Narrative:

An air carrier E120 was taken off ILS, given a heading of 120 degrees and 3000 ft. Due to frequency congestion on tower and monitor he took a heading of 360 degrees (360 degrees was being used for departure aircraft). The E120 came back to my frequency heading 360 degrees, level at 3000 ft. I issued a climb to 4000 ft and turn to 090 degrees. An air carrier B727 was on other localizer at 3000 ft behind him. I was then informed the B727 was taken off the approach, turned to 330 degrees, climbing to 4000 ft. I then issued a descent to the E120 to 2000 ft, the aircraft were approximately 1.5 mi and 300 ft apart. This event would not have occurred had there been a separate arrival and departure frequency in use. The local controller uses runway 3C for departures and runway 3R for arrs. During times of peak arrival and departure traffic, the local controller talks nonstop and it's difficult for the monitor to talk to aircraft on the approach. Afterwards it was discovered that the new digital recorder was not in use and had not been for 4 days. There was no way to find out how the E120 got the 360 degrees or if the monitor missed a readback.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR E120 ON MISSED APCH TURNED TO WRONG HDG AND HAD LTSS WITH AN ACR B727 THAT WAS FOLLOWING HIM ON THE ILS TO RWY 3R AND ALSO BROKEN OFF THE APCH. FREQ CONGESTION AND JOINT USE OF FREQ FOR THE FINAL MONITOR POS AND LCL CTL POS CONTRIBUTED TO THIS SYS ERROR.

Narrative: AN ACR E120 WAS TAKEN OFF ILS, GIVEN A HDG OF 120 DEGS AND 3000 FT. DUE TO FREQ CONGESTION ON TWR AND MONITOR HE TOOK A HDG OF 360 DEGS (360 DEGS WAS BEING USED FOR DEP ACFT). THE E120 CAME BACK TO MY FREQ HDG 360 DEGS, LEVEL AT 3000 FT. I ISSUED A CLB TO 4000 FT AND TURN TO 090 DEGS. AN ACR B727 WAS ON OTHER LOC AT 3000 FT BEHIND HIM. I WAS THEN INFORMED THE B727 WAS TAKEN OFF THE APCH, TURNED TO 330 DEGS, CLBING TO 4000 FT. I THEN ISSUED A DSCNT TO THE E120 TO 2000 FT, THE ACFT WERE APPROX 1.5 MI AND 300 FT APART. THIS EVENT WOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED HAD THERE BEEN A SEPARATE ARR AND DEP FREQ IN USE. THE LCL CTLR USES RWY 3C FOR DEPS AND RWY 3R FOR ARRS. DURING TIMES OF PEAK ARR AND DEP TFC, THE LCL CTLR TALKS NONSTOP AND IT'S DIFFICULT FOR THE MONITOR TO TALK TO ACFT ON THE APCH. AFTERWARDS IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE NEW DIGITAL RECORDER WAS NOT IN USE AND HAD NOT BEEN FOR 4 DAYS. THERE WAS NO WAY TO FIND OUT HOW THE E120 GOT THE 360 DEGS OR IF THE MONITOR MISSED A READBACK.

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.