Narrative:

I was working the tracab radar position and I had my feet on a protected portion of the counter. Our airspace includes most of the dallas metroplex and major roads' arteries. I was working approximately 4 traffic watch helicopters, 2 traffic watch cessnas, and 3 overflts. The supervisor snuck up behind me and asked me to do him a favor and take my feet off the counter. I told him that because the chair seat back forces me to situation in an uncomfortably forward position that I have to work in this position to be comfortable. I told him I always work this position like this. Meanwhile I was pretty busy and 2 more times he tried to tell me something and airplanes were calling me so I said to him to please leave me alone, I am busy, we can talk about it later. I worked some more airplanes and then he butt in again and said, 'I am not asking, now put your feet down.' I missed a couple of xmissions so I said to him I don't care what you do, you can write me up for insubordination, but leave me alone, I am busy and you are distracting me. He said he will do just that. Meanwhile, I had a PA44 check in going to ads. Our standard response is to proceed direct love field then direct addison and I gave him that and he responded. After a little bit, I noticed he was heading for our departure corridor so I put him on a 300 degree heading. When he got close to love field, I pointed the airport out to him and does he see runway 18/36? He said he did. I told him to proceed directly over runway 36 then proceed direct ads. He acknowledged. I observed him last directly over runway 36 midfield when the supervisor came back, threw a piece of paper -- which I didn't read -- in front of me and said this is notification of a meeting on tuesday at XA00, have representation with you. I told him I was still busy and I am not acknowledging any paperwork or meeting until I am off position. As I looked back for the PA44 I couldn't find him at first because he wasn't where I knew he should be, then I found him on 3 1/2 mi final heading towards a B737. On final, I asked local if he saw him. He said no and I saw the B737 evading the PA44. I then turned the PA44 to a 030 degree heading towards ads and advised the supervisor that this is it, I had a deal (loss of separation). I want out of this position and to go home, I am sick right now. I was very upset at this point. Supplemental information from acn 359522: traffic was busy as usual for a friday afternoon at love field. Love field is a tracab so the radar controller sits only a few ft away from local control. He was very busy with overflts and traffic watch helicopters and cessnas. This was the time that the tower supervisor decided he would give the radar controller a hard time about him having his feet on the console. I have worked with this particular controller for many yrs. He has always done a great job of controling airplanes and he has always worked radar with his feet propped on the console. This supervisor and controller have a lot of hard feelings towards each other and have for yrs. This was not the time or place for disciplinary action, discussion, or argument. Because of the distraction the radar controller forgot a piper seminole overflt was on a 300 degree heading to avoid traffic departing love field. The pilot seemed to have a problem finding addison airport where he was going to land. Addison is 8 mi north of dallas love. This piper seminole passed directly in front of a B737 on 3 mi final at 2000 ft. The B737 pilot had the traffic in sight and the seminole had the B737 in sight, but traffic was never issued from the tower or radar controller.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A TRACAB LIMITED RADAR CTLR ALLOWS A SUPVR TO DISTRACT HIM RESULTING IN A VFR ACFT IN CLASS B AIRSPACE TO GET IN CLOSE PROX TO A LNDG B737 WITHOUT SUFFICIENT SEPARATION. CTLR WAS WORKING THE POS WITH HIS FEET ON THE CONSOLE. THE SUPVR ASKED THAT THE CTLR PUT HIS FEET ON THE FLOOR WHEN WORKING TFC.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING THE TRACAB RADAR POS AND I HAD MY FEET ON A PROTECTED PORTION OF THE COUNTER. OUR AIRSPACE INCLUDES MOST OF THE DALLAS METROPLEX AND MAJOR ROADS' ARTERIES. I WAS WORKING APPROX 4 TFC WATCH HELIS, 2 TFC WATCH CESSNAS, AND 3 OVERFLTS. THE SUPVR SNUCK UP BEHIND ME AND ASKED ME TO DO HIM A FAVOR AND TAKE MY FEET OFF THE COUNTER. I TOLD HIM THAT BECAUSE THE CHAIR SEAT BACK FORCES ME TO SIT IN AN UNCOMFORTABLY FORWARD POS THAT I HAVE TO WORK IN THIS POS TO BE COMFORTABLE. I TOLD HIM I ALWAYS WORK THIS POS LIKE THIS. MEANWHILE I WAS PRETTY BUSY AND 2 MORE TIMES HE TRIED TO TELL ME SOMETHING AND AIRPLANES WERE CALLING ME SO I SAID TO HIM TO PLEASE LEAVE ME ALONE, I AM BUSY, WE CAN TALK ABOUT IT LATER. I WORKED SOME MORE AIRPLANES AND THEN HE BUTT IN AGAIN AND SAID, 'I AM NOT ASKING, NOW PUT YOUR FEET DOWN.' I MISSED A COUPLE OF XMISSIONS SO I SAID TO HIM I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU DO, YOU CAN WRITE ME UP FOR INSUBORDINATION, BUT LEAVE ME ALONE, I AM BUSY AND YOU ARE DISTRACTING ME. HE SAID HE WILL DO JUST THAT. MEANWHILE, I HAD A PA44 CHK IN GOING TO ADS. OUR STANDARD RESPONSE IS TO PROCEED DIRECT LOVE FIELD THEN DIRECT ADDISON AND I GAVE HIM THAT AND HE RESPONDED. AFTER A LITTLE BIT, I NOTICED HE WAS HDG FOR OUR DEP CORRIDOR SO I PUT HIM ON A 300 DEG HDG. WHEN HE GOT CLOSE TO LOVE FIELD, I POINTED THE ARPT OUT TO HIM AND DOES HE SEE RWY 18/36? HE SAID HE DID. I TOLD HIM TO PROCEED DIRECTLY OVER RWY 36 THEN PROCEED DIRECT ADS. HE ACKNOWLEDGED. I OBSERVED HIM LAST DIRECTLY OVER RWY 36 MIDFIELD WHEN THE SUPVR CAME BACK, THREW A PIECE OF PAPER -- WHICH I DIDN'T READ -- IN FRONT OF ME AND SAID THIS IS NOTIFICATION OF A MEETING ON TUESDAY AT XA00, HAVE REPRESENTATION WITH YOU. I TOLD HIM I WAS STILL BUSY AND I AM NOT ACKNOWLEDGING ANY PAPERWORK OR MEETING UNTIL I AM OFF POS. AS I LOOKED BACK FOR THE PA44 I COULDN'T FIND HIM AT FIRST BECAUSE HE WASN'T WHERE I KNEW HE SHOULD BE, THEN I FOUND HIM ON 3 1/2 MI FINAL HDG TOWARDS A B737. ON FINAL, I ASKED LOCAL IF HE SAW HIM. HE SAID NO AND I SAW THE B737 EVADING THE PA44. I THEN TURNED THE PA44 TO A 030 DEG HDG TOWARDS ADS AND ADVISED THE SUPVR THAT THIS IS IT, I HAD A DEAL (LOSS OF SEPARATION). I WANT OUT OF THIS POS AND TO GO HOME, I AM SICK RIGHT NOW. I WAS VERY UPSET AT THIS POINT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 359522: TFC WAS BUSY AS USUAL FOR A FRIDAY AFTERNOON AT LOVE FIELD. LOVE FIELD IS A TRACAB SO THE RADAR CTLR SITS ONLY A FEW FT AWAY FROM LCL CTL. HE WAS VERY BUSY WITH OVERFLTS AND TFC WATCH HELIS AND CESSNAS. THIS WAS THE TIME THAT THE TWR SUPVR DECIDED HE WOULD GIVE THE RADAR CTLR A HARD TIME ABOUT HIM HAVING HIS FEET ON THE CONSOLE. I HAVE WORKED WITH THIS PARTICULAR CTLR FOR MANY YRS. HE HAS ALWAYS DONE A GREAT JOB OF CTLING AIRPLANES AND HE HAS ALWAYS WORKED RADAR WITH HIS FEET PROPPED ON THE CONSOLE. THIS SUPVR AND CTLR HAVE A LOT OF HARD FEELINGS TOWARDS EACH OTHER AND HAVE FOR YRS. THIS WAS NOT THE TIME OR PLACE FOR DISCIPLINARY ACTION, DISCUSSION, OR ARGUMENT. BECAUSE OF THE DISTR THE RADAR CTLR FORGOT A PIPER SEMINOLE OVERFLT WAS ON A 300 DEG HDG TO AVOID TFC DEPARTING LOVE FIELD. THE PLT SEEMED TO HAVE A PROB FINDING ADDISON ARPT WHERE HE WAS GOING TO LAND. ADDISON IS 8 MI N OF DALLAS LOVE. THIS PIPER SEMINOLE PASSED DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF A B737 ON 3 MI FINAL AT 2000 FT. THE B737 PLT HAD THE TFC IN SIGHT AND THE SEMINOLE HAD THE B737 IN SIGHT, BUT TFC WAS NEVER ISSUED FROM THE TWR OR RADAR CTLR.

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.