Narrative:

This was our first encounter of the season with thunderstorms. We were landing east and departing north. The WX was building. The tower supervisor asks the TRACON to start landing to the west because of the build-ups out west of the airport. The TRACON supervisor overrides the tower supervisor and continues to land east until all aircraft on final start going around because of the tailwind and wind shears. Once we got the airport turned around and landing west for about 20-30 mins the tower supervisor calls the TRACON to stop using visuals because of the WX moving east. It is only a matter of time before we go IFR. Again the TRACON refuses. Then the microbursts hits the airport and air carrier X and air carrier Y both execute a missed approach because of the microburst. At this point in time they are just about side by side for runways 26R and 26L. I immediately have air carrier X climb to 8000 ft and stop air carrier Y at 7000 ft to regain IFR separation. Things quiet down for a little while. Then against the tower's wishes the TRACON starts using visuals again. The first aircraft, air carrier Z, calls the tower and reports that he doesn't have the airport in sight. He is lined up on an interstate highway, not runway 26R. The local controller immediately has him climb and sends him around. Mins later the same scenario happens again with different aircraft. This time the tower is successful in convincing the TRACON to use another runway which was more aligned with the wind and had better visibility. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated this coordination problem is an ongoing problem between the tower supervisors and the TRACON supervisors. Facility policy the TRACON supervisor has the final word even though he does not know the WX or wind. TRACON supervisor will continue to run visual approachs even though the tower supervisor has informed him visual approachs are no longer possible. Reporter stated cooperation between the tower supervisor and the TRACON supervisor is very poor in changing WX conditions.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR Z ON VISUAL APCH LOST SIGHT OF RWY AND WAS MAKING APCH TO FREEWAY. SIT: LACK OF COOPERATION BTWN TWR AND TRACON.

Narrative: THIS WAS OUR FIRST ENCOUNTER OF THE SEASON WITH TSTMS. WE WERE LNDG E AND DEPARTING N. THE WX WAS BUILDING. THE TWR SUPVR ASKS THE TRACON TO START LNDG TO THE W BECAUSE OF THE BUILD-UPS OUT W OF THE ARPT. THE TRACON SUPVR OVERRIDES THE TWR SUPVR AND CONTINUES TO LAND E UNTIL ALL ACFT ON FINAL START GOING AROUND BECAUSE OF THE TAILWIND AND WIND SHEARS. ONCE WE GOT THE ARPT TURNED AROUND AND LNDG W FOR ABOUT 20-30 MINS THE TWR SUPVR CALLS THE TRACON TO STOP USING VISUALS BECAUSE OF THE WX MOVING E. IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE WE GO IFR. AGAIN THE TRACON REFUSES. THEN THE MICROBURSTS HITS THE ARPT AND ACR X AND ACR Y BOTH EXECUTE A MISSED APCH BECAUSE OF THE MICROBURST. AT THIS POINT IN TIME THEY ARE JUST ABOUT SIDE BY SIDE FOR RWYS 26R AND 26L. I IMMEDIATELY HAVE ACR X CLB TO 8000 FT AND STOP ACR Y AT 7000 FT TO REGAIN IFR SEPARATION. THINGS QUIET DOWN FOR A LITTLE WHILE. THEN AGAINST THE TWR'S WISHES THE TRACON STARTS USING VISUALS AGAIN. THE FIRST ACFT, ACR Z, CALLS THE TWR AND RPTS THAT HE DOESN'T HAVE THE ARPT IN SIGHT. HE IS LINED UP ON AN INTERSTATE HWY, NOT RWY 26R. THE LCL CTLR IMMEDIATELY HAS HIM CLB AND SENDS HIM AROUND. MINS LATER THE SAME SCENARIO HAPPENS AGAIN WITH DIFFERENT ACFT. THIS TIME THE TWR IS SUCCESSFUL IN CONVINCING THE TRACON TO USE ANOTHER RWY WHICH WAS MORE ALIGNED WITH THE WIND AND HAD BETTER VISIBILITY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THIS COORD PROB IS AN ONGOING PROB BTWN THE TWR SUPVRS AND THE TRACON SUPVRS. FACILITY POLICY THE TRACON SUPVR HAS THE FINAL WORD EVEN THOUGH HE DOES NOT KNOW THE WX OR WIND. TRACON SUPVR WILL CONTINUE TO RUN VISUAL APCHS EVEN THOUGH THE TWR SUPVR HAS INFORMED HIM VISUAL APCHS ARE NO LONGER POSSIBLE. RPTR STATED COOPERATION BTWN THE TWR SUPVR AND THE TRACON SUPVR IS VERY POOR IN CHANGING WX CONDITIONS.

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.