Narrative:

I was training a controller on local control position in mem tower. I had been over his shoulder for the past half hour watching intently as he was clearing successive departures for takeoff. We had gotten to 1 departure waiting at the runway. Air carrier Y going to ord with a release time due to flow restriction. The first airplane small transport X taxied out from a FBO and went to the runway before air carrier Y. Because I had been 'hovering' over the shoulder of the trainee, and was attempting to begin to instill some confidence to the trainee I did not check the departure gate of small transport X which would determine what heading small transport X should get off the airport. The trainee cleared small transport X for takeoff on a 210 degree heading when the heading for the particular gate should have been 150 degree. Air carrier Y was cleared for takeoff about a min or so later on runway heading. The airplanes were initially separated. The departure controller who was working small transport X failed to recognize the 210 degree heading on small transport X's flight progress strip and turned the aircraft to a 070 degree heading compromising the integrity of the initial separation with air carrier Y. Small transport X was talking to the east departure controller and air carrier Y to the west departure controller. Supplemental information from acn 202564: I was working 6 to 8 aircraft on dr-V (departure east radar.) small transport X reported airborne off 18L heading 210. Due to the need to increase spacing between aircraft east of the airport. I did not respond to small transport X first call. A short time later I issued small transport X radar contact and a climb to 5000 ft. After a few seconds, I turned small transport X to a heading of 070 degree. (According to procedure an aircraft can be turned toward his route leaving 2000 ft.) the tower controller cleared air carrier Y for takeoff off 18L. According to darts the aircraft were 800 ft and .66 mi apart. I think traffic volume on departure having to vector for additional spacing, and trainee on the local control position were contributing factors.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMT X ASSIGNED WRONG HDG HAD LTSS FROM ACR Y. SYS ERROR.

Narrative: I WAS TRAINING A CTLR ON LCL CTL POS IN MEM TWR. I HAD BEEN OVER HIS SHOULDER FOR THE PAST HALF HR WATCHING INTENTLY AS HE WAS CLRING SUCCESSIVE DEPS FOR TKOF. WE HAD GOTTEN TO 1 DEP WAITING AT THE RWY. ACR Y GOING TO ORD WITH A RELEASE TIME DUE TO FLOW RESTRICTION. THE FIRST AIRPLANE SMT X TAXIED OUT FROM A FBO AND WENT TO THE RWY BEFORE ACR Y. BECAUSE I HAD BEEN 'HOVERING' OVER THE SHOULDER OF THE TRAINEE, AND WAS ATTEMPTING TO BEGIN TO INSTILL SOME CONFIDENCE TO THE TRAINEE I DID NOT CHK THE DEP GATE OF SMT X WHICH WOULD DETERMINE WHAT HDG SMT X SHOULD GET OFF THE ARPT. THE TRAINEE CLRED SMT X FOR TKOF ON A 210 DEG HDG WHEN THE HDG FOR THE PARTICULAR GATE SHOULD HAVE BEEN 150 DEG. ACR Y WAS CLRED FOR TKOF ABOUT A MIN OR SO LATER ON RWY HDG. THE AIRPLANES WERE INITIALLY SEPARATED. THE DEP CTLR WHO WAS WORKING SMT X FAILED TO RECOGNIZE THE 210 DEG HDG ON SMT X'S FLT PROGRESS STRIP AND TURNED THE ACFT TO A 070 DEG HDG COMPROMISING THE INTEGRITY OF THE INITIAL SEPARATION WITH ACR Y. SMT X WAS TALKING TO THE E DEP CTLR AND ACR Y TO THE W DEP CTLR. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 202564: I WAS WORKING 6 TO 8 ACFT ON DR-V (DEP E RADAR.) SMT X RPTED AIRBORNE OFF 18L HDG 210. DUE TO THE NEED TO INCREASE SPACING BTWN ACFT E OF THE ARPT. I DID NOT RESPOND TO SMT X FIRST CALL. A SHORT TIME LATER I ISSUED SMT X RADAR CONTACT AND A CLB TO 5000 FT. AFTER A FEW SECONDS, I TURNED SMT X TO A HDG OF 070 DEG. (ACCORDING TO PROC AN ACFT CAN BE TURNED TOWARD HIS RTE LEAVING 2000 FT.) THE TWR CTLR CLRED ACR Y FOR TKOF OFF 18L. ACCORDING TO DARTS THE ACFT WERE 800 FT AND .66 MI APART. I THINK TFC VOLUME ON DEP HAVING TO VECTOR FOR ADDITIONAL SPACING, AND TRAINEE ON THE LCL CTL POS WERE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS.

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.