Narrative:

I was working east side arrival and departure combined. Small aircraft X departed kansas city downtown airport IFR on a 210 degree heading. On initial contact I assigned 7000', the flight plan of which there was 2 on file was for departure to the north. The other aircraft involved was an small aircraft Y orbiting east of downtown airport at 4500' MSL for law enforcement surveillance. This aircraft was not on my frequency. He was in my airspace, but the controllers who worked the positions previously had not changed the aircraft to the appropriate frequency, but had exchanged pointouts. The pointout was included as I relieved the position in the position briefing. During this tie frame I was working 10 aircraft, center was calling every 30 seconds or so with requests as was the international tower at mci. There were numerous VFR targets in all quadrants. It was getting complex with frequency congestions from departure and arrival frequencys, landline coordination and conflict resolution from about 6 aircraft all trying to reach the same point at the same time. I pointed the IFR small aircraft X out to the satellite controller and turned him northbound out of about 3700' about 4 mi south of downtown airport. The orbiting small aircraft Y was at least 3 mi east of downtown at that tie still on the satellite controller's frequency at 4500'. The heading I gave the IFR small aircraft X took him northbound right over the airport. At this point there were 5 data tags and numerous VFR squawks all within 5 mi of downtown airport. I was trying to keep the airport uncovered with my data tags as best I could. The satellite controller was not moving his. At this point I was sequencing 4 air carrier's to runway 27 at international runway 27. As I scanned for the small aircraft X it occurred to me that the orbiting small aircraft Y was no longer east of downtown. In the jumble of traffic I picked a target that I thought was correct and issued the traffic. The IFR small aircraft X said he had the traffic about 3-400' above him and that he looked close--no kidding! So what happened? Too much coordination with center and tower. The small aircraft X climb flattened out turning with wind to tail. Satellite controller was bored, not paying close enough attention. I bet on the come that my heading was clear of traffic and that he was climbing well enough to top the other small aircraft Y anyway. 1 aircraft was on the wrong frequency. I should have asked for help but the supervisor was talking to his boss. No one else was around. When orbiting traffic like that give them plenty of room--you never know when they will move.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CTLR HAD LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION BETWEEN AN IFR AND VFR ACFT IN THE TCA.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING E SIDE ARR AND DEP COMBINED. SMA X DEPARTED KANSAS CITY DOWNTOWN ARPT IFR ON A 210 DEG HDG. ON INITIAL CONTACT I ASSIGNED 7000', THE FLT PLAN OF WHICH THERE WAS 2 ON FILE WAS FOR DEP TO THE N. THE OTHER ACFT INVOLVED WAS AN SMA Y ORBITING E OF DOWNTOWN ARPT AT 4500' MSL FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT SURVEILLANCE. THIS ACFT WAS NOT ON MY FREQ. HE WAS IN MY AIRSPACE, BUT THE CTLRS WHO WORKED THE POSITIONS PREVIOUSLY HAD NOT CHANGED THE ACFT TO THE APPROPRIATE FREQ, BUT HAD EXCHANGED POINTOUTS. THE POINTOUT WAS INCLUDED AS I RELIEVED THE POS IN THE POS BRIEFING. DURING THIS TIE FRAME I WAS WORKING 10 ACFT, CENTER WAS CALLING EVERY 30 SECS OR SO WITH REQUESTS AS WAS THE INTL TWR AT MCI. THERE WERE NUMEROUS VFR TARGETS IN ALL QUADRANTS. IT WAS GETTING COMPLEX WITH FREQ CONGESTIONS FROM DEP AND ARR FREQS, LANDLINE COORD AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION FROM ABOUT 6 ACFT ALL TRYING TO REACH THE SAME POINT AT THE SAME TIME. I POINTED THE IFR SMA X OUT TO THE SATELLITE CTLR AND TURNED HIM NBND OUT OF ABOUT 3700' ABOUT 4 MI S OF DOWNTOWN ARPT. THE ORBITING SMA Y WAS AT LEAST 3 MI E OF DOWNTOWN AT THAT TIE STILL ON THE SATELLITE CTLR'S FREQ AT 4500'. THE HDG I GAVE THE IFR SMA X TOOK HIM NBND RIGHT OVER THE ARPT. AT THIS POINT THERE WERE 5 DATA TAGS AND NUMEROUS VFR SQUAWKS ALL WITHIN 5 MI OF DOWNTOWN ARPT. I WAS TRYING TO KEEP THE ARPT UNCOVERED WITH MY DATA TAGS AS BEST I COULD. THE SATELLITE CTLR WAS NOT MOVING HIS. AT THIS POINT I WAS SEQUENCING 4 ACR'S TO RWY 27 AT INTL RWY 27. AS I SCANNED FOR THE SMA X IT OCCURRED TO ME THAT THE ORBITING SMA Y WAS NO LONGER E OF DOWNTOWN. IN THE JUMBLE OF TFC I PICKED A TARGET THAT I THOUGHT WAS CORRECT AND ISSUED THE TFC. THE IFR SMA X SAID HE HAD THE TFC ABOUT 3-400' ABOVE HIM AND THAT HE LOOKED CLOSE--NO KIDDING! SO WHAT HAPPENED? TOO MUCH COORD WITH CENTER AND TWR. THE SMA X CLB FLATTENED OUT TURNING WITH WIND TO TAIL. SATELLITE CTLR WAS BORED, NOT PAYING CLOSE ENOUGH ATTN. I BET ON THE COME THAT MY HDG WAS CLR OF TFC AND THAT HE WAS CLBING WELL ENOUGH TO TOP THE OTHER SMA Y ANYWAY. 1 ACFT WAS ON THE WRONG FREQ. I SHOULD HAVE ASKED FOR HELP BUT THE SUPVR WAS TALKING TO HIS BOSS. NO ONE ELSE WAS AROUND. WHEN ORBITING TFC LIKE THAT GIVE THEM PLENTY OF ROOM--YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN THEY WILL MOVE.

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.