Narrative:

2 aircraft on IFR departures were released by tower with less than 3 mi lateral separation. Discovered by socal TRACON, who was then given control to turn the aircraft to increase separation as much as possible. The LOA between brackett tower and socal TRACON contains separation criteria that is now in the process of being changed to exclude brackett tower from the paragraph 'separation of successive IFR departures, that will fly the same course -- 3 mi, provided the succeeding aircraft is the same or slower speed than the preceding aircraft.' the brackett departure procedure requires aircraft to turn back towards the airport after departure. The first aircraft had flown on course, 3 mi when the second aircraft was released. The second aircraft flew heading 240 degrees instead of runway heading (260 degrees) on departure, cutting down the amount of separation. After reaching 1000 ft AGL, the first aircraft slowed to 70 KTS, allowing the second aircraft to decrease separation even further (110 KTS on climb). When the LOA was put into effect, the air traffic manager at that time and myself were concerned that socal TRACON did not give us the chance to put in any input and he was told to sign it as it stood, even though we had 2 pages of changes we wanted to see included. This was one of the paragraphs that was suggested to be changed, and now it appears it will be due to the operational error. It is my belief that if this had been changed earlier, the error would have not occurred.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: OPERROR OCCURRED WHEN THE TWR CTLR RELEASED A SECOND DEP WITHOUT HAVING THE REQUIRED 3 MI SEPARATION FROM THE FIRST DEP.

Narrative: 2 ACFT ON IFR DEPS WERE RELEASED BY TWR WITH LESS THAN 3 MI LATERAL SEPARATION. DISCOVERED BY SOCAL TRACON, WHO WAS THEN GIVEN CTL TO TURN THE ACFT TO INCREASE SEPARATION AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. THE LOA BTWN BRACKETT TWR AND SOCAL TRACON CONTAINS SEPARATION CRITERIA THAT IS NOW IN THE PROCESS OF BEING CHANGED TO EXCLUDE BRACKETT TWR FROM THE PARAGRAPH 'SEPARATION OF SUCCESSIVE IFR DEPS, THAT WILL FLY THE SAME COURSE -- 3 MI, PROVIDED THE SUCCEEDING ACFT IS THE SAME OR SLOWER SPD THAN THE PRECEDING ACFT.' THE BRACKETT DEP PROC REQUIRES ACFT TO TURN BACK TOWARDS THE ARPT AFTER DEP. THE FIRST ACFT HAD FLOWN ON COURSE, 3 MI WHEN THE SECOND ACFT WAS RELEASED. THE SECOND ACFT FLEW HDG 240 DEGS INSTEAD OF RWY HDG (260 DEGS) ON DEP, CUTTING DOWN THE AMOUNT OF SEPARATION. AFTER REACHING 1000 FT AGL, THE FIRST ACFT SLOWED TO 70 KTS, ALLOWING THE SECOND ACFT TO DECREASE SEPARATION EVEN FURTHER (110 KTS ON CLB). WHEN THE LOA WAS PUT INTO EFFECT, THE AIR TFC MGR AT THAT TIME AND MYSELF WERE CONCERNED THAT SOCAL TRACON DID NOT GIVE US THE CHANCE TO PUT IN ANY INPUT AND HE WAS TOLD TO SIGN IT AS IT STOOD, EVEN THOUGH WE HAD 2 PAGES OF CHANGES WE WANTED TO SEE INCLUDED. THIS WAS ONE OF THE PARAGRAPHS THAT WAS SUGGESTED TO BE CHANGED, AND NOW IT APPEARS IT WILL BE DUE TO THE OPERROR. IT IS MY BELIEF THAT IF THIS HAD BEEN CHANGED EARLIER, THE ERROR WOULD HAVE NOT OCCURRED.

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.