Narrative:

I became saturated while working departure radar. There were numerous aircraft which were being instructed to maintain visual separation that were overtaking each other both by speed and route of flight. Several times I took evasive action and issued safety alerts. Aircraft reported losing signal of other aircraft less than 2 miles apart and less than 1000 ft. Aircraft are being asked to maintain visual separation from other aircraft when they don't even know the flight of the preceeding aircraft. We have had numerous discussions as a team voicing our concerns about the unsafe condition of departure saturation. The other departure sector was closed. It was only opened after the sector was saturated; which cause confusion during the decombining of the position. Several times I requested 'call for release' on departures. Several times I asked that automatic departure releases be cancelled. Proper coordination was not accomplished. This type of operation will continue to happen if we continue our current operation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: L30 CTLR EXPRESSED CONCERN REGARDING TWR DEP SATURATION AND APPLICATION OF VISUAL SEPARATION.

Narrative: I BECAME SATURATED WHILE WORKING DEP RADAR. THERE WERE NUMEROUS ACFT WHICH WERE BEING INSTRUCTED TO MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION THAT WERE OVERTAKING EACH OTHER BOTH BY SPD AND RTE OF FLT. SEVERAL TIMES I TOOK EVASIVE ACTION AND ISSUED SAFETY ALERTS. ACFT RPTED LOSING SIGNAL OF OTHER ACFT LESS THAN 2 MILES APART AND LESS THAN 1000 FT. ACFT ARE BEING ASKED TO MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION FROM OTHER ACFT WHEN THEY DON'T EVEN KNOW THE FLT OF THE PRECEEDING ACFT. WE HAVE HAD NUMEROUS DISCUSSIONS AS A TEAM VOICING OUR CONCERNS ABOUT THE UNSAFE CONDITION OF DEP SATURATION. THE OTHER DEP SECTOR WAS CLOSED. IT WAS ONLY OPENED AFTER THE SECTOR WAS SATURATED; WHICH CAUSE CONFUSION DURING THE DECOMBINING OF THE POSITION. SEVERAL TIMES I REQUESTED 'CALL FOR RELEASE' ON DEPS. SEVERAL TIMES I ASKED THAT AUTOMATIC DEP RELEASES BE CANCELLED. PROPER COORDINATION WAS NOT ACCOMPLISHED. THIS TYPE OF OP WILL CONTINUE TO HAPPEN IF WE CONTINUE OUR CURRENT OP.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.