Narrative:

I was working the local control position at panama city, fl, ATC tower (pfn) when the following incident occurred. Cga X light transport was inbound on a visual approach to runway 32 at pfn and tower had numerous VFR traffic in the air traffic area including touch and go's and low approachs. I observed on the d-brite radar cga X approximately 7 mi east of pfn at 7100 ft and I began sequencing the tower pattern to accommodate his arrival. LOA between pfn and tyndall air force base RAPCON states that aircraft are to be switched to pfn tower frequency no later than 7 mi. Cga X was 4 mi east of pfn when he contacted tower and I instructed him to make a straight-in approach to runway 32. When cga X was 3 mi out, tyndall RAPCON (pam) instructed pfn tower to cancel cga X's approach clearance and issued a heading of 360 and to maintain 4000 ft. As I issued these instructions to cga X, he was descending through 4000 at 6000 FPM as stated by the pilot. It was at this time I observed 2 fgts (flight) call sign fgt Y at 2600 on final to runway 13 into tyndall air force base. Fgt Y passed 2 mi sse of pfn airport as cga X began his climb out instructions. Cga X's altitude was 3200 ft and fgt Y was at 2600 ft. The aircraft came to within 600 ft and 1.5 mi of each other opposite direction resulting in a loss of separation. The reason for this operational error was failure by tyndall RAPCON controllers to anticipate the descent of cga X on the visual approach and sequence fgt Y accordingly. This lack of awareness caused a lifeguard flight to be unnecessarily delayed and resulted in a loss of separation. Loss of separation between IFR aircraft under tyndall air force base RAPCON's jurisdiction within the panama city area is an ongoing problem that needs to be corrected.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MIL APCH CTL FACILITY HAS LTSS BTWN A CGA AND 2 FGTS.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING THE LCL CTL POS AT PANAMA CITY, FL, ATC TWR (PFN) WHEN THE FOLLOWING INCIDENT OCCURRED. CGA X LTT WAS INBOUND ON A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 32 AT PFN AND TWR HAD NUMEROUS VFR TFC IN THE ATA INCLUDING TOUCH AND GO'S AND LOW APCHS. I OBSERVED ON THE D-BRITE RADAR CGA X APPROX 7 MI E OF PFN AT 7100 FT AND I BEGAN SEQUENCING THE TWR PATTERN TO ACCOMMODATE HIS ARR. LOA BTWN PFN AND TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE RAPCON STATES THAT ACFT ARE TO BE SWITCHED TO PFN TWR FREQ NO LATER THAN 7 MI. CGA X WAS 4 MI E OF PFN WHEN HE CONTACTED TWR AND I INSTRUCTED HIM TO MAKE A STRAIGHT-IN APCH TO RWY 32. WHEN CGA X WAS 3 MI OUT, TYNDALL RAPCON (PAM) INSTRUCTED PFN TWR TO CANCEL CGA X'S APCH CLRNC AND ISSUED A HDG OF 360 AND TO MAINTAIN 4000 FT. AS I ISSUED THESE INSTRUCTIONS TO CGA X, HE WAS DSNDING THROUGH 4000 AT 6000 FPM AS STATED BY THE PLT. IT WAS AT THIS TIME I OBSERVED 2 FGTS (FLT) CALL SIGN FGT Y AT 2600 ON FINAL TO RWY 13 INTO TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE. FGT Y PASSED 2 MI SSE OF PFN ARPT AS CGA X BEGAN HIS CLBOUT INSTRUCTIONS. CGA X'S ALT WAS 3200 FT AND FGT Y WAS AT 2600 FT. THE ACFT CAME TO WITHIN 600 FT AND 1.5 MI OF EACH OTHER OPPOSITE DIRECTION RESULTING IN A LOSS OF SEPARATION. THE REASON FOR THIS OPERATIONAL ERROR WAS FAILURE BY TYNDALL RAPCON CTLRS TO ANTICIPATE THE DSCNT OF CGA X ON THE VISUAL APCH AND SEQUENCE FGT Y ACCORDINGLY. THIS LACK OF AWARENESS CAUSED A LIFEGUARD FLT TO BE UNNECESSARILY DELAYED AND RESULTED IN A LOSS OF SEPARATION. LOSS OF SEPARATION BTWN IFR ACFT UNDER TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE RAPCON'S JURISDICTION WITHIN THE PANAMA CITY AREA IS AN ONGOING PROB THAT NEEDS TO BE CORRECTED.

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.