Narrative:

I was working the day shift, operational supervisor in charge of den TRACON. The shift started with a fiber optics problem and ATC alert for den tower and TRACON. With a total loss of radios soon to follow and ATC zero for a short period. Things had finally settled down, operations returning to normal, when WX (snow, rain and thunderstorms) began to move through the denver area. This necessitated ILS approachs landing north and east on 2 runways, with an arrival acceptance rate of 84 aircraft per hour. The assistant air traffic manager entered the TRACON upset that we were on an 84 arrival rate. He discussed the situation with the traffic management specialist and myself to land 'trips north,' and increase the arrival rate to 06 at a minimum. Both the traffic management specialist and I said 'no,' we wanted to stay as we were due to: 1) how the morning had gone, 2) where the aircraft were that were about to arrive, 3) the availability of more airspace for the final controllers in our present confign, 4) with the aatm's confign, the center could easily overload our feeder position, and would add 40 flying mi to half the aircraft inbound to denver, 5) our present confign would be much more efficient for the user and place the aircraft on the ground at least 10 mins sooner. The assistant air traffic manager pressured then overruled us and ordered us into trips north with a 96 arrival acceptance rate. The southwest feeder controller soon became overloaded with aircraft in his airspace not talking to him. The final controller seeing what aircraft were coming at him did his bet to run minimum separation. The result was a loss of separation on the final between a B757 and B777. This shows the push from non-certified management personnel, at the regional level, to keep the arrival rates as high as possible (whether realistic or not). I believe the assistant air traffic manager (non-certified) and whomever else is pushing the unrealistic arrival rates should be held accountable and added as a contributing factor in this and any future operrors. (Safe, orderly and expeditiously is still our mission.)

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: D01 OPERATIONAL SUPVR CONCERNED WITH OVERRIDE DECISION BY FACILITY ASSISTANT AIR TFC MGR.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING THE DAY SHIFT, OPERATIONAL SUPVR IN CHARGE OF DEN TRACON. THE SHIFT STARTED WITH A FIBER OPTICS PROB AND ATC ALERT FOR DEN TWR AND TRACON. WITH A TOTAL LOSS OF RADIOS SOON TO FOLLOW AND ATC ZERO FOR A SHORT PERIOD. THINGS HAD FINALLY SETTLED DOWN, OPS RETURNING TO NORMAL, WHEN WX (SNOW, RAIN AND TSTMS) BEGAN TO MOVE THROUGH THE DENVER AREA. THIS NECESSITATED ILS APCHS LNDG N AND E ON 2 RWYS, WITH AN ARR ACCEPTANCE RATE OF 84 ACFT PER HR. THE ASSISTANT AIR TFC MGR ENTERED THE TRACON UPSET THAT WE WERE ON AN 84 ARR RATE. HE DISCUSSED THE SIT WITH THE TFC MGMNT SPECIALIST AND MYSELF TO LAND 'TRIPS N,' AND INCREASE THE ARR RATE TO 06 AT A MINIMUM. BOTH THE TFC MGMNT SPECIALIST AND I SAID 'NO,' WE WANTED TO STAY AS WE WERE DUE TO: 1) HOW THE MORNING HAD GONE, 2) WHERE THE ACFT WERE THAT WERE ABOUT TO ARRIVE, 3) THE AVAILABILITY OF MORE AIRSPACE FOR THE FINAL CTLRS IN OUR PRESENT CONFIGN, 4) WITH THE AATM'S CONFIGN, THE CTR COULD EASILY OVERLOAD OUR FEEDER POS, AND WOULD ADD 40 FLYING MI TO HALF THE ACFT INBOUND TO DENVER, 5) OUR PRESENT CONFIGN WOULD BE MUCH MORE EFFICIENT FOR THE USER AND PLACE THE ACFT ON THE GND AT LEAST 10 MINS SOONER. THE ASSISTANT AIR TFC MGR PRESSURED THEN OVERRULED US AND ORDERED US INTO TRIPS N WITH A 96 ARR ACCEPTANCE RATE. THE SW FEEDER CTLR SOON BECAME OVERLOADED WITH ACFT IN HIS AIRSPACE NOT TALKING TO HIM. THE FINAL CTLR SEEING WHAT ACFT WERE COMING AT HIM DID HIS BET TO RUN MINIMUM SEPARATION. THE RESULT WAS A LOSS OF SEPARATION ON THE FINAL BTWN A B757 AND B777. THIS SHOWS THE PUSH FROM NON-CERTIFIED MGMNT PERSONNEL, AT THE REGIONAL LEVEL, TO KEEP THE ARR RATES AS HIGH AS POSSIBLE (WHETHER REALISTIC OR NOT). I BELIEVE THE ASSISTANT AIR TFC MGR (NON-CERTIFIED) AND WHOMEVER ELSE IS PUSHING THE UNREALISTIC ARR RATES SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE AND ADDED AS A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR IN THIS AND ANY FUTURE OPERRORS. (SAFE, ORDERLY AND EXPEDITIOUSLY IS STILL OUR MISSION.)

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.