Narrative:

First of all, I was operating under article 65 of the natca/FAA collective bargaining agreement. This event was anticipated, however I didn't think I would be the controller involved. (Sounds familiar?) here at phx, on east flow, we have 1 departure corridor and therefore, 1 designated departure runway. If an aircraft needs the north runway, they tell ground control, he taxies them there and then the local controller calls for release. This is only occasional. On west flow, for the past couple of years of construction, we have 2 departure corridors where we primarily taxi northbound departures to the north runway and sbound departures to the south runway -- with only occasional exceptions. Now that construction has ended we have evolved to flexing in and out of this format many times throughout the shift. We are taxiing planes to the nearest runway, therefore mixing and matching. One moment a local has all departures and the next moment he must ask permission from the other local for release. Ground controllers sometimes miss or forget that we have flexed to 'north to north or south to south' format and then are neglecting to inform the local of the contrary direction departure coming their way. My situation was in the 'north to north, south to south' format. I had launched at least 10 consecutive sbound aircraft and did not notice the lone northbound. (I do not recall if ground advised me of this northbound aircraft direction.) I cleared it for takeoff and xferred communications to radar at departure end of runway. That's when I heard local north ask if my plane was really northbound (implying that it may be a wrong tag). That's when I realized my slip. In the past the other local simply applies visual and the situation for loss of separation is alleviated. But this time, unfortunately for me, local north had also xferred communication with her aircraft. This is happening more than it should, but this event went 1 step further than the other. If we take this one more step beyond, where both lcls, for whatever reason, launch a wrong direction aircraft and xfer communication before it becomes apparent, well then you have a northbound aircraft off the south runway turning north and a sbound departure off the north runway turning south, with both planes talking to different departure controllers. I believe that this is a procedural issue. None of this happens if we stay in a single designated departure runway.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PHX LCL CTLR EXPERIENCES LOSS OF SEPARATION WITH DEP ACFT.

Narrative: FIRST OF ALL, I WAS OPERATING UNDER ARTICLE 65 OF THE NATCA/FAA COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT. THIS EVENT WAS ANTICIPATED, HOWEVER I DIDN'T THINK I WOULD BE THE CTLR INVOLVED. (SOUNDS FAMILIAR?) HERE AT PHX, ON E FLOW, WE HAVE 1 DEP CORRIDOR AND THEREFORE, 1 DESIGNATED DEP RWY. IF AN ACFT NEEDS THE N RWY, THEY TELL GND CTL, HE TAXIES THEM THERE AND THEN THE LCL CTLR CALLS FOR RELEASE. THIS IS ONLY OCCASIONAL. ON W FLOW, FOR THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS OF CONSTRUCTION, WE HAVE 2 DEP CORRIDORS WHERE WE PRIMARILY TAXI NBOUND DEPS TO THE N RWY AND SBOUND DEPS TO THE S RWY -- WITH ONLY OCCASIONAL EXCEPTIONS. NOW THAT CONSTRUCTION HAS ENDED WE HAVE EVOLVED TO FLEXING IN AND OUT OF THIS FORMAT MANY TIMES THROUGHOUT THE SHIFT. WE ARE TAXIING PLANES TO THE NEAREST RWY, THEREFORE MIXING AND MATCHING. ONE MOMENT A LCL HAS ALL DEPS AND THE NEXT MOMENT HE MUST ASK PERMISSION FROM THE OTHER LCL FOR RELEASE. GND CTLRS SOMETIMES MISS OR FORGET THAT WE HAVE FLEXED TO 'N TO N OR S TO S' FORMAT AND THEN ARE NEGLECTING TO INFORM THE LCL OF THE CONTRARY DIRECTION DEP COMING THEIR WAY. MY SIT WAS IN THE 'N TO N, S TO S' FORMAT. I HAD LAUNCHED AT LEAST 10 CONSECUTIVE SBOUND ACFT AND DID NOT NOTICE THE LONE NBOUND. (I DO NOT RECALL IF GND ADVISED ME OF THIS NBOUND ACFT DIRECTION.) I CLRED IT FOR TKOF AND XFERRED COMS TO RADAR AT DEP END OF RWY. THAT'S WHEN I HEARD LCL N ASK IF MY PLANE WAS REALLY NBOUND (IMPLYING THAT IT MAY BE A WRONG TAG). THAT'S WHEN I REALIZED MY SLIP. IN THE PAST THE OTHER LCL SIMPLY APPLIES VISUAL AND THE SIT FOR LOSS OF SEPARATION IS ALLEVIATED. BUT THIS TIME, UNFORTUNATELY FOR ME, LCL N HAD ALSO XFERRED COM WITH HER ACFT. THIS IS HAPPENING MORE THAN IT SHOULD, BUT THIS EVENT WENT 1 STEP FURTHER THAN THE OTHER. IF WE TAKE THIS ONE MORE STEP BEYOND, WHERE BOTH LCLS, FOR WHATEVER REASON, LAUNCH A WRONG DIRECTION ACFT AND XFER COM BEFORE IT BECOMES APPARENT, WELL THEN YOU HAVE A NBOUND ACFT OFF THE S RWY TURNING N AND A SBOUND DEP OFF THE N RWY TURNING S, WITH BOTH PLANES TALKING TO DIFFERENT DEP CTLRS. I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS A PROCEDURAL ISSUE. NONE OF THIS HAPPENS IF WE STAY IN A SINGLE DESIGNATED DEP RWY.

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.