Narrative:

I was working the cabin attendant coordinator position. There was training on local control position. The traffic was light to moderate. The trainee taxied a business jet into position on runway 30L behind a landing air carrier jet. There was an air carrier MD80 on a 3 1/2 mi final, showing a 170 KT airspeed. I informed the trainee this would not work. There was not enough space between the 2 landing aircraft. The trainer said that it was ok, the trainee needed some practice sending an aircraft around. This brought over the supervisor to watch the operation. The supervisor stood at the window staring at the aircraft involved. The landing jet turned right at taxiway J. At this time the MD80 was on a 1 1/2 mi final. The trainee cleared the business jet for takeoff. The business jet was about 1000 ft passed taxiway C when the MD80 was over the displaced threshold. The trainer at this time told the trainee to send the MD80 around. The trainee appeared to be mesmerized and did nothing. When the MD80 was past taxiway C, the business jet was just past the control tower, not past taxiway H. There was less than 4400 ft separation. The 7110.65 3-10-3 same runway separation is 6000 ft. The trainer said to me afterwards that he had read all the previous training reports and they all said the trainee was ready for chkout, that is why he took no further corrective action. The supervisor watched the incident and has done nothing since. He appears to be covering up this loss of separation. There was no investigation. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that no operational error was reported as a result of the incident with business jet taking off and an air carrier aircraft landing close behind on the same runway. In a discussion with the instructor later about the incident, he was told that a review of the trainee's training reports indicated that a chkout was recommended and he wanted to see what the trainee could do. On a question about instructors, the reporter said all of the fpl's at the facility can instruct and most have had some instructor training.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TRAINEE ON LCL CTL IS ALLOWED TO CTL TFC TO A POINT WHERE IT IS NECESSARY TO SEND AN ACR AROUND. THE RPTR STATED THAT THE INSTRUCTOR SAID IT WAS OK BECAUSE THE TRAINEE NEEDED PRACTICE SENDING ACFT AROUND.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING THE CAB COORDINATOR POS. THERE WAS TRAINING ON LCL CTL POS. THE TFC WAS LIGHT TO MODERATE. THE TRAINEE TAXIED A BUSINESS JET INTO POS ON RWY 30L BEHIND A LNDG ACR JET. THERE WAS AN ACR MD80 ON A 3 1/2 MI FINAL, SHOWING A 170 KT AIRSPD. I INFORMED THE TRAINEE THIS WOULD NOT WORK. THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH SPACE BTWN THE 2 LNDG ACFT. THE TRAINER SAID THAT IT WAS OK, THE TRAINEE NEEDED SOME PRACTICE SENDING AN ACFT AROUND. THIS BROUGHT OVER THE SUPVR TO WATCH THE OP. THE SUPVR STOOD AT THE WINDOW STARING AT THE ACFT INVOLVED. THE LNDG JET TURNED R AT TXWY J. AT THIS TIME THE MD80 WAS ON A 1 1/2 MI FINAL. THE TRAINEE CLRED THE BUSINESS JET FOR TKOF. THE BUSINESS JET WAS ABOUT 1000 FT PASSED TXWY C WHEN THE MD80 WAS OVER THE DISPLACED THRESHOLD. THE TRAINER AT THIS TIME TOLD THE TRAINEE TO SEND THE MD80 AROUND. THE TRAINEE APPEARED TO BE MESMERIZED AND DID NOTHING. WHEN THE MD80 WAS PAST TXWY C, THE BUSINESS JET WAS JUST PAST THE CTL TWR, NOT PAST TXWY H. THERE WAS LESS THAN 4400 FT SEPARATION. THE 7110.65 3-10-3 SAME RWY SEPARATION IS 6000 FT. THE TRAINER SAID TO ME AFTERWARDS THAT HE HAD READ ALL THE PREVIOUS TRAINING RPTS AND THEY ALL SAID THE TRAINEE WAS READY FOR CHKOUT, THAT IS WHY HE TOOK NO FURTHER CORRECTIVE ACTION. THE SUPVR WATCHED THE INCIDENT AND HAS DONE NOTHING SINCE. HE APPEARS TO BE COVERING UP THIS LOSS OF SEPARATION. THERE WAS NO INVESTIGATION. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT NO OPERROR WAS RPTED AS A RESULT OF THE INCIDENT WITH BUSINESS JET TAKING OFF AND AN ACR ACFT LNDG CLOSE BEHIND ON THE SAME RWY. IN A DISCUSSION WITH THE INSTRUCTOR LATER ABOUT THE INCIDENT, HE WAS TOLD THAT A REVIEW OF THE TRAINEE'S TRAINING RPTS INDICATED THAT A CHKOUT WAS RECOMMENDED AND HE WANTED TO SEE WHAT THE TRAINEE COULD DO. ON A QUESTION ABOUT INSTRUCTORS, THE RPTR SAID ALL OF THE FPL'S AT THE FACILITY CAN INSTRUCT AND MOST HAVE HAD SOME INSTRUCTOR TRAINING.

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.