Narrative:

I was providing OJT on arrival radar south. My trainee and I had just received the position relief briefing and assumed the position. We had air carrier X on a vector for the ILS runway 32 approach with air carrier Y on left downwind to follow. When we assumed the position, we were already behind with 2 aircraft high and fast and 2 flight progress strips missing. As I attempted to get us caught up I assumed that my trainee would turn air carrier Y downwind to follow air carrier X. Instead, the trainee cleared air carrier X for the ILS runway 32 approach. I immediately took the frequency and turned air carrier X to a 360 degree heading. Air carrier Y was turned left to a 320 degree heading. Traffic was issued to both aircraft, neither responded. Air carrier X was told to maintain 6000 ft. He responded that he was unable. Air carrier Y was descended to 2500 ft. Air carrier Y reported air carrier Y in sight and was told to maintain visual separation. Supplemental information from acn 182350: we were on a 360 degree heading descending from 6000 ft to 4000 ft with clearance to intercept the localizer, cross wyler (9.3 DME off mmt on localizer) at 4000 ft, cleared for the ILS. Just as we were passing 4800 ft and in the turn (heading about 340 degree) to intercept the localizer, approach said for us to maintain 6000 ft. At this time I leveled at 4700 ft inbound on the localizer. The captain told approach were already at 4700 and did they want us to climb back to 6000 ft. After 1 blocked radio transmission, approach came back and told us to turn to 300 degree. Just as I started the turn, I saw air carrier Y at our 1:30 position about 500 ft low and 1500 ft horizontal. As we rolled out on the 300 degree heading, approach told us to fly 360 degree and maintain 4000 ft. At this point the field was in sight. Approach then cleared us for the visual to 28R, the captain asked approach what was going on and they responded with 'we don't know'. Supplemental information from acn 183178: we were on the centerline at 4700 ft when approach control changed instructions. Well, they all forgot to tell air carrier Y to turn downwind. The trainee sounded like a real novice controller. I don't think at large airports with TCA and major hubs there should be such a novice trainee in the 'hot' seat. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated FAA facility management investigated the incident and meet with the flight crew to discuss what happened. Air carrier Y was at 4000 ft targets merged on the radar scope. Position relief briefing had just taken place. The relieved controller had instructed the trainee to clear air carrier X for approach. The relieved controller and the instructor controller got into a discussion and failed to see that the trainee failed to turn air carrier Y aware from air carrier X. Workload at the time was light.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR X HAD LTSS FROM ACR Y. SYS ERROR.

Narrative: I WAS PROVIDING OJT ON ARR RADAR S. MY TRAINEE AND I HAD JUST RECEIVED THE POS RELIEF BRIEFING AND ASSUMED THE POS. WE HAD ACR X ON A VECTOR FOR THE ILS RWY 32 APCH WITH ACR Y ON L DOWNWIND TO FOLLOW. WHEN WE ASSUMED THE POS, WE WERE ALREADY BEHIND WITH 2 ACFT HIGH AND FAST AND 2 FLT PROGRESS STRIPS MISSING. AS I ATTEMPTED TO GET US CAUGHT UP I ASSUMED THAT MY TRAINEE WOULD TURN ACR Y DOWNWIND TO FOLLOW ACR X. INSTEAD, THE TRAINEE CLRED ACR X FOR THE ILS RWY 32 APCH. I IMMEDIATELY TOOK THE FREQ AND TURNED ACR X TO A 360 DEG HDG. ACR Y WAS TURNED L TO A 320 DEG HDG. TFC WAS ISSUED TO BOTH ACFT, NEITHER RESPONDED. ACR X WAS TOLD TO MAINTAIN 6000 FT. HE RESPONDED THAT HE WAS UNABLE. ACR Y WAS DSNDED TO 2500 FT. ACR Y RPTED ACR Y IN SIGHT AND WAS TOLD TO MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 182350: WE WERE ON A 360 DEG HDG DSNDING FROM 6000 FT TO 4000 FT WITH CLRNC TO INTERCEPT THE LOC, CROSS WYLER (9.3 DME OFF MMT ON LOC) AT 4000 FT, CLRED FOR THE ILS. JUST AS WE WERE PASSING 4800 FT AND IN THE TURN (HDG ABOUT 340 DEG) TO INTERCEPT THE LOC, APCH SAID FOR US TO MAINTAIN 6000 FT. AT THIS TIME I LEVELED AT 4700 FT INBOUND ON THE LOC. THE CAPT TOLD APCH WERE ALREADY AT 4700 AND DID THEY WANT US TO CLB BACK TO 6000 FT. AFTER 1 BLOCKED RADIO XMISSION, APCH CAME BACK AND TOLD US TO TURN TO 300 DEG. JUST AS I STARTED THE TURN, I SAW ACR Y AT OUR 1:30 POS ABOUT 500 FT LOW AND 1500 FT HORIZ. AS WE ROLLED OUT ON THE 300 DEG HDG, APCH TOLD US TO FLY 360 DEG AND MAINTAIN 4000 FT. AT THIS POINT THE FIELD WAS IN SIGHT. APCH THEN CLRED US FOR THE VISUAL TO 28R, THE CAPT ASKED APCH WHAT WAS GOING ON AND THEY RESPONDED WITH 'WE DON'T KNOW'. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 183178: WE WERE ON THE CENTERLINE AT 4700 FT WHEN APCH CTL CHANGED INSTRUCTIONS. WELL, THEY ALL FORGOT TO TELL ACR Y TO TURN DOWNWIND. THE TRAINEE SOUNDED LIKE A REAL NOVICE CTLR. I DON'T THINK AT LARGE ARPTS WITH TCA AND MAJOR HUBS THERE SHOULD BE SUCH A NOVICE TRAINEE IN THE 'HOT' SEAT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED FAA FACILITY MGMNT INVESTIGATED THE INCIDENT AND MEET WITH THE FLC TO DISCUSS WHAT HAPPENED. ACR Y WAS AT 4000 FT TARGETS MERGED ON THE RADAR SCOPE. POS RELIEF BRIEFING HAD JUST TAKEN PLACE. THE RELIEVED CTLR HAD INSTRUCTED THE TRAINEE TO CLR ACR X FOR APCH. THE RELIEVED CTLR AND THE INSTRUCTOR CTLR GOT INTO A DISCUSSION AND FAILED TO SEE THAT THE TRAINEE FAILED TO TURN ACR Y AWARE FROM ACR X. WORKLOAD AT THE TIME WAS LIGHT.

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.