Small transport was inadvertently released and was a potential confliction to another aircraft. Visu...

Attributes
ACN	111966
Time
Date	198905
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : ric airport : w83
State Reference	VA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 800 msl bound upper : 800
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : ric
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	arrival other
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Recip Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude climbout : takeoff
Route In Use	departure other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
ASRS Report	111966
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

An small aircraft was making practice instrument approachs at each satellite airport. This was the last approach to a full stop. An small transport was cleared IFR, short range clearance to the annas intersection. Both aircraft got visibility on each other, but the small transport should not have been released. I was working 2 sectors combined, and had approachs at both satellite airports in progress, as well as holding for these 2 approachs. I was controling 2/3's of our airspace with 6 total frequencys. Besides the 2 satellite airports being busy simultaneously, I had en route traffic and was feeding ric arrs to a final controller. I also was working departures. The traffic vol and amount of airspace to be watched was too much. In addition, a random drug test was in progress and this was very disruptive to our position coverage and breaks. Several controllers received extra pay for not having lunch by the sixth hour. A great deal of commotion/upset/noise was caused by the testing. I had no idea the procedure was so strict in sequence nor that it was so disruptive since it was my first experience with a random testing. Suggestions: 1) controller staffing should be such that a controller is responsible for a single sector only at such busy times. 2) random testing should be redesigned to accommodate position and staffing coverage instead of all airspace/airplanes being relegated to secondary importance.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMT WAS INADVERTENTLY RELEASED AND WAS A POTENTIAL CONFLICTION TO ANOTHER ACFT. VISUAL SEPARATION WAS USED TO MAINTAIN LEGAL SEPARATION.

Narrative: AN SMA WAS MAKING PRACTICE INSTRUMENT APCHS AT EACH SATELLITE ARPT. THIS WAS THE LAST APCH TO A FULL STOP. AN SMT WAS CLRED IFR, SHORT RANGE CLRNC TO THE ANNAS INTXN. BOTH ACFT GOT VIS ON EACH OTHER, BUT THE SMT SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN RELEASED. I WAS WORKING 2 SECTORS COMBINED, AND HAD APCHS AT BOTH SATELLITE ARPTS IN PROGRESS, AS WELL AS HOLDING FOR THESE 2 APCHS. I WAS CTLING 2/3'S OF OUR AIRSPACE WITH 6 TOTAL FREQS. BESIDES THE 2 SATELLITE ARPTS BEING BUSY SIMULTANEOUSLY, I HAD ENRTE TFC AND WAS FEEDING RIC ARRS TO A FINAL CTLR. I ALSO WAS WORKING DEPS. THE TFC VOL AND AMOUNT OF AIRSPACE TO BE WATCHED WAS TOO MUCH. IN ADDITION, A RANDOM DRUG TEST WAS IN PROGRESS AND THIS WAS VERY DISRUPTIVE TO OUR POS COVERAGE AND BREAKS. SEVERAL CTLRS RECEIVED EXTRA PAY FOR NOT HAVING LUNCH BY THE SIXTH HOUR. A GREAT DEAL OF COMMOTION/UPSET/NOISE WAS CAUSED BY THE TESTING. I HAD NO IDEA THE PROC WAS SO STRICT IN SEQUENCE NOR THAT IT WAS SO DISRUPTIVE SINCE IT WAS MY FIRST EXPERIENCE WITH A RANDOM TESTING. SUGGESTIONS: 1) CTLR STAFFING SHOULD BE SUCH THAT A CTLR IS RESPONSIBLE FOR A SINGLE SECTOR ONLY AT SUCH BUSY TIMES. 2) RANDOM TESTING SHOULD BE REDESIGNED TO ACCOMMODATE POS AND STAFFING COVERAGE INSTEAD OF ALL AIRSPACE/AIRPLANES BEING RELEGATED TO SECONDARY IMPORTANCE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.

Small transport was inadvertently released and was a potential confliction to another aircraft. Visual separation was used to maintain legal separation.