Narrative:

I was instructed to relieve another controller from the arrival sector. After plugging into the position to begin the briefing, I noticed 2 aircraft that appeared too close. In the attached statement, the following is correct: XXX was the sic. YYY was the controller to be relieved, 'P-ar' the sector of operation, 'icss' (voice switching system) that controls landlines and radios, ARTS iie (the alpha numeric system) used with the radar display, sia (system information area) that displays WX, runway information, etc. The sic observed the entire incident but took no action against the employee. The supervisor seemed to be 'covering' for the controller involved. The attached statement is the one I submitted after I reported this occurrence to my supervisor. He began processing the operational error and has been criticized in his handling of this event (concerning timeliness of report): I was instructed by the supervisor to relieve controller #2 at the p-ar position. I (controller #1) plugged my headset into the icss jack and began to prebrief myself on the system information area and the strips in the strip bay. After prebriefing was complete, I observed 2 aircraft (aircraft X and aircraft Y) on the runway 17 final approach course that appeared to have questionable separation. I looked at the strip bay to associate the data block information with the arrival strips. It appeared to me that both aircraft were IFR. Controller #2 began issuing traffic to aircraft X reference the traffic ahead of him on the approach. Aircraft Y responded that he did not have the traffic in sight. Controller #2 then called pns tower local controller to see if he had the aircraft in sight (presumably to have the tower provide visual separation). The local controller advised him that he did not have the aircraft insight. It appeared to me the separation was continually reducing. On at least 2 occasions, I observed controller #2 use the ARTS iie '*' entry (to obtain bearing/distance) between the 2 aircraft and it displayed 2.2 NM. He said he would begin briefing me if I was 'ok with that,' referring to the situation between the 2 aircraft. I told him if it were up to me, I would break aircraft X off the final. At that point, controller #2 pulled my plug out of the icss jack, dropped it on the floor and told me to go somewhere else. Controller #2 then turned his head over his shoulder and made the statement to supervisor that he was having a deal or had just had a deal. Supervisor, who had been observing the entire time, continued to watch the situation. Controller #2 then began to issue traffic to aircraft X using aircraft Y's call sign. After the second call using the wrong call sign, asking aircraft X if he had the traffic in sight, supervisor told controller #2 he was using the wrong callsign. Controller #2 then asked aircraft X if he had the traffic in sight using the correct call sign. Eventually controller #2 instructed aircraft X to turn left off the final approach course. I was observing the operation from the f-ar scope across the room. After a couple of mins, controller #2 called me back to the position and said he was ready for me to get him up. At that time I received a briefing and assumed the p-ar position.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: P31 CTLR POINTS OUT DIMINISHING SEPARATION BTWN 2 ACFT ON FINAL APCH TO PNS. CTLR ON POS EVENTUALLY TAKES ACTION ONLY AFTER SEPARATION IS LOST.

Narrative: I WAS INSTRUCTED TO RELIEVE ANOTHER CTLR FROM THE ARR SECTOR. AFTER PLUGGING INTO THE POS TO BEGIN THE BRIEFING, I NOTICED 2 ACFT THAT APPEARED TOO CLOSE. IN THE ATTACHED STATEMENT, THE FOLLOWING IS CORRECT: XXX WAS THE SIC. YYY WAS THE CTLR TO BE RELIEVED, 'P-AR' THE SECTOR OF OP, 'ICSS' (VOICE SWITCHING SYS) THAT CTLS LANDLINES AND RADIOS, ARTS IIE (THE ALPHA NUMERIC SYS) USED WITH THE RADAR DISPLAY, SIA (SYS INFO AREA) THAT DISPLAYS WX, RWY INFO, ETC. THE SIC OBSERVED THE ENTIRE INCIDENT BUT TOOK NO ACTION AGAINST THE EMPLOYEE. THE SUPVR SEEMED TO BE 'COVERING' FOR THE CTLR INVOLVED. THE ATTACHED STATEMENT IS THE ONE I SUBMITTED AFTER I RPTED THIS OCCURRENCE TO MY SUPVR. HE BEGAN PROCESSING THE OPERROR AND HAS BEEN CRITICIZED IN HIS HANDLING OF THIS EVENT (CONCERNING TIMELINESS OF RPT): I WAS INSTRUCTED BY THE SUPVR TO RELIEVE CTLR #2 AT THE P-AR POS. I (CTLR #1) PLUGGED MY HEADSET INTO THE ICSS JACK AND BEGAN TO PREBRIEF MYSELF ON THE SYS INFO AREA AND THE STRIPS IN THE STRIP BAY. AFTER PREBRIEFING WAS COMPLETE, I OBSERVED 2 ACFT (ACFT X AND ACFT Y) ON THE RWY 17 FINAL APCH COURSE THAT APPEARED TO HAVE QUESTIONABLE SEPARATION. I LOOKED AT THE STRIP BAY TO ASSOCIATE THE DATA BLOCK INFO WITH THE ARR STRIPS. IT APPEARED TO ME THAT BOTH ACFT WERE IFR. CTLR #2 BEGAN ISSUING TFC TO ACFT X REF THE TFC AHEAD OF HIM ON THE APCH. ACFT Y RESPONDED THAT HE DID NOT HAVE THE TFC IN SIGHT. CTLR #2 THEN CALLED PNS TWR LCL CTLR TO SEE IF HE HAD THE ACFT IN SIGHT (PRESUMABLY TO HAVE THE TWR PROVIDE VISUAL SEPARATION). THE LCL CTLR ADVISED HIM THAT HE DID NOT HAVE THE ACFT INSIGHT. IT APPEARED TO ME THE SEPARATION WAS CONTINUALLY REDUCING. ON AT LEAST 2 OCCASIONS, I OBSERVED CTLR #2 USE THE ARTS IIE '*' ENTRY (TO OBTAIN BEARING/DISTANCE) BTWN THE 2 ACFT AND IT DISPLAYED 2.2 NM. HE SAID HE WOULD BEGIN BRIEFING ME IF I WAS 'OK WITH THAT,' REFERRING TO THE SIT BTWN THE 2 ACFT. I TOLD HIM IF IT WERE UP TO ME, I WOULD BREAK ACFT X OFF THE FINAL. AT THAT POINT, CTLR #2 PULLED MY PLUG OUT OF THE ICSS JACK, DROPPED IT ON THE FLOOR AND TOLD ME TO GO SOMEWHERE ELSE. CTLR #2 THEN TURNED HIS HEAD OVER HIS SHOULDER AND MADE THE STATEMENT TO SUPVR THAT HE WAS HAVING A DEAL OR HAD JUST HAD A DEAL. SUPVR, WHO HAD BEEN OBSERVING THE ENTIRE TIME, CONTINUED TO WATCH THE SIT. CTLR #2 THEN BEGAN TO ISSUE TFC TO ACFT X USING ACFT Y'S CALL SIGN. AFTER THE SECOND CALL USING THE WRONG CALL SIGN, ASKING ACFT X IF HE HAD THE TFC IN SIGHT, SUPVR TOLD CTLR #2 HE WAS USING THE WRONG CALLSIGN. CTLR #2 THEN ASKED ACFT X IF HE HAD THE TFC IN SIGHT USING THE CORRECT CALL SIGN. EVENTUALLY CTLR #2 INSTRUCTED ACFT X TO TURN L OFF THE FINAL APCH COURSE. I WAS OBSERVING THE OP FROM THE F-AR SCOPE ACROSS THE ROOM. AFTER A COUPLE OF MINS, CTLR #2 CALLED ME BACK TO THE POS AND SAID HE WAS READY FOR ME TO GET HIM UP. AT THAT TIME I RECEIVED A BRIEFING AND ASSUMED THE P-AR POS.

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.