Narrative:

2 situations happened today. Both from ZME. One from the jbr low; and one from the hee low sectors. In both situations; I had to take action to prevent a loss of required minimum radar in-trail separation between a heavy jet and a trailing regional jet. The first involved a situation with aircraft on a STAR over the gqe VOR/DME facility. The trailing crj aircraft was not provided 10 mi in-trail separation at the time the leading or trailing aircraft crossed the mem approach 40 NM tcp. I took immediate action to reduce the crj's speed to maintain 'minimum' wake turbulence separation. I did not descend the leading heavy jet until I had more than the minimum radar in-trail separation. Nor did I reduce the heavy jet's airspeed. This happens every day and all day long by ZME. The second situation involved the hee low sector 'feeding' aircraft over the ujm VOR/DME facility. This feed is what we call the short side of base leg side. These must be issued an immediate radar vector and speed control to obtain required spacing to the final controller who works runway 36L in this case. The leading aircraft was again a heavy DC10 followed by a regional jet. I had not descended the heavy jet and I did not accept the radar handoff from the ZME controller on the trailing E145. The E145 was less than 10 mi in trail and 90 KTS faster and at the same altitude of 10000 ft MSL. I had the coordinator call the hee sector and tel them I wasn't taking this loss of separation handoff. ZME just slowed the aircraft to 250 KTS. I took the handoff knowing I could radar the heavy out of the way of the E145. I just barely kept the required minimum wake turbulence separation between the heavy and the E145. This situation was over the top of an SF34 at 8000 ft MSL which is a 'standard' feed from ZME. This type of feed is the usual feed that we receive from ZME. It is not an unusual situation. I regard this type of 'technique' to be very poor and mem approach saves these type of situations several times a day. I am of the opinion that ZME plays games or all of the central area controllers use very poor techniques to feed aircraft into the busy mem terminal airspace. There are other techniques they use. Having the leading jet aircraft go fast until the aircraft reaches to 40 NM tcp and then mem has to slow the aircraft and deal with this situation. The reverse technique should be used. Slow the trailing aircraft down to match the leading aircraft speed. If ZME can't understand this; then my recommendation is to have all jet aircraft cross the tcp 'at' 250 KTS.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MEM APCH CTLR EXPRESSED CONCERN REGARDING ZME CTLR'S TECHNIQUE DURING ARR FEED FOR MEM ARPT WHICH REQUIRED HVY ACFT SEPARATION.

Narrative: 2 SITUATIONS HAPPENED TODAY. BOTH FROM ZME. ONE FROM THE JBR LOW; AND ONE FROM THE HEE LOW SECTORS. IN BOTH SITUATIONS; I HAD TO TAKE ACTION TO PREVENT A LOSS OF REQUIRED MINIMUM RADAR IN-TRAIL SEPARATION BTWN A HVY JET AND A TRAILING REGIONAL JET. THE FIRST INVOLVED A SITUATION WITH ACFT ON A STAR OVER THE GQE VOR/DME FACILITY. THE TRAILING CRJ ACFT WAS NOT PROVIDED 10 MI IN-TRAIL SEPARATION AT THE TIME THE LEADING OR TRAILING ACFT CROSSED THE MEM APCH 40 NM TCP. I TOOK IMMEDIATE ACTION TO REDUCE THE CRJ'S SPD TO MAINTAIN 'MINIMUM' WAKE TURB SEPARATION. I DID NOT DSND THE LEADING HVY JET UNTIL I HAD MORE THAN THE MINIMUM RADAR IN-TRAIL SEPARATION. NOR DID I REDUCE THE HVY JET'S AIRSPD. THIS HAPPENS EVERY DAY AND ALL DAY LONG BY ZME. THE SECOND SITUATION INVOLVED THE HEE LOW SECTOR 'FEEDING' ACFT OVER THE UJM VOR/DME FACILITY. THIS FEED IS WHAT WE CALL THE SHORT SIDE OF BASE LEG SIDE. THESE MUST BE ISSUED AN IMMEDIATE RADAR VECTOR AND SPD CTL TO OBTAIN REQUIRED SPACING TO THE FINAL CTLR WHO WORKS RWY 36L IN THIS CASE. THE LEADING ACFT WAS AGAIN A HVY DC10 FOLLOWED BY A REGIONAL JET. I HAD NOT DSNDED THE HVY JET AND I DID NOT ACCEPT THE RADAR HDOF FROM THE ZME CTLR ON THE TRAILING E145. THE E145 WAS LESS THAN 10 MI IN TRAIL AND 90 KTS FASTER AND AT THE SAME ALT OF 10000 FT MSL. I HAD THE COORDINATOR CALL THE HEE SECTOR AND TEL THEM I WASN'T TAKING THIS LOSS OF SEPARATION HDOF. ZME JUST SLOWED THE ACFT TO 250 KTS. I TOOK THE HDOF KNOWING I COULD RADAR THE HVY OUT OF THE WAY OF THE E145. I JUST BARELY KEPT THE REQUIRED MINIMUM WAKE TURB SEPARATION BTWN THE HVY AND THE E145. THIS SITUATION WAS OVER THE TOP OF AN SF34 AT 8000 FT MSL WHICH IS A 'STANDARD' FEED FROM ZME. THIS TYPE OF FEED IS THE USUAL FEED THAT WE RECEIVE FROM ZME. IT IS NOT AN UNUSUAL SITUATION. I REGARD THIS TYPE OF 'TECHNIQUE' TO BE VERY POOR AND MEM APCH SAVES THESE TYPE OF SITUATIONS SEVERAL TIMES A DAY. I AM OF THE OPINION THAT ZME PLAYS GAMES OR ALL OF THE CENTRAL AREA CTLRS USE VERY POOR TECHNIQUES TO FEED ACFT INTO THE BUSY MEM TERMINAL AIRSPACE. THERE ARE OTHER TECHNIQUES THEY USE. HAVING THE LEADING JET ACFT GO FAST UNTIL THE ACFT REACHES TO 40 NM TCP AND THEN MEM HAS TO SLOW THE ACFT AND DEAL WITH THIS SITUATION. THE REVERSE TECHNIQUE SHOULD BE USED. SLOW THE TRAILING ACFT DOWN TO MATCH THE LEADING ACFT SPD. IF ZME CAN'T UNDERSTAND THIS; THEN MY RECOMMENDATION IS TO HAVE ALL JET ACFT CROSS THE TCP 'AT' 250 KTS.

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.