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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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Approach controller pushing traffic during a busy period saw a hole in spacing and turned an air carrier B757 in over the OM in front of a C650 with less than the required wake turbulence separation. The C650 elected to make a go around to avoid the wake turbulence from the B757. Reporter admitted he forgot he needed the extra separation and was just trying to 'slam em in.'
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 359765 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199702 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : dca |
| State Reference | DC |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : dca |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B757 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | Other Other |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Route In Use | enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | general aviation : corporate |
| Make Model Name | Citation III, VI, VII |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Route In Use | arrival other enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : approach |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Experience | controller radar : 20 |
| ASRS Report | 359765 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | inflight encounter other non adherence : published procedure non adherence : required legal separation |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 18000 vertical : 0 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Operational Error |
Narrative:
Busy period. Had a sector closed due to malfunctioning radio jack. Physically had to move over to another scope to work. Set-up is to have a feeder controller and final controller if needed. Workload heavy but manageable by me. Saw a 'hole' open up and to keep everything moving and 'looking pretty,' I prepared the B757 for a short turn in around the OM. We were carrying a 15-25 KT tailwind on the final. Had not been much of a problem. I believe the corporate airplane to have been a C650 or something similar. I had enough room to put someone in the 'hole' but it was a poor choice to stick the B757 in there. I lost sight of the fact that I needed additional wake turbulence behind him and that because of the tailwind, it would be tough to keep. It's great to 'slam em in,' but you have to use your head. After 20 yrs you'd think I know better. The poor corporate airplane went around over the airport. I don't know the reason, though I can guess. We are out there on our own a lot. Sometimes we make mistakes. I'm glad mine did not hurt anybody. The fact that FAA keeps changing rules sucks. For yrs a B757 had no special wake requirements. We act on instincts often, being human.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: APCH CTLR PUSHING TFC DURING A BUSY PERIOD SAW A HOLE IN SPACING AND TURNED AN ACR B757 IN OVER THE OM IN FRONT OF A C650 WITH LESS THAN THE REQUIRED WAKE TURB SEPARATION. THE C650 ELECTED TO MAKE A GAR TO AVOID THE WAKE TURB FROM THE B757. RPTR ADMITTED HE FORGOT HE NEEDED THE EXTRA SEPARATION AND WAS JUST TRYING TO 'SLAM EM IN.'
Narrative: BUSY PERIOD. HAD A SECTOR CLOSED DUE TO MALFUNCTIONING RADIO JACK. PHYSICALLY HAD TO MOVE OVER TO ANOTHER SCOPE TO WORK. SET-UP IS TO HAVE A FEEDER CTLR AND FINAL CTLR IF NEEDED. WORKLOAD HVY BUT MANAGEABLE BY ME. SAW A 'HOLE' OPEN UP AND TO KEEP EVERYTHING MOVING AND 'LOOKING PRETTY,' I PREPARED THE B757 FOR A SHORT TURN IN AROUND THE OM. WE WERE CARRYING A 15-25 KT TAILWIND ON THE FINAL. HAD NOT BEEN MUCH OF A PROB. I BELIEVE THE CORPORATE AIRPLANE TO HAVE BEEN A C650 OR SOMETHING SIMILAR. I HAD ENOUGH ROOM TO PUT SOMEONE IN THE 'HOLE' BUT IT WAS A POOR CHOICE TO STICK THE B757 IN THERE. I LOST SIGHT OF THE FACT THAT I NEEDED ADDITIONAL WAKE TURB BEHIND HIM AND THAT BECAUSE OF THE TAILWIND, IT WOULD BE TOUGH TO KEEP. IT'S GREAT TO 'SLAM EM IN,' BUT YOU HAVE TO USE YOUR HEAD. AFTER 20 YRS YOU'D THINK I KNOW BETTER. THE POOR CORPORATE AIRPLANE WENT AROUND OVER THE ARPT. I DON'T KNOW THE REASON, THOUGH I CAN GUESS. WE ARE OUT THERE ON OUR OWN A LOT. SOMETIMES WE MAKE MISTAKES. I'M GLAD MINE DID NOT HURT ANYBODY. THE FACT THAT FAA KEEPS CHANGING RULES SUCKS. FOR YRS A B757 HAD NO SPECIAL WAKE REQUIREMENTS. WE ACT ON INSTINCTS OFTEN, BEING HUMAN.
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.