Narrative:

I was assigned to local and ground combined. I received what turned out to be a critically incomplete brief from the supervisor working traffic. Air carrier X was approaching a 5 mi final. Air carrier Y called ready for takeoff. I cleared air carrier Y for takeoff using the 2-3-1 rule. Air carrier Y was midfield and airborne when air carrier X reported an unintentional missed approach. Procedures call for runway heading and maintain 2000 ft in these cases. I was about to comply with the procedure when the supervisor usurped me and told me to coordinate with the radar room for a turn. I attempted to comply with the supervisors, but the radar sector didn't answer. The sector was at another position. The supervisor had known it but had not briefed me! The radar room supervisor had not 'call forwarded' the interphone system. I told air carrier X (10 seconds later) to fly runway heading, maintain 2000 ft. Then the supervisor told me the radar sector was at another position and I called it. The supervisor was still yelling to coordinate for a turn when I advised the radar controller of the problem. The radar controller did not issue a turn and there was no more time so I sent air carrier X over to departure control and then did the same for air carrier Y. Although air carrier Y was on a 020 degree heading and air carrier X was on a 050 degree heading (diverging courses per procedures), they came within 400 ft and .7 mi. This error would not have occurred if the supervisor had not intervened and if the supervisor had given a proper position relief briefing.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR X MISSED APCH HAD LTSS FROM ACR Y DEP. SYS ERROR.

Narrative: I WAS ASSIGNED TO LCL AND GND COMBINED. I RECEIVED WHAT TURNED OUT TO BE A CRITICALLY INCOMPLETE BRIEF FROM THE SUPVR WORKING TFC. ACR X WAS APCHING A 5 MI FINAL. ACR Y CALLED READY FOR TKOF. I CLRED ACR Y FOR TKOF USING THE 2-3-1 RULE. ACR Y WAS MIDFIELD AND AIRBORNE WHEN ACR X RPTED AN UNINTENTIONAL MISSED APCH. PROCS CALL FOR RWY HDG AND MAINTAIN 2000 FT IN THESE CASES. I WAS ABOUT TO COMPLY WITH THE PROC WHEN THE SUPVR USURPED ME AND TOLD ME TO COORDINATE WITH THE RADAR ROOM FOR A TURN. I ATTEMPTED TO COMPLY WITH THE SUPVRS, BUT THE RADAR SECTOR DIDN'T ANSWER. THE SECTOR WAS AT ANOTHER POS. THE SUPVR HAD KNOWN IT BUT HAD NOT BRIEFED ME! THE RADAR ROOM SUPVR HAD NOT 'CALL FORWARDED' THE INTERPHONE SYS. I TOLD ACR X (10 SECONDS LATER) TO FLY RWY HDG, MAINTAIN 2000 FT. THEN THE SUPVR TOLD ME THE RADAR SECTOR WAS AT ANOTHER POS AND I CALLED IT. THE SUPVR WAS STILL YELLING TO COORDINATE FOR A TURN WHEN I ADVISED THE RADAR CTLR OF THE PROB. THE RADAR CTLR DID NOT ISSUE A TURN AND THERE WAS NO MORE TIME SO I SENT ACR X OVER TO DEP CTL AND THEN DID THE SAME FOR ACR Y. ALTHOUGH ACR Y WAS ON A 020 DEG HDG AND ACR X WAS ON A 050 DEG HDG (DIVERGING COURSES PER PROCS), THEY CAME WITHIN 400 FT AND .7 MI. THIS ERROR WOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED IF THE SUPVR HAD NOT INTERVENED AND IF THE SUPVR HAD GIVEN A PROPER POS RELIEF BRIEFING.

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.