Narrative:

We were conducting on job training (OJT) departure east. We had been busy with at least two photo missions and another aircraft operating within our departure corridor. All departures had been stopped below the VFR aircraft. The photo flight a C172 requested his next station and had been altitude restricted but not route restricted. He approached his next station with a departure climbing behind him. I was aware the aircraft may start maneuvers as he reached his station; but I hesitated for just a moment to see if the developmental was going to recognize and restrict the C172. I saw the aircraft initiating a westbound turn that would create a conflict with departure. I told the C172 to remain northbound. He read back the restriction and I thought the aircraft would turn back north. He continued his turn and was now southbound pointed directly at the B757. I told the boeing pilot to fly heading 310 in an attempt to resolve the conflict. He reported he was responding to an RA; so I then discontinued further instructions. The situation got convoluted and eventually we got the 757 above the C172 and on course. The developmental had mentioned feeling fatigued and asked about whether we were close to getting a break. I should have recognized this and discontinued OJT. The training session was no longer beneficial to him at this point of exhaustion. The complexity was very high. The facility as a practice; regularly let's photo aircraft operate in close proximity to the heaviest departure and arrival corridors. It is often a huge impact to our operation. I should have been much more restrictive with the VFR's; discontinued OJT; asked for a hand off and asked the supervisor to re-evaluate letting the photo aircraft operating as requested.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TRACON Controller providing OJT described a TCAS RA event between an Air Carrier departure and a Photo Mission C172; the reporter listing developmental fatigue; traffic complexity and facility practices as contributing to the conflict.

Narrative: We were conducting On Job Training (OJT) Departure East. We had been busy with at least two photo missions and another aircraft operating within our departure corridor. All departures had been stopped below the VFR aircraft. The photo flight a C172 requested his next station and had been altitude restricted but not route restricted. He approached his next station with a departure climbing behind him. I was aware the aircraft may start maneuvers as he reached his station; but I hesitated for just a moment to see if the developmental was going to recognize and restrict the C172. I saw the aircraft initiating a westbound turn that would create a conflict with Departure. I told the C172 to remain northbound. He read back the restriction and I thought the aircraft would turn back north. He continued his turn and was now southbound pointed directly at the B757. I told the Boeing pilot to fly heading 310 in an attempt to resolve the conflict. He reported he was responding to an RA; so I then discontinued further instructions. The situation got convoluted and eventually we got the 757 above the C172 and on course. The developmental had mentioned feeling fatigued and asked about whether we were close to getting a break. I should have recognized this and discontinued OJT. The training session was no longer beneficial to him at this point of exhaustion. The complexity was very high. The facility as a practice; regularly let's photo aircraft operate in close proximity to the heaviest departure and arrival corridors. It is often a huge impact to our operation. I should have been much more restrictive with the VFR's; discontinued OJT; asked for a hand off and asked the supervisor to re-evaluate letting the photo aircraft operating as requested.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2013 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.