Near midair collision between 2 air carrier departures due to traffic coordination.

Attributes
ACN	200901
Time
Date	199201
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mco
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2000 msl bound upper : 2000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : mco
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	climbout : initial
Route In Use	departure other enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	climbout : initial
Route In Use	departure other enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : radar
ASRS Report	200901
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac non adherence : published procedure non adherence : required legal separation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 0 vertical : 400
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Intra Facility Coordination Failure Operational Error

Narrative:

I was working local control #3 at mco. I had 3 departures at the approach end of the runway. The first departure was swbound and a release had been obtained from local controller #1 for his departure. The air carrier had just been cleared for takeoff when local controller #1 requested a release for an eastbound departure. I instructed local controller #1 to follow my 2ND large transport X which was already holding at the runway. I subsequently cleared each of the large transport aircraft for takeoff sebound. As I was switching the 2ND large transport X to departure, local controller #1 overrode my position to advise his departure medium large transport Y was just off my departures large transport X left then right. I alerted the departure controller immediately as to the situation so he could take action. He issued traffic to the medium large transport Y who reported the large transport X in sight. The medium large transport Y was instructed to maintain visual separation from the large transport X. I feel that local controller #1 keyed on the wrong aircraft and subsequently followed. At the time of the incident there was a tour of 9 people in the tower which blocked the view of local controller #1 which may have contributed to the error. Limiting the size of the tours would certainly help keep confusion and noise down.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC BETWEEN 2 ACR DEPS DUE TO TFC COORDINATION.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING LCL CTL #3 AT MCO. I HAD 3 DEPS AT THE APCH END OF THE RWY. THE FIRST DEP WAS SWBOUND AND A RELEASE HAD BEEN OBTAINED FROM LCL CTLR #1 FOR HIS DEP. THE ACR HAD JUST BEEN CLRED FOR TKOF WHEN LCL CTLR #1 REQUESTED A RELEASE FOR AN EBOUND DEP. I INSTRUCTED LCL CTLR #1 TO FOLLOW MY 2ND LGT X WHICH WAS ALREADY HOLDING AT THE RWY. I SUBSEQUENTLY CLRED EACH OF THE LGT ACFT FOR TKOF SEBOUND. AS I WAS SWITCHING THE 2ND LGT X TO DEP, LCL CTLR #1 OVERRODE MY POS TO ADVISE HIS DEP MLG Y WAS JUST OFF MY DEPS LGT X L THEN R. I ALERTED THE DEP CTLR IMMEDIATELY AS TO THE SITUATION SO HE COULD TAKE ACTION. HE ISSUED TFC TO THE MLG Y WHO RPTED THE LGT X IN SIGHT. THE MLG Y WAS INSTRUCTED TO MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION FROM THE LGT X. I FEEL THAT LCL CTLR #1 KEYED ON THE WRONG ACFT AND SUBSEQUENTLY FOLLOWED. AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT THERE WAS A TOUR OF 9 PEOPLE IN THE TWR WHICH BLOCKED THE VIEW OF LCL CTLR #1 WHICH MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE ERROR. LIMITING THE SIZE OF THE TOURS WOULD CERTAINLY HELP KEEP CONFUSION AND NOISE DOWN.

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.