Narrative:

The mooney (9000 ft) was northbound overflying to sps, the cessna (8000 ft) eastbound toward jen. When the mooney was 3 or 4 mi south of the cessna, he indicated he had an engine problem and wanted to land at stephenville. This requires that he descend visually through the cessna or be vectored away for standard separation. The airport was only 10 mi away and the cessna was between him and the airport. The winds were strong from the north, so he wanted to set up for a north approach. I called the traffic twice and kept him level, hoping he would see the cessna. They were never in danger of colliding, but I felt he needed me to get him down, so he could set up his approach. I sort of declared an emergency for him and I felt time/distance were becoming critical. I descended him and it all worked out fine in the end. But the aircraft should have either indicated he was fine to be maneuvered at altitude for the traffic, or taken his own decision to descend. I felt trapped by the rules and he should have been more forceful if he needed lower, or been more explicit that he could wait for the traffic.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZFW CTLR QUESTIONS HIS OWN ACTION WHEN PROVIDING A FLT ASSIST TO AN ACFT IN EMER SIT.

Narrative: THE MOONEY (9000 FT) WAS NBOUND OVERFLYING TO SPS, THE CESSNA (8000 FT) EBOUND TOWARD JEN. WHEN THE MOONEY WAS 3 OR 4 MI S OF THE CESSNA, HE INDICATED HE HAD AN ENG PROB AND WANTED TO LAND AT STEPHENVILLE. THIS REQUIRES THAT HE DSND VISUALLY THROUGH THE CESSNA OR BE VECTORED AWAY FOR STANDARD SEPARATION. THE ARPT WAS ONLY 10 MI AWAY AND THE CESSNA WAS BTWN HIM AND THE ARPT. THE WINDS WERE STRONG FROM THE N, SO HE WANTED TO SET UP FOR A N APCH. I CALLED THE TFC TWICE AND KEPT HIM LEVEL, HOPING HE WOULD SEE THE CESSNA. THEY WERE NEVER IN DANGER OF COLLIDING, BUT I FELT HE NEEDED ME TO GET HIM DOWN, SO HE COULD SET UP HIS APCH. I SORT OF DECLARED AN EMER FOR HIM AND I FELT TIME/DISTANCE WERE BECOMING CRITICAL. I DSNDED HIM AND IT ALL WORKED OUT FINE IN THE END. BUT THE ACFT SHOULD HAVE EITHER INDICATED HE WAS FINE TO BE MANEUVERED AT ALT FOR THE TFC, OR TAKEN HIS OWN DECISION TO DSND. I FELT TRAPPED BY THE RULES AND HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE FORCEFUL IF HE NEEDED LOWER, OR BEEN MORE EXPLICIT THAT HE COULD WAIT FOR THE TFC.

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.