Narrative:

Morning departure rush was steady. Combined approach and tower operation tracab. I was working approach. This was our first good VFR day in a week. I started with maybe 5-6 aircraft, most IFR. This built up to 12 aircraft on the frequency all but 2 IFR, crossing courses at same altitudes, plus departures climbing to the same high cabin attendant noise level. Our airspace is small and extending up to 5000'. Tower (local and ground) was very slow. The rest of the tower, supervisor, FD, one on break, plus an af technician started to get into a loud conversation. With frequency congestion and missed receptions, here is the scenario. An small aircraft Y was sebnd at 5000', crossing traffic northeast bound at 5000'. Swbnd traffic at 4000', 2ND sebnd traffic at 5000' approximately 10 mi in front of small aircraft Y. 2 departures off an adjacent airport just at our airspace boundary esebound climbing to 5000'. All traffic handled well the whole flick had more than 5-8 mi of altitude separation. Then a few VFR's called inbound and overflying air traffic area. Tower launched an atx X departure, also sebnd to 5000'. I had instructed one VFR call to standby. I radar identified the departure vectored around 1 overflt then put him in sequence for the southeast arrival for next facility. The atx X missed or just didn't take the turn. I answered the VFR then saw I had a problem with the small aircraft Y and atx X. I stopped the atx X at 4000' but he advised he was returning to 4000'. The small aircraft Y advised he had the atx X in sight, 4400' and maybe 2 mi.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION BETWEEN AN IFR OVERFLT AND AN IFR DEP. SYSTEM ERROR.

Narrative: MORNING DEP RUSH WAS STEADY. COMBINED APCH AND TWR OPERATION TRACAB. I WAS WORKING APCH. THIS WAS OUR FIRST GOOD VFR DAY IN A WEEK. I STARTED WITH MAYBE 5-6 ACFT, MOST IFR. THIS BUILT UP TO 12 ACFT ON THE FREQ ALL BUT 2 IFR, XING COURSES AT SAME ALTS, PLUS DEPS CLIMBING TO THE SAME HIGH CAB NOISE LEVEL. OUR AIRSPACE IS SMALL AND EXTENDING UP TO 5000'. TWR (LCL AND GND) WAS VERY SLOW. THE REST OF THE TWR, SUPVR, FD, ONE ON BREAK, PLUS AN AF TECHNICIAN STARTED TO GET INTO A LOUD CONVERSATION. WITH FREQ CONGESTION AND MISSED RECEPTIONS, HERE IS THE SCENARIO. AN SMA Y WAS SEBND AT 5000', XING TFC NE BOUND AT 5000'. SWBND TFC AT 4000', 2ND SEBND TFC AT 5000' APPROX 10 MI IN FRONT OF SMA Y. 2 DEPS OFF AN ADJACENT ARPT JUST AT OUR AIRSPACE BOUNDARY ESEBOUND CLIMBING TO 5000'. ALL TFC HANDLED WELL THE WHOLE FLICK HAD MORE THAN 5-8 MI OF ALT SEPARATION. THEN A FEW VFR'S CALLED INBND AND OVERFLYING ATA. TWR LAUNCHED AN ATX X DEP, ALSO SEBND TO 5000'. I HAD INSTRUCTED ONE VFR CALL TO STANDBY. I RADAR IDENTIFIED THE DEP VECTORED AROUND 1 OVERFLT THEN PUT HIM IN SEQUENCE FOR THE SE ARR FOR NEXT FAC. THE ATX X MISSED OR JUST DIDN'T TAKE THE TURN. I ANSWERED THE VFR THEN SAW I HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE SMA Y AND ATX X. I STOPPED THE ATX X AT 4000' BUT HE ADVISED HE WAS RETURNING TO 4000'. THE SMA Y ADVISED HE HAD THE ATX X IN SIGHT, 4400' AND MAYBE 2 MI.

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.