Narrative:

Second aircraft was a LR35 holding at mwo for the NDB-a at 4000 ft. The LR35 departed 4000 ft prior to being established on the inbound leg for the approach. This caused a loss of separation with the DC10 at 3600 ft. I instructed the LR35 to climb to 4000 ft and passed traffic information. The pilot (LR35) asked if he was still cleared for the approach. As traffic was now no longer a factor, I cleared him again for the approach. A misunderstanding occurred between LR35 pilot and controller. He was in a holding pattern and therefore a procedure turn is not involved. However, in the approach clearance, I stated 'report procedure turn inbound.' this was incorrect and should have not been accepted by the LR35 pilot. However, since he was in holding, he failed to report leaving the holding fix. Maybe a better understanding of holding and procedure turns should be taught to pilots and controllers with phraseology used by both. Mwo is approximately 30 mi southwest of ffo. Supplemental information from acn 391692: we requested the NDB runway 23 approach at mwo (middletown, oh) and requested to shoot the full approach on our own. We received clearance to proceed to the onida NDB for the NDB runway 23 approach. Prior to reaching onida, we were cleared to hold as published at the beacon at 4000 ft due to traffic inbound to the airport. After entering the hold over onida we received the following clearance 'cleared for the NDB runway 23 at middletown...maintain 4000 ft until procedure turn inbound,' and was read back as such. Normally we would be expected to fly the approach from the holding maneuver. However, since the above clearance specifically stated 'procedure turn,' we took this to mean that the full procedure turn was expected. With this in mind we departed the hold, intercepted the outbound course and began our procedure turn. As we completed the outbound leg and proceeded to turn to the inbound heading, the captain began a descent to the published initial approach altitude of 2600 ft after roughly 90 degree of turn. (Which I believe to be inbound, since I/we are no longer 'outbound.') while descending through approximately 3700 ft dayton approach called and told us to maintain 4000 ft for traffic at 3000 ft, previously unrpted to us that was on another/different frequency. The captain stopped the descent at approximately 3600 ft and promptly returned to 4000 ft. Neither the captain nor I had any question at what clearance was issued and what was expected from us. The combination of military aircraft operating in the same airspace on separate frequency may also have been a factor as situational awareness may have prevented this.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TRACON APCH CTLR ISSUED INCORRECTLY WORDED APCH CLRNC TO A HOLDING LR35 WITH A DC10 HOLDING 1000 FT BELOW. THE LR35 ACCEPTED THE CLRNC, FOLLOWED THE PUBLISHED PROC AND DSNDED OVER THE TOP OF THE DC10. CTLR RECOGNIZED MISTAKE TOO LATE TO CORRECT ERROR.

Narrative: SECOND ACFT WAS A LR35 HOLDING AT MWO FOR THE NDB-A AT 4000 FT. THE LR35 DEPARTED 4000 FT PRIOR TO BEING ESTABLISHED ON THE INBOUND LEG FOR THE APCH. THIS CAUSED A LOSS OF SEPARATION WITH THE DC10 AT 3600 FT. I INSTRUCTED THE LR35 TO CLB TO 4000 FT AND PASSED TFC INFO. THE PLT (LR35) ASKED IF HE WAS STILL CLRED FOR THE APCH. AS TFC WAS NOW NO LONGER A FACTOR, I CLRED HIM AGAIN FOR THE APCH. A MISUNDERSTANDING OCCURRED BTWN LR35 PLT AND CTLR. HE WAS IN A HOLDING PATTERN AND THEREFORE A PROC TURN IS NOT INVOLVED. HOWEVER, IN THE APCH CLRNC, I STATED 'RPT PROC TURN INBOUND.' THIS WAS INCORRECT AND SHOULD HAVE NOT BEEN ACCEPTED BY THE LR35 PLT. HOWEVER, SINCE HE WAS IN HOLDING, HE FAILED TO RPT LEAVING THE HOLDING FIX. MAYBE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF HOLDING AND PROC TURNS SHOULD BE TAUGHT TO PLTS AND CTLRS WITH PHRASEOLOGY USED BY BOTH. MWO IS APPROX 30 MI SW OF FFO. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 391692: WE REQUESTED THE NDB RWY 23 APCH AT MWO (MIDDLETOWN, OH) AND REQUESTED TO SHOOT THE FULL APCH ON OUR OWN. WE RECEIVED CLRNC TO PROCEED TO THE ONIDA NDB FOR THE NDB RWY 23 APCH. PRIOR TO REACHING ONIDA, WE WERE CLRED TO HOLD AS PUBLISHED AT THE BEACON AT 4000 FT DUE TO TFC INBOUND TO THE ARPT. AFTER ENTERING THE HOLD OVER ONIDA WE RECEIVED THE FOLLOWING CLRNC 'CLRED FOR THE NDB RWY 23 AT MIDDLETOWN...MAINTAIN 4000 FT UNTIL PROC TURN INBOUND,' AND WAS READ BACK AS SUCH. NORMALLY WE WOULD BE EXPECTED TO FLY THE APCH FROM THE HOLDING MANEUVER. HOWEVER, SINCE THE ABOVE CLRNC SPECIFICALLY STATED 'PROC TURN,' WE TOOK THIS TO MEAN THAT THE FULL PROC TURN WAS EXPECTED. WITH THIS IN MIND WE DEPARTED THE HOLD, INTERCEPTED THE OUTBOUND COURSE AND BEGAN OUR PROC TURN. AS WE COMPLETED THE OUTBOUND LEG AND PROCEEDED TO TURN TO THE INBOUND HEADING, THE CAPT BEGAN A DSCNT TO THE PUBLISHED INITIAL APCH ALT OF 2600 FT AFTER ROUGHLY 90 DEG OF TURN. (WHICH I BELIEVE TO BE INBOUND, SINCE I/WE ARE NO LONGER 'OUTBOUND.') WHILE DSNDING THROUGH APPROX 3700 FT DAYTON APCH CALLED AND TOLD US TO MAINTAIN 4000 FT FOR TFC AT 3000 FT, PREVIOUSLY UNRPTED TO US THAT WAS ON ANOTHER/DIFFERENT FREQ. THE CAPT STOPPED THE DSCNT AT APPROX 3600 FT AND PROMPTLY RETURNED TO 4000 FT. NEITHER THE CAPT NOR I HAD ANY QUESTION AT WHAT CLRNC WAS ISSUED AND WHAT WAS EXPECTED FROM US. THE COMBINATION OF MIL ACFT OPERATING IN THE SAME AIRSPACE ON SEPARATE FREQ MAY ALSO HAVE BEEN A FACTOR AS SITUATIONAL AWARENESS MAY HAVE PREVENTED THIS.

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.