Narrative:

On nov/xx/92 at approximately XA30 local, I was giving OJT instruction to a developmental on local control at tucson ATCT. I observed aircraft on the straight-in final converging in a potential conflict situation. Aircraft #1, an small transport X turbo propeller, was VFR afforded IFR service on a practice ILS approach. Aircraft #2, an small transport Y rotary engine, was VFR inbound for the same runway. Both aircraft were being handled by U90, the adjacent radar facility at the edge of my air traffic area. I observed what appeared to be an attempt by approach to outrun the small transport X turbo propeller with the rotary twin with the intent of making the trailing twin small transport Y #1. Both aircraft entered my airspace without coordination on approach frequency with the ARTS IIIA conflict alert in alarm. I looked at the aircraft with binoculars to make sure they were not about to hit and let it continue a little farther. The small transport Y appeared to be altitude restr above the small transport X so I just watched to see what approach was doing. I observed the small transport Y 'nose dive' in an attempt to get down to the runway when it was about 2-3 mi final and the pilot called me on tower frequency. I immediately issued the small transport X TA to him and he responded that approach never told him he had traffic behind him. At this time the 2 were maybe a mi or less apart and converging horizontally and vertically maybe 300 ft. I told the twin I had them in sight and cleared him to land runway 11L. I immediately used the override phone to tell approach 'get that small transport X out of there now!' the small transport X was still on approach and converging to about 1/4-3/4 mi and maybe 100 ft lower than the small transport Y when he called on tower frequency. This was about 1 1/4-2 mi final. I gave the small transport X 'go around immediately' and issued the small transport Y traffic ahead of him. The small transport X pilot questioned my go around so I reissued it with emphasis and a 90 degree right turn to avert conflict (he called the small transport Y in sight). After the incident I told the controller in charge (controller in charge) to call the TRACON supervisor and find out why the arrival controller did all this in my airspace without saying so much as 1 word to me. When the controller in charge called TRACON supervisor's desk the arrival controller involved answered the phone and accused me of not fixing his problem and tried to blow it all off. He said his supervisor was in the break room. I told the controller in charge to report it to my supervisor who was at lunch. The TRACON supervisor called back and repeated the story his controller had told him and laid the blame on me. I told the controller in charge again to report it to my supervisor and he did. My supervisor told me to fill out an incident package if I felt like it or talk to the quats (quality assurance and training specialist). I talked to both tower and radar quats and smelled cover up or sweep it under the rug. My supervisor suggested I call a 'deal' on myself thus forcing a formal investigation to start. I did this and still am concerned that nothing positive will come of it. Tower and TRACON controllers and supervisors have been reporting problems like this and the finger pointing, lying and cover ups to keep it all 'in house' is getting ridiculous. It started when we split the 2 facilities and we are involved in a noble but futile attempt to keep it among ourselves and keep the dirty laundry hidden from view by higher levels. I made several small mistakes in this incident and should have acted faster, I admit it. These types of incidents and violations are reported by controllers regularly at tucson and nothing ever changes. These things are brought up at the supervisors meetings and nothing ever changes. It is my sincere hope that my calling a deal on myself will prompt official attention from upper management. However, this may not happen because I am already getting 'signals' from staff that a decision will be made locally and quietly on how to proceed on this. Everybody involved is dedicated and well intentioned but because these problems involve fellow controllers we tend to try to protect each other too much and sometimes at the expense of a good professional operation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CTLR RPTR IN THE TWR CLAIMS THAT A LTSS OCCURRED THAT WAS CAUSED BY APCH CTL.

Narrative: ON NOV/XX/92 AT APPROX XA30 LCL, I WAS GIVING OJT INSTRUCTION TO A DEVELOPMENTAL ON LCL CTL AT TUCSON ATCT. I OBSERVED ACFT ON THE STRAIGHT-IN FINAL CONVERGING IN A POTENTIAL CONFLICT SIT. ACFT #1, AN SMT X TURBO PROP, WAS VFR AFFORDED IFR SVC ON A PRACTICE ILS APCH. ACFT #2, AN SMT Y ROTARY ENG, WAS VFR INBOUND FOR THE SAME RWY. BOTH ACFT WERE BEING HANDLED BY U90, THE ADJACENT RADAR FACILITY AT THE EDGE OF MY ATA. I OBSERVED WHAT APPEARED TO BE AN ATTEMPT BY APCH TO OUTRUN THE SMT X TURBO PROP WITH THE ROTARY TWIN WITH THE INTENT OF MAKING THE TRAILING TWIN SMT Y #1. BOTH ACFT ENTERED MY AIRSPACE WITHOUT COORD ON APCH FREQ WITH THE ARTS IIIA CONFLICT ALERT IN ALARM. I LOOKED AT THE ACFT WITH BINOCULARS TO MAKE SURE THEY WERE NOT ABOUT TO HIT AND LET IT CONTINUE A LITTLE FARTHER. THE SMT Y APPEARED TO BE ALT RESTR ABOVE THE SMT X SO I JUST WATCHED TO SEE WHAT APCH WAS DOING. I OBSERVED THE SMT Y 'NOSE DIVE' IN AN ATTEMPT TO GET DOWN TO THE RWY WHEN IT WAS ABOUT 2-3 MI FINAL AND THE PLT CALLED ME ON TWR FREQ. I IMMEDIATELY ISSUED THE SMT X TA TO HIM AND HE RESPONDED THAT APCH NEVER TOLD HIM HE HAD TFC BEHIND HIM. AT THIS TIME THE 2 WERE MAYBE A MI OR LESS APART AND CONVERGING HORIZLY AND VERTICALLY MAYBE 300 FT. I TOLD THE TWIN I HAD THEM IN SIGHT AND CLRED HIM TO LAND RWY 11L. I IMMEDIATELY USED THE OVERRIDE PHONE TO TELL APCH 'GET THAT SMT X OUT OF THERE NOW!' THE SMT X WAS STILL ON APCH AND CONVERGING TO ABOUT 1/4-3/4 MI AND MAYBE 100 FT LOWER THAN THE SMT Y WHEN HE CALLED ON TWR FREQ. THIS WAS ABOUT 1 1/4-2 MI FINAL. I GAVE THE SMT X 'GAR IMMEDIATELY' AND ISSUED THE SMT Y TFC AHEAD OF HIM. THE SMT X PLT QUESTIONED MY GAR SO I REISSUED IT WITH EMPHASIS AND A 90 DEG R TURN TO AVERT CONFLICT (HE CALLED THE SMT Y IN SIGHT). AFTER THE INCIDENT I TOLD THE CIC (CTLR IN CHARGE) TO CALL THE TRACON SUPVR AND FIND OUT WHY THE ARR CTLR DID ALL THIS IN MY AIRSPACE WITHOUT SAYING SO MUCH AS 1 WORD TO ME. WHEN THE CTLR IN CHARGE CALLED TRACON SUPVR'S DESK THE ARR CTLR INVOLVED ANSWERED THE PHONE AND ACCUSED ME OF NOT FIXING HIS PROB AND TRIED TO BLOW IT ALL OFF. HE SAID HIS SUPVR WAS IN THE BREAK ROOM. I TOLD THE CTLR IN CHARGE TO RPT IT TO MY SUPVR WHO WAS AT LUNCH. THE TRACON SUPVR CALLED BACK AND REPEATED THE STORY HIS CTLR HAD TOLD HIM AND LAID THE BLAME ON ME. I TOLD THE CTLR IN CHARGE AGAIN TO RPT IT TO MY SUPVR AND HE DID. MY SUPVR TOLD ME TO FILL OUT AN INCIDENT PACKAGE IF I FELT LIKE IT OR TALK TO THE QUATS (QUALITY ASSURANCE AND TRAINING SPECIALIST). I TALKED TO BOTH TWR AND RADAR QUATS AND SMELLED COVER UP OR SWEEP IT UNDER THE RUG. MY SUPVR SUGGESTED I CALL A 'DEAL' ON MYSELF THUS FORCING A FORMAL INVESTIGATION TO START. I DID THIS AND STILL AM CONCERNED THAT NOTHING POSITIVE WILL COME OF IT. TWR AND TRACON CTLRS AND SUPVRS HAVE BEEN RPTING PROBS LIKE THIS AND THE FINGER POINTING, LYING AND COVER UPS TO KEEP IT ALL 'IN HOUSE' IS GETTING RIDICULOUS. IT STARTED WHEN WE SPLIT THE 2 FACILITIES AND WE ARE INVOLVED IN A NOBLE BUT FUTILE ATTEMPT TO KEEP IT AMONG OURSELVES AND KEEP THE DIRTY LAUNDRY HIDDEN FROM VIEW BY HIGHER LEVELS. I MADE SEVERAL SMALL MISTAKES IN THIS INCIDENT AND SHOULD HAVE ACTED FASTER, I ADMIT IT. THESE TYPES OF INCIDENTS AND VIOLATIONS ARE RPTED BY CTLRS REGULARLY AT TUCSON AND NOTHING EVER CHANGES. THESE THINGS ARE BROUGHT UP AT THE SUPVRS MEETINGS AND NOTHING EVER CHANGES. IT IS MY SINCERE HOPE THAT MY CALLING A DEAL ON MYSELF WILL PROMPT OFFICIAL ATTN FROM UPPER MGMNT. HOWEVER, THIS MAY NOT HAPPEN BECAUSE I AM ALREADY GETTING 'SIGNALS' FROM STAFF THAT A DECISION WILL BE MADE LOCALLY AND QUIETLY ON HOW TO PROCEED ON THIS. EVERYBODY INVOLVED IS DEDICATED AND WELL INTENTIONED BUT BECAUSE THESE PROBS INVOLVE FELLOW CTLRS WE TEND TO TRY TO PROTECT EACH OTHER TOO MUCH AND SOMETIMES AT THE EXPENSE OF A GOOD PROFESSIONAL OP.

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.