S46 TRACON controller reported an airbus departure climbed at a much slower airspeed than subsequent...

Narrative:

Working departure sector. Gorgeous VMC. Please reference previous reports for an identical event that occurred approximately 15 minutes earlier. The SOP allows ATCT to launch successive departures utilizing pilot provided visual separation. The ATCT must modify the secondary scratchpad in the data-tag to advise the TRACON that pilot provided visual separation is being used. However; in this case the first aircraft is an [airbus model aircraft] and that type of aircraft is notorious for climbing out much slower than most other aircraft. According to the falcon replay; the trailing [B737] is 1.95 miles behind the [airbus] with approximately a 30 knot overtake. In light of the situation that had already occurred; I stopped the [B737] at 3;000 feet on the climbout. I do not recall if I restricted his speed; but I believe that I did (230 knots).immediately after observing this situation developing; I flipped on our stop departure lights to terminate automatic releases. I simultaneously made the supervisor aware of the new situation. A final aircraft departed behind the [B737]; a [large transport]. Because the [large transport] was airborne; I decided to turn the [B737] out to the northwest in an attempt to give myself some room to work. I also restricted the [large transport] to 4;000 feet on initial contact to ensure vertical separation between the [large transport] and the [airbus]; in case that became an overtake situation as well. All aircraft subsequently continued their departures without further incident.this is a common problem that we experience with the [airbus model] departures. I do not know why this specific aircraft type climbs out so differently; but it is common knowledge at the TRACON. I would propose that this situation could be corrected by changing the LOA to exclude [this specific model] departures from the provision allowing the use of pilot provided visual separation between successive departures. If ATCT had utilized the standard 3-5 mile in-trail spacing that would have been required this event would have been completely avoided.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: S46 TRACON Controller reported an Airbus departure climbed at a much slower airspeed than subsequent departures requiring ATC to restrict and vector off course the trailing aircraft.

Narrative: Working Departure sector. Gorgeous VMC. Please reference previous reports for an identical event that occurred approximately 15 minutes earlier. The SOP allows ATCT to launch successive departures utilizing pilot provided visual separation. The ATCT must modify the secondary scratchpad in the data-tag to advise the TRACON that pilot provided visual separation is being used. However; in this case the first aircraft is an [airbus model aircraft] and that type of aircraft is notorious for climbing out much slower than most other aircraft. According to the FALCON replay; the trailing [B737] is 1.95 miles behind the [Airbus] with approximately a 30 knot overtake. In light of the situation that had already occurred; I stopped the [B737] at 3;000 feet on the climbout. I do not recall if I restricted his speed; but I believe that I did (230 knots).Immediately after observing this situation developing; I flipped on our stop departure lights to terminate automatic releases. I simultaneously made the supervisor aware of the new situation. A final aircraft departed behind the [B737]; a [large transport]. Because the [large transport] was airborne; I decided to turn the [B737] out to the northwest in an attempt to give myself some room to work. I also restricted the [large transport] to 4;000 feet on initial contact to ensure vertical separation between the [large transport] and the [Airbus]; in case that became an overtake situation as well. All aircraft subsequently continued their departures without further incident.This is a common problem that we experience with the [Airbus model] departures. I do not know why this specific aircraft type climbs out so differently; but it is common knowledge at the TRACON. I would propose that this situation could be corrected by changing the LOA to exclude [this specific model] departures from the provision allowing the use of pilot provided visual separation between successive departures. If ATCT had utilized the standard 3-5 mile in-trail spacing that would have been required this event would have been completely avoided.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site 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.

Attributes
ACN	1349196
Time
Date	201604
Local Time Of Day	1201-1800
Place
Locale Reference	S46.TRACON
State Reference	WA
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	Airbus Industrie Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	Initial Climb
Route In Use	SID All
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	Initial Climb
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Function	Departure
Qualification	Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Experience	Air Traffic Control Time Certified In Pos 1 (yrs) 1.3
Events
Anomaly	ATC Issue All Types Conflict Airborne Conflict Deviation - Procedural Published Material / Policy Deviation - Procedural Clearance Deviation - Speed All Types

S46 TRACON controller reported an airbus departure climbed at a much slower airspeed than subsequent departures requiring ATC to restrict and vector off course the trailing aircraft.