Narrative:

I was working the local control position in the pfn ATCT. Tyndall air force base RAPCON (pam), the IFR controling facility for pfn, passed an IFR inbound on air carrier X on a visual approach to runway 14 from the east. Pfn requested and received an IFR release on air carrier Y departing off of runway 14 with a heading of 090 and to climb and maintain 2000 ft. After air carrier Y began takeoff roll, pam asked if we had air carrier X insight (visually) which the flight data operator told them no. Pam then assigned air carrier Y a heading of 100 and said they were switching air carrier X to pfn tower frequency. I observed, on the d-brite, air carrier X 3 mi east of pfn descending out of 3000 ft. I began issuing traffic calls to both aircraft and instructed air carrier X to enter left downwind to runway 14. I did not have air carrier X in sight and could not provide visual separation at this time. When the aircraft were 2 mi and 500 ft apart, they said they saw each other and I also got both aircraft in sight and saw they were close but would miss each other and told air carrier Y to contact departure. I observed on the d-brite the aircraft get as close as 1 mi and 300 ft apart. The watch supervisor at tyndall RAPCON said the controller working at the time of the incident assumed we were providing visual separation between the departure and the arrival even after being told that we did not have air carrier X in sight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TRACON ATCT INTERFAC COORD. ACR X ON VISUAL APCH HAD LTSS FROM ACR Y DEP. SYS ERROR.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING THE LCL CTL POS IN THE PFN ATCT. TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE RAPCON (PAM), THE IFR CTLING FACILITY FOR PFN, PASSED AN IFR INBOUND ON ACR X ON A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 14 FROM THE E. PFN REQUESTED AND RECEIVED AN IFR RELEASE ON ACR Y DEPARTING OFF OF RWY 14 WITH A HDG OF 090 AND TO CLB AND MAINTAIN 2000 FT. AFTER ACR Y BEGAN TKOF ROLL, PAM ASKED IF WE HAD ACR X INSIGHT (VISUALLY) WHICH THE FLT DATA OPERATOR TOLD THEM NO. PAM THEN ASSIGNED ACR Y A HDG OF 100 AND SAID THEY WERE SWITCHING ACR X TO PFN TWR FREQ. I OBSERVED, ON THE D-BRITE, ACR X 3 MI E OF PFN DSNDING OUT OF 3000 FT. I BEGAN ISSUING TFC CALLS TO BOTH ACFT AND INSTRUCTED ACR X TO ENTER L DOWNWIND TO RWY 14. I DID NOT HAVE ACR X IN SIGHT AND COULD NOT PROVIDE VISUAL SEPARATION AT THIS TIME. WHEN THE ACFT WERE 2 MI AND 500 FT APART, THEY SAID THEY SAW EACH OTHER AND I ALSO GOT BOTH ACFT IN SIGHT AND SAW THEY WERE CLOSE BUT WOULD MISS EACH OTHER AND TOLD ACR Y TO CONTACT DEP. I OBSERVED ON THE D-BRITE THE ACFT GET AS CLOSE AS 1 MI AND 300 FT APART. THE WATCH SUPVR AT TYNDALL RAPCON SAID THE CTLR WORKING AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT ASSUMED WE WERE PROVIDING VISUAL SEPARATION BTWN THE DEP AND THE ARR EVEN AFTER BEING TOLD THAT WE DID NOT HAVE ACR X IN SIGHT.

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.