the audio from N90 ARD sector it was disturbing how casually the controller handled this. The pilot asked for a 'left or right deviation around ARD.' The controller told the pilot in a single transmission that it was unlikely he would make it the rest of the way to EWR because they had more weather ahead and that he would 'give them back to Washington' and without hesitation the controller turned the arrival 140 degrees left with no hand off completed and no information about the new heading passed back. After a discussion with the controller on the land line about how inappropriate that is; he can still be heard offering other pilots the option to 'return to Washington' if they can't stay on the arrival.There needs to be some cross education with approach control of the dynamics of DQO sector. It's extremely narrow and has successive arrivals and is surround by several small decisions of airspace. It is dangerous for approach to assume that if they take a hand off and then some difficulty arises; they can simply switch the aircraft back to the Center and let us work it out. They need to understand basic air traffic principals; such as after they take a hand off and are talking to the pilot; they need to be responsible for its safety and coordination and hand offs; etc. They also need to follow the LOA which specifies when and where they can turn the arrivals.
I was on the Radar-associate position at Sector 18 (Dupont). We had been holding aircraft for weather prior to the event; but coordinated with N90 Yardley sector that we could continue to bring our Newark arrivals in. They took a hand off on Aircraft X and we transferred communications to them. I then received a call from N90 Yardley that Aircraft X wasn't going to be able to go through the weather and that he was sending him back to us. I gave him our frequency; but he gave no control instructions as to what we should do with the aircraft or what he was going to do with them. We then saw Aircraft X making a turn in our airspace without coordination which turned him almost directly into Philadelphia approach controls airspace. Philadelphia called us and asked what was going on with the aircraft and why he was turning into their airspace. He then told us that he would take a point out or take radar control of the situation; whatever was needed for the situation. The N90 Yardley controller was made aware of the situation. Aircraft X ended up having to divert and no incident occurred.Education at N90 on Dupont sector and its traffic flows. It is a narrow corridor set up for arrivals and holding. We don't have a lot of room to vector aircraft without getting into another sectors airspace. Also to be aware of LOA's and air traffic rules and abide by them.
ZDC ARTCC Controllers reported that an N90 Controller turned aircraft back into ZDC airspace and then coordinated; causing confusion.