Narrative:

ILS 35 approach in use. I received a position relief briefing on the recorded line. The brief did not include the reference to the status area indicating the approach in use; however, I had been working down in the TRACON and was aware that the ILS 35 was in use. When I assumed the local controller position an aircraft was holding short of runway 17. He was delayed by WX, estimated departure clearance time (edct) and en route spacing program (esp). Cga X was taxied to runway 17 at his request by the previous controller. Cga X called ready for takeoff, and after scanning the BRITE scope and seeing no inbound or conflicting traffic, I cleared him for takeoff. Cga X required a back-taxi due to the other aircraft blocking access to the approach end of the runway. Almost 3 mins passed before cga X was airborne. During the 3 mins, I was involved with other duties. I no longer had cga X visually and observed an unverified mode C readout of 1400', indicating he was airborne, and switched him to departure. It was at this time that I saw the cga Y had changed from an overflt to an arrival on the ILS 35 approach. We use special designators in the data block to indicate status of the aircraft. In this case, cga Y had an 'O,' meaning overflt, and changed to an 'I,' meaning ILS. I saw this and it dawned on me that I hadn't coordinated the opp direction departure. I had assigned cga X a heading of 200 degrees and circled it to indicate that the aircraft was departure's control for turns. Departure called and said that we were supposed to coordinate opp direction departures. Since I had assigned a 200 degree heading, I assumed the departure would continued to turn to the right. Departure told me to take cga Y off of the approach with no specified direction. I turned him right to 090 degrees, then observed the cga X turning to the southeast. The closest point of approach was 1 1/2-2 mi at the same altitude. Recommendations: have approval for the opp direction departure prior to taxi to the runway. Someone (approach?) should have indicated to tower a direction of turn for cga Y, reference his turning of cga X. Had both aircraft turned to the right, I wouldn't be typing this.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACFT WAS RELEASED IN IFR CONDITIONS WITH AN OPPOSITE DIRECTION ACFT ON THE APCH. LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION OCCURRED.

Narrative: ILS 35 APCH IN USE. I RECEIVED A POS RELIEF BRIEFING ON THE RECORDED LINE. THE BRIEF DID NOT INCLUDE THE REF TO THE STATUS AREA INDICATING THE APCH IN USE; HOWEVER, I HAD BEEN WORKING DOWN IN THE TRACON AND WAS AWARE THAT THE ILS 35 WAS IN USE. WHEN I ASSUMED THE LCL CTLR POS AN ACFT WAS HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 17. HE WAS DELAYED BY WX, ESTIMATED DEP CLRNC TIME (EDCT) AND ENRTE SPACING PROGRAM (ESP). CGA X WAS TAXIED TO RWY 17 AT HIS REQUEST BY THE PREVIOUS CTLR. CGA X CALLED READY FOR TKOF, AND AFTER SCANNING THE BRITE SCOPE AND SEEING NO INBND OR CONFLICTING TFC, I CLRED HIM FOR TKOF. CGA X REQUIRED A BACK-TAXI DUE TO THE OTHER ACFT BLOCKING ACCESS TO THE APCH END OF THE RWY. ALMOST 3 MINS PASSED BEFORE CGA X WAS AIRBORNE. DURING THE 3 MINS, I WAS INVOLVED WITH OTHER DUTIES. I NO LONGER HAD CGA X VISUALLY AND OBSERVED AN UNVERIFIED MODE C READOUT OF 1400', INDICATING HE WAS AIRBORNE, AND SWITCHED HIM TO DEP. IT WAS AT THIS TIME THAT I SAW THE CGA Y HAD CHANGED FROM AN OVERFLT TO AN ARR ON THE ILS 35 APCH. WE USE SPECIAL DESIGNATORS IN THE DATA BLOCK TO INDICATE STATUS OF THE ACFT. IN THIS CASE, CGA Y HAD AN 'O,' MEANING OVERFLT, AND CHANGED TO AN 'I,' MEANING ILS. I SAW THIS AND IT DAWNED ON ME THAT I HADN'T COORDINATED THE OPP DIRECTION DEP. I HAD ASSIGNED CGA X A HDG OF 200 DEGS AND CIRCLED IT TO INDICATE THAT THE ACFT WAS DEP'S CTL FOR TURNS. DEP CALLED AND SAID THAT WE WERE SUPPOSED TO COORDINATE OPP DIRECTION DEPS. SINCE I HAD ASSIGNED A 200 DEG HDG, I ASSUMED THE DEP WOULD CONTINUED TO TURN TO THE RIGHT. DEP TOLD ME TO TAKE CGA Y OFF OF THE APCH WITH NO SPECIFIED DIRECTION. I TURNED HIM RIGHT TO 090 DEGS, THEN OBSERVED THE CGA X TURNING TO THE SE. THE CLOSEST POINT OF APCH WAS 1 1/2-2 MI AT THE SAME ALT. RECOMMENDATIONS: HAVE APPROVAL FOR THE OPP DIRECTION DEP PRIOR TO TAXI TO THE RWY. SOMEONE (APCH?) SHOULD HAVE INDICATED TO TWR A DIRECTION OF TURN FOR CGA Y, REF HIS TURNING OF CGA X. HAD BOTH ACFT TURNED TO THE RIGHT, I WOULDN'T BE TYPING THIS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.