Narrative:

I'm not sure how to classify this as there was no loss of separation as required between VFR and IFR aircraft in class C airspace. That being said; the situation was one were it could have easily degenerated into such. I was working approach in the tower cabin attendant. In addition to aircraft #1; an arrival to runway 17; and aircraft #2 a VFR holding at the lnk VOR at 4500 ft; I had a sequence of 3 aircraft for runway 14; a VFR departure to the northwest and an IFR overflt to the south. With the VFR holding at the VOR at 4500 ft; I was vectoring and descending a CRJ2 for runway 14. Aircraft #1; the LR45; was north of the CRJ2; and I was stepping him down on a parallel course. I decided to turn the LR45 straight south to come in behind the CRJ2 so I could descend and put him on the left base to runway 17. When I instructed the LR45 to turn to 180 degree heading; he responded that he had the CRJ2 in sight. I asked if he had the airport in sight and he did; so I cleared him for the visual approach to runway 17 and to maintain visual with the CRJ2 going to runway 14. I immediately went to issue control instructions to the 2 other aircraft on vectors to runway 14 and then turned back to the LR45 to xfer communications to the tower. I did another quick task and then looked back at the LR45 and saw that he was swbound to line up on a straight-in runway 10 final and I also saw aircraft #2; the C172 had turned to which he acknowledged. As I was working in the tower cabin attendant; I immediately turned to local control to have them issue traffic to aircraft #1. Fortunately; aircraft #1 saw the C172 and climbed back to 5000 ft because the C172 came back a couple mins later asking what the heading was he was going to turn to. I had a plan that would have worked great; but I allowed myself to be talked into having aircraft #1 maintain visual separation with the CRJ2 without further instructions to protect for the VFR aircraft holding at the VOR at 4500 ft. Conflict alert did activate but not until after aircraft #1; the LR45; had aircraft #2 and was level at 5000 ft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LNK TRACON CTLR EXPERIENCED CONFLICT AFTER CHANGING INITIAL SEPARATION PLAN AND ISSUING VISUAL APCH CLRNC TO LR45 ARR ACFT.

Narrative: I'M NOT SURE HOW TO CLASSIFY THIS AS THERE WAS NO LOSS OF SEPARATION AS REQUIRED BTWN VFR AND IFR ACFT IN CLASS C AIRSPACE. THAT BEING SAID; THE SITUATION WAS ONE WERE IT COULD HAVE EASILY DEGENERATED INTO SUCH. I WAS WORKING APCH IN THE TWR CAB. IN ADDITION TO ACFT #1; AN ARR TO RWY 17; AND ACFT #2 A VFR HOLDING AT THE LNK VOR AT 4500 FT; I HAD A SEQUENCE OF 3 ACFT FOR RWY 14; A VFR DEP TO THE NW AND AN IFR OVERFLT TO THE S. WITH THE VFR HOLDING AT THE VOR AT 4500 FT; I WAS VECTORING AND DSNDING A CRJ2 FOR RWY 14. ACFT #1; THE LR45; WAS N OF THE CRJ2; AND I WAS STEPPING HIM DOWN ON A PARALLEL COURSE. I DECIDED TO TURN THE LR45 STRAIGHT S TO COME IN BEHIND THE CRJ2 SO I COULD DSND AND PUT HIM ON THE L BASE TO RWY 17. WHEN I INSTRUCTED THE LR45 TO TURN TO 180 DEG HDG; HE RESPONDED THAT HE HAD THE CRJ2 IN SIGHT. I ASKED IF HE HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT AND HE DID; SO I CLRED HIM FOR THE VISUAL APCH TO RWY 17 AND TO MAINTAIN VISUAL WITH THE CRJ2 GOING TO RWY 14. I IMMEDIATELY WENT TO ISSUE CTL INSTRUCTIONS TO THE 2 OTHER ACFT ON VECTORS TO RWY 14 AND THEN TURNED BACK TO THE LR45 TO XFER COMS TO THE TWR. I DID ANOTHER QUICK TASK AND THEN LOOKED BACK AT THE LR45 AND SAW THAT HE WAS SWBOUND TO LINE UP ON A STRAIGHT-IN RWY 10 FINAL AND I ALSO SAW ACFT #2; THE C172 HAD TURNED TO WHICH HE ACKNOWLEDGED. AS I WAS WORKING IN THE TWR CAB; I IMMEDIATELY TURNED TO LCL CTL TO HAVE THEM ISSUE TFC TO ACFT #1. FORTUNATELY; ACFT #1 SAW THE C172 AND CLBED BACK TO 5000 FT BECAUSE THE C172 CAME BACK A COUPLE MINS LATER ASKING WHAT THE HEADING WAS HE WAS GOING TO TURN TO. I HAD A PLAN THAT WOULD HAVE WORKED GREAT; BUT I ALLOWED MYSELF TO BE TALKED INTO HAVING ACFT #1 MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION WITH THE CRJ2 WITHOUT FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS TO PROTECT FOR THE VFR ACFT HOLDING AT THE VOR AT 4500 FT. CONFLICT ALERT DID ACTIVATE BUT NOT UNTIL AFTER ACFT #1; THE LR45; HAD ACFT #2 AND WAS LEVEL AT 5000 FT.

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.