Narrative:

When the following incident occurred, there were many extenuating circumstances. There were thunderstorms in the area with very strong xwinds. We were contemplating a runway change and the arrival position was just opening. I had a medical emergency that was diverting in. At least 3 aircraft were doing practice approachs and there were numerous inbounds. One of the aircraft involved was mlt-1 who was departing lit, wanting to go back to lrf, and I couldn't find the clearance for him. The other aircraft was mlt-2 who had been holding for quite some time due to traffic, once he was ready for the approach. I was wanting to get mlt-2 down and in for an approach despite all the other traffic. All my other traffic had been held up due to mlt-2 holding. Once the arrival position opened, I was trying to help oversee the handoff and handling of all the difficult sits the other controller had inherited due to all the other circumstances. In the midst of this, mlt-1 came off lit wanting to go back to lrf. Mlt-2 was outbound on the procedure turn for the VOR-a at 2000 ft, cleared for the approach. I didn't find a strip for mlt-1 to go back to lrf, but I cleared him anyway and turned him to 070 degree heading and left him at 2000 ft, planning to get him nebound and out of the way before mlt-2 got back around on his procedure turn. Then I looked toward the rest of my airspace, especially up by arrival to see how he was handling what I had given him, as well as my other traffic mixed within that. When I looked back at the two mlt-2, I was surprised to see that mlt-2 was already turned in and I had already lost separation. I don't know if mlt-2 turned in tighter than normal or not, but I expected to be able to get mlt-1 through and out of the way before it became a factor. At this point, I turned mlt-1 right to 180 degrees, as there was nothing else to do. Then the conflict alert went off and I believe it was mlt-1 that said he had the other C130 in sight. Separation was regained a moment later. What can be done to prevent a recurrence? I will not try so hard to work things out when it's not convenient. I will pin down the pilots so I know exactly what they are going to do. I will not do something unless I know I can make it work. When a lot is going on, I will try harder to pay attention to all items under my responsibility. When the traffic warrants, the arrival position needs to be staffed before the rush arrives, not in the middle of it. When it is so busy, I will also request a coordinator. There is a limit to what any one person can do.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LIT CTLR BECOMES DISTRACTED AND IS INVOLVED IN LOSS OF SEPARATION BTWN AN ARR AND A DEP MIL TRANSPORT TRAINING C130.

Narrative: WHEN THE FOLLOWING INCIDENT OCCURRED, THERE WERE MANY EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES. THERE WERE TSTMS IN THE AREA WITH VERY STRONG XWINDS. WE WERE CONTEMPLATING A RWY CHANGE AND THE ARR POS WAS JUST OPENING. I HAD A MEDICAL EMER THAT WAS DIVERTING IN. AT LEAST 3 ACFT WERE DOING PRACTICE APCHS AND THERE WERE NUMEROUS INBOUNDS. ONE OF THE ACFT INVOLVED WAS MLT-1 WHO WAS DEPARTING LIT, WANTING TO GO BACK TO LRF, AND I COULDN'T FIND THE CLRNC FOR HIM. THE OTHER ACFT WAS MLT-2 WHO HAD BEEN HOLDING FOR QUITE SOME TIME DUE TO TFC, ONCE HE WAS READY FOR THE APCH. I WAS WANTING TO GET MLT-2 DOWN AND IN FOR AN APCH DESPITE ALL THE OTHER TFC. ALL MY OTHER TFC HAD BEEN HELD UP DUE TO MLT-2 HOLDING. ONCE THE ARR POS OPENED, I WAS TRYING TO HELP OVERSEE THE HDOF AND HANDLING OF ALL THE DIFFICULT SITS THE OTHER CTLR HAD INHERITED DUE TO ALL THE OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES. IN THE MIDST OF THIS, MLT-1 CAME OFF LIT WANTING TO GO BACK TO LRF. MLT-2 WAS OUTBOUND ON THE PROC TURN FOR THE VOR-A AT 2000 FT, CLRED FOR THE APCH. I DIDN'T FIND A STRIP FOR MLT-1 TO GO BACK TO LRF, BUT I CLRED HIM ANYWAY AND TURNED HIM TO 070 DEG HDG AND LEFT HIM AT 2000 FT, PLANNING TO GET HIM NEBOUND AND OUT OF THE WAY BEFORE MLT-2 GOT BACK AROUND ON HIS PROC TURN. THEN I LOOKED TOWARD THE REST OF MY AIRSPACE, ESPECIALLY UP BY ARR TO SEE HOW HE WAS HANDLING WHAT I HAD GIVEN HIM, AS WELL AS MY OTHER TFC MIXED WITHIN THAT. WHEN I LOOKED BACK AT THE TWO MLT-2, I WAS SURPRISED TO SEE THAT MLT-2 WAS ALREADY TURNED IN AND I HAD ALREADY LOST SEPARATION. I DON'T KNOW IF MLT-2 TURNED IN TIGHTER THAN NORMAL OR NOT, BUT I EXPECTED TO BE ABLE TO GET MLT-1 THROUGH AND OUT OF THE WAY BEFORE IT BECAME A FACTOR. AT THIS POINT, I TURNED MLT-1 R TO 180 DEGS, AS THERE WAS NOTHING ELSE TO DO. THEN THE CONFLICT ALERT WENT OFF AND I BELIEVE IT WAS MLT-1 THAT SAID HE HAD THE OTHER C130 IN SIGHT. SEPARATION WAS REGAINED A MOMENT LATER. WHAT CAN BE DONE TO PREVENT A RECURRENCE? I WILL NOT TRY SO HARD TO WORK THINGS OUT WHEN IT'S NOT CONVENIENT. I WILL PIN DOWN THE PLTS SO I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THEY ARE GOING TO DO. I WILL NOT DO SOMETHING UNLESS I KNOW I CAN MAKE IT WORK. WHEN A LOT IS GOING ON, I WILL TRY HARDER TO PAY ATTN TO ALL ITEMS UNDER MY RESPONSIBILITY. WHEN THE TFC WARRANTS, THE ARR POS NEEDS TO BE STAFFED BEFORE THE RUSH ARRIVES, NOT IN THE MIDDLE OF IT. WHEN IT IS SO BUSY, I WILL ALSO REQUEST A COORDINATOR. THERE IS A LIMIT TO WHAT ANY ONE PERSON CAN DO.

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.