Narrative:

I was working at local control position at a VFR control tower. A VFR small aircraft X reported in 10 mi southwest of the airport and I instructed him to make a straight-in approach to the southwest/northeast runway. The approach control facility, having IFR jurisdiction for the airport, passed an light transport air taxi inbound on a visibility approach west of the airport, intending to land the same runway as the VFR small aircraft X. The small aircraft X reported 3 mi southwest of the airport on a left base to final, and I cleared the aircraft to land. Seconds later, the light transport, on initial contact, reported on 2-3 mi left base to final on the same runway. The small aircraft X maneuvered his aircraft to avoid the light transport prior to my instructions to do so. I estimate the aircraft were less than 1/2 mi apart and approximately the same altitude. Our LOA between the approach control facility having jurisdiction states that transfer of communication with IFR inbnds be completed no less than 6 mi from the airport. The approach controller claimed this procedure was accomplished. The pilot of the air carrier Y claimed the approach controller was vectoring his aircraft around VFR traffic and that the approach controller transferred communication to my frequency at the point of his initial contact with me. (The approach control facility has no responsibility for VFR aircraft at our airport.) result: 2 aircraft too close to each other for comfort! Corrective action: my facility lacks the proper operational equipment, d-brite radar, to provide the necessary function of separating aircraft. In this occurrence, it is impossible to determine if the proper LOA procedure was accomplished or if the pilot of the air carrier Y failed to contact me when instructed by the approach control facility. Having d-brite radar would not determine who did not do their job here; however, it would have afforded me the ability to maneuver the VFR small aircraft X, the aircraft on my frequency, to a position separated from the air carrier Y aircraft well in advance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATCT LCL CTLR FAILED TO SEQUENCE AND EXCHANGE TRAFFIC INFORMATION BETWEEN SMA X AND ACR Y. OPERATIONAL DEVIATION.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING AT LCL CTL POS AT A VFR CTL TWR. A VFR SMA X RPTED IN 10 MI SW OF THE ARPT AND I INSTRUCTED HIM TO MAKE A STRAIGHT-IN APCH TO THE SW/NE RWY. THE APCH CTL FAC, HAVING IFR JURISDICTION FOR THE ARPT, PASSED AN LTT AIR TAXI INBND ON A VIS APCH W OF THE ARPT, INTENDING TO LAND THE SAME RWY AS THE VFR SMA X. THE SMA X RPTED 3 MI SW OF THE ARPT ON A LEFT BASE TO FINAL, AND I CLRED THE ACFT TO LAND. SECS LATER, THE LTT, ON INITIAL CONTACT, RPTED ON 2-3 MI LEFT BASE TO FINAL ON THE SAME RWY. THE SMA X MANEUVERED HIS ACFT TO AVOID THE LTT PRIOR TO MY INSTRUCTIONS TO DO SO. I ESTIMATE THE ACFT WERE LESS THAN 1/2 MI APART AND APPROX THE SAME ALT. OUR LOA BTWN THE APCH CTL FACILITY HAVING JURISDICTION STATES THAT TRANSFER OF COM WITH IFR INBNDS BE COMPLETED NO LESS THAN 6 MI FROM THE ARPT. THE APCH CTLR CLAIMED THIS PROC WAS ACCOMPLISHED. THE PLT OF THE ACR Y CLAIMED THE APCH CTLR WAS VECTORING HIS ACFT AROUND VFR TFC AND THAT THE APCH CTLR TRANSFERRED COM TO MY FREQ AT THE POINT OF HIS INITIAL CONTACT WITH ME. (THE APCH CTL FAC HAS NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR VFR ACFT AT OUR ARPT.) RESULT: 2 ACFT TOO CLOSE TO EACH OTHER FOR COMFORT! CORRECTIVE ACTION: MY FAC LACKS THE PROPER OPERATIONAL EQUIP, D-BRITE RADAR, TO PROVIDE THE NECESSARY FUNCTION OF SEPARATING ACFT. IN THIS OCCURRENCE, IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO DETERMINE IF THE PROPER LOA PROC WAS ACCOMPLISHED OR IF THE PLT OF THE ACR Y FAILED TO CONTACT ME WHEN INSTRUCTED BY THE APCH CTL FAC. HAVING D-BRITE RADAR WOULD NOT DETERMINE WHO DID NOT DO THEIR JOB HERE; HOWEVER, IT WOULD HAVE AFFORDED ME THE ABILITY TO MANEUVER THE VFR SMA X, THE ACFT ON MY FREQ, TO A POS SEPARATED FROM THE ACR Y ACFT WELL IN ADVANCE.

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.