Narrative:

Ft sill arac requested visual separation between aircraft X on an ILS circling to land on runway 17, and aircraft Y ahead of aircraft X on the ILS. I reported unable due to low ceilings and hazy conditions. I cleared aircraft Y for the option to runway 35. When aircraft X checked on, I told him he could circle in the direction of his choice to runway 17. I observed the T37 (aircraft Y) at the north end of the runway and aircraft X on a left downwind to runway 17 approaching midfield. The aircraft were less than 2 mi apart at that time. The T37 climbed out to the southwest and separation increased between those 2 aircraft. As aircraft X was turning final to runway 17, an arac controller called to advise me to break out the T37 over the VOR. Simultaneously with that transmission, the T37 was reporting on my frequency at the OM. By the time communication could be established with that T37, the 2 aircraft were less than 3 mi apart, opposite direction. Lawton tower does not have dbrite or any other traffic display device. We must rely completely on visual observations, aircraft reports and position reports from ft sill arac. Ft sill arac is currently at critical staffing, trying to train numerous developmentals and facing an uncertain future. I am familiar with at least 4 losses of IFR separation within the last 10 days and am concerned that a future incident may have much worse consequences. A dbrite, computer display of ft sill arac radar, tower mounted TCASII or some other device that would give the local controller traffic information would greatly enhance safety at law, enable us to better assist ft sill arac and allow us to prevent many sits from causing a loss of separation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MILFAC TRACON COORD WITH FAA ATCT FOR CIRCLING APCH, TO FOLLOW SF34 AHEAD. ATCT DISAPPROVES COORD REQUEST, BUT FINDS MILFAC HAS XFERRED COORD OF FOLLOWING TFC, T37. ATCT LCL CTLR REQUIRED TO TAKE ADDITIONAL ACTION TO ENSURE SEPARATION BTWN BOTH ACFT.

Narrative: FT SILL ARAC REQUESTED VISUAL SEPARATION BTWN ACFT X ON AN ILS CIRCLING TO LAND ON RWY 17, AND ACFT Y AHEAD OF ACFT X ON THE ILS. I RPTED UNABLE DUE TO LOW CEILINGS AND HAZY CONDITIONS. I CLRED ACFT Y FOR THE OPTION TO RWY 35. WHEN ACFT X CHKED ON, I TOLD HIM HE COULD CIRCLE IN THE DIRECTION OF HIS CHOICE TO RWY 17. I OBSERVED THE T37 (ACFT Y) AT THE N END OF THE RWY AND ACFT X ON A L DOWNWIND TO RWY 17 APCHING MIDFIELD. THE ACFT WERE LESS THAN 2 MI APART AT THAT TIME. THE T37 CLBED OUT TO THE SW AND SEPARATION INCREASED BTWN THOSE 2 ACFT. AS ACFT X WAS TURNING FINAL TO RWY 17, AN ARAC CTLR CALLED TO ADVISE ME TO BREAK OUT THE T37 OVER THE VOR. SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH THAT XMISSION, THE T37 WAS RPTING ON MY FREQ AT THE OM. BY THE TIME COM COULD BE ESTABLISHED WITH THAT T37, THE 2 ACFT WERE LESS THAN 3 MI APART, OPPOSITE DIRECTION. LAWTON TWR DOES NOT HAVE DBRITE OR ANY OTHER TFC DISPLAY DEVICE. WE MUST RELY COMPLETELY ON VISUAL OBSERVATIONS, ACFT RPTS AND POS RPTS FROM FT SILL ARAC. FT SILL ARAC IS CURRENTLY AT CRITICAL STAFFING, TRYING TO TRAIN NUMEROUS DEVELOPMENTALS AND FACING AN UNCERTAIN FUTURE. I AM FAMILIAR WITH AT LEAST 4 LOSSES OF IFR SEPARATION WITHIN THE LAST 10 DAYS AND AM CONCERNED THAT A FUTURE INCIDENT MAY HAVE MUCH WORSE CONSEQUENCES. A DBRITE, COMPUTER DISPLAY OF FT SILL ARAC RADAR, TWR MOUNTED TCASII OR SOME OTHER DEVICE THAT WOULD GIVE THE LCL CTLR TFC INFO WOULD GREATLY ENHANCE SAFETY AT LAW, ENABLE US TO BETTER ASSIST FT SILL ARAC AND ALLOW US TO PREVENT MANY SITS FROM CAUSING A LOSS OF SEPARATION.

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.