Narrative:

Thunderstorms in the area and aircraft were arriving in non standard directions. The tower had asked not to land any air carrier X airline on the east side of the airport due to gridlock. I was getting a feed from 3 directions, around the WX from the northwest straight-in, west downwind for the east runway, and east base leg for the west runway. The MD80 was #3 for runway 18R. The aircraft had been vectored around the WX and was on the localizer to follow the MD80 from the east. The aircraft was slowed to 210 KTS, then 180 KTS, then 160 KTS. We were landing south with a tailwind, 10 KTS on the ground and up to 20 KTS at altitude. I had my 3 mi, but knew I couldn't keep it to the runway because of compression. I turned the aircraft off the localizer for spacing. Then turned the aircraft back to stagger behind the traffic on runway 17C. I asked the aircraft to reduce to final approach speed (around 8 DME). It looked like it was going to be close, so I canceled the approach clearance, and gave a turn to the northwest for resequence. The aircraft advised he/she couldn't take the turn because 'there is WX back there.' (15 mi behind the aircraft.) during all this the following MD80 had gone through the localizer. I turned the aircraft back to the north for resequence, he/she did so without question. The aircraft was about ready to join the localizer, the pilot sounded rattled, so I cleared the aircraft for the approach, switched the aircraft to the tower. I didn't have standard separation for a staggered approach. How could this have been avoided? 1) land in the direction of the wind. 2) give the traffic to the controller working each runway. 3) help the tower as much as you can, but don't put the arrival controllers in a bad situation. 4) I made a rookie mistake, trying to fix something that probably didn't need fixing. I should have switched the aircraft to the tower and let the final monitor take care of it. 5) the supervisor standing behind me turned and walked away when I told him/her the aircraft wouldn't turn. Not a lot of help.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: D10 CTLR EXPERIENCED OPERROR AT 3000 FT DURING STAGGERED APCH PROCS AND FREQUENT WX DEV OPS.

Narrative: TSTMS IN THE AREA AND ACFT WERE ARRIVING IN NON STANDARD DIRECTIONS. THE TWR HAD ASKED NOT TO LAND ANY ACR X AIRLINE ON THE E SIDE OF THE ARPT DUE TO GRIDLOCK. I WAS GETTING A FEED FROM 3 DIRECTIONS, AROUND THE WX FROM THE NW STRAIGHT-IN, W DOWNWIND FOR THE E RWY, AND E BASE LEG FOR THE W RWY. THE MD80 WAS #3 FOR RWY 18R. THE ACFT HAD BEEN VECTORED AROUND THE WX AND WAS ON THE LOC TO FOLLOW THE MD80 FROM THE E. THE ACFT WAS SLOWED TO 210 KTS, THEN 180 KTS, THEN 160 KTS. WE WERE LNDG S WITH A TAILWIND, 10 KTS ON THE GND AND UP TO 20 KTS AT ALT. I HAD MY 3 MI, BUT KNEW I COULDN'T KEEP IT TO THE RWY BECAUSE OF COMPRESSION. I TURNED THE ACFT OFF THE LOC FOR SPACING. THEN TURNED THE ACFT BACK TO STAGGER BEHIND THE TFC ON RWY 17C. I ASKED THE ACFT TO REDUCE TO FINAL APCH SPD (AROUND 8 DME). IT LOOKED LIKE IT WAS GOING TO BE CLOSE, SO I CANCELED THE APCH CLRNC, AND GAVE A TURN TO THE NW FOR RESEQUENCE. THE ACFT ADVISED HE/SHE COULDN'T TAKE THE TURN BECAUSE 'THERE IS WX BACK THERE.' (15 MI BEHIND THE ACFT.) DURING ALL THIS THE FOLLOWING MD80 HAD GONE THROUGH THE LOC. I TURNED THE ACFT BACK TO THE N FOR RESEQUENCE, HE/SHE DID SO WITHOUT QUESTION. THE ACFT WAS ABOUT READY TO JOIN THE LOC, THE PLT SOUNDED RATTLED, SO I CLRED THE ACFT FOR THE APCH, SWITCHED THE ACFT TO THE TWR. I DIDN'T HAVE STANDARD SEPARATION FOR A STAGGERED APCH. HOW COULD THIS HAVE BEEN AVOIDED? 1) LAND IN THE DIRECTION OF THE WIND. 2) GIVE THE TFC TO THE CTLR WORKING EACH RWY. 3) HELP THE TWR AS MUCH AS YOU CAN, BUT DON'T PUT THE ARR CTLRS IN A BAD SIT. 4) I MADE A ROOKIE MISTAKE, TRYING TO FIX SOMETHING THAT PROBABLY DIDN'T NEED FIXING. I SHOULD HAVE SWITCHED THE ACFT TO THE TWR AND LET THE FINAL MONITOR TAKE CARE OF IT. 5) THE SUPVR STANDING BEHIND ME TURNED AND WALKED AWAY WHEN I TOLD HIM/HER THE ACFT WOULDN'T TURN. NOT A LOT OF HELP.

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.