An air carrier canadair CL65 made a descending turn to final in front of a sikorsky SK76 helicopter transiting the area in level flight. The approach controller had not considered the strong wind drift when he previously issued a heading change to the helicopter to prevent this from happening.

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Attributes
ACN	468903
Time
Date	200004
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : abe.airport
State Reference	PA
Altitude	msl single value : 2000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : abe.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Regional Jet CL65, Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : vacating altitude descent : approach
Route In Use	arrival : vfr
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tracon : abe.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	S-76/S-76 Mark II
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller military : 4 controller non radar : 3 controller radar : 5 flight time total : 140
ASRS Report	468903
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne critical non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Resolutory Action	controller : separated traffic controller : issued advisory none taken : anomaly accepted none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 800 vertical : 300
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Weather
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

Carj was inbound from west for visual approach to runway 24. Helicopter was on a lifeguard flight to a hospital southwest of xyz from the northeast at 2000 ft MSL. I also had a DHC8 inbound from the southwest, so I issued the SK76 a 260 degree heading to get it away from the centerline of runway 24. Winds aloft were 310 degrees at 40 KTS and heading was ineffectual. The radar in the tower is at such a range at night and resolution is so poor that I was not able to discern the conflict until I saw it out the window. (Ie, that the 260 degree heading wasn't working.) the carj had been told to maintain 2500 ft until turning final, and ended up descending right in front of the SK76. The SK76 had reported the carj in sight, 'maintain visual,' but it was much closer than I would have liked. I might have obtained wind aloft from the carj and issued a more effective vector or slewed my range in briefly to get a better sense of what heading the SK76 was tracking. I was also feeling pressure not to take a medevac too far off its flight path -- this was a contributing factor.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR CANADAIR CL65 MADE A DSNDING TURN TO FINAL IN FRONT OF A SIKORSKY SK76 HELI TRANSITING THE AREA IN LEVEL FLT. THE APCH CTLR HAD NOT CONSIDERED THE STRONG WIND DRIFT WHEN HE PREVIOUSLY ISSUED A HEADING CHANGE TO THE HELI TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING.

Narrative: CARJ WAS INBOUND FROM W FOR VISUAL APCH TO RWY 24. HELI WAS ON A LIFEGUARD FLT TO A HOSPITAL SW OF XYZ FROM THE NE AT 2000 FT MSL. I ALSO HAD A DHC8 INBOUND FROM THE SW, SO I ISSUED THE SK76 A 260 DEG HDG TO GET IT AWAY FROM THE CTRLINE OF RWY 24. WINDS ALOFT WERE 310 DEGS AT 40 KTS AND HEADING WAS INEFFECTUAL. THE RADAR IN THE TWR IS AT SUCH A RANGE AT NIGHT AND RESOLUTION IS SO POOR THAT I WAS NOT ABLE TO DISCERN THE CONFLICT UNTIL I SAW IT OUT THE WINDOW. (IE, THAT THE 260 DEG HDG WASN'T WORKING.) THE CARJ HAD BEEN TOLD TO MAINTAIN 2500 FT UNTIL TURNING FINAL, AND ENDED UP DSNDING RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE SK76. THE SK76 HAD RPTED THE CARJ IN SIGHT, 'MAINTAIN VISUAL,' BUT IT WAS MUCH CLOSER THAN I WOULD HAVE LIKED. I MIGHT HAVE OBTAINED WIND ALOFT FROM THE CARJ AND ISSUED A MORE EFFECTIVE VECTOR OR SLEWED MY RANGE IN BRIEFLY TO GET A BETTER SENSE OF WHAT HEADING THE SK76 WAS TRACKING. I WAS ALSO FEELING PRESSURE NOT TO TAKE A MEDEVAC TOO FAR OFF ITS FLT PATH -- THIS WAS A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR.

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.