Narrative:

I was conducting OJT instruction for mdw approach control when air carrier X checked in outside our airspace boundary at 5000' on a 290 heading for runway 31L mdw and requesting 4000 because of turbulence. About a minute later air carrier X was assigned 4000 after entering our airspace and instructed to join 31L localizer. There was also another jet behind air carrier X and I was discussing speed control with trainee to achieve final approach separation. I do not recall trainee descending air carrier X to 4000, although tape reveals he did. We were also working light transport Y northeast of gyy to sbn. I instructed trainee to follow normal procedure with an east departure and handoff to ord east departure at 4000. During this time our handoff man had coordinated direct sbn at 3000' for a GA aircraft. I was concerned about this because I wanted to be sure of the coordination as the handoff man was a developmental controller working the position by himself and no qualified controller next to him. This is common at ord because of staffing. As I leaned behind trainee to get the information light transport Y checked in at 4000' for pwk, trainee did not answer him. Half a minute later light transport Y checked in again. I immediately recognized the situation with air carrier X and took control of frequency and issued a 270 heading to light transport Y. I issued traffic to air carrier X, he reported light transport Y in sight and was cleared for approach. I believe this might have been a late handoff acceptance by handoff man or possibly a late transfer of communications by center, (this hasn't been determined). However, had a certified controller been working position there may not have been confusion.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION BETWEEN ACR X AND LTT Y. SYSTEM ERROR. SITUATION: STANDARD PRACTICE AT ORD TRACON TO USE UNQUALIFIED PERSONNEL AS HANDOFF CTLRS.

Narrative: I WAS CONDUCTING OJT INSTRUCTION FOR MDW APCH CTL WHEN ACR X CHECKED IN OUTSIDE OUR AIRSPACE BOUNDARY AT 5000' ON A 290 HDG FOR RWY 31L MDW AND REQUESTING 4000 BECAUSE OF TURBULENCE. ABOUT A MINUTE LATER ACR X WAS ASSIGNED 4000 AFTER ENTERING OUR AIRSPACE AND INSTRUCTED TO JOIN 31L LOC. THERE WAS ALSO ANOTHER JET BEHIND ACR X AND I WAS DISCUSSING SPEED CONTROL WITH TRAINEE TO ACHIEVE FINAL APCH SEPARATION. I DO NOT RECALL TRAINEE DESCENDING ACR X TO 4000, ALTHOUGH TAPE REVEALS HE DID. WE WERE ALSO WORKING LTT Y NE OF GYY TO SBN. I INSTRUCTED TRAINEE TO FOLLOW NORMAL PROC WITH AN E DEP AND HANDOFF TO ORD E DEP AT 4000. DURING THIS TIME OUR HANDOFF MAN HAD COORDINATED DIRECT SBN AT 3000' FOR A GA ACFT. I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THIS BECAUSE I WANTED TO BE SURE OF THE COORD AS THE HANDOFF MAN WAS A DEVELOPMENTAL CTLR WORKING THE POSITION BY HIMSELF AND NO QUALIFIED CTLR NEXT TO HIM. THIS IS COMMON AT ORD BECAUSE OF STAFFING. AS I LEANED BEHIND TRAINEE TO GET THE INFO LTT Y CHECKED IN AT 4000' FOR PWK, TRAINEE DID NOT ANSWER HIM. HALF A MINUTE LATER LTT Y CHECKED IN AGAIN. I IMMEDIATELY RECOGNIZED THE SITUATION WITH ACR X AND TOOK CONTROL OF FREQ AND ISSUED A 270 HDG TO LTT Y. I ISSUED TFC TO ACR X, HE REPORTED LTT Y IN SIGHT AND WAS CLRED FOR APCH. I BELIEVE THIS MIGHT HAVE BEEN A LATE HANDOFF ACCEPTANCE BY HANDOFF MAN OR POSSIBLY A LATE TRANSFER OF COMS BY CENTER, (THIS HASN'T BEEN DETERMINED). HOWEVER, HAD A CERTIFIED CTLR BEEN WORKING POSITION THERE MAY NOT HAVE BEEN CONFUSION.

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.