Narrative:

On oct/thu/05; a situation occurred at las TRACON whereby the originator of this report was unwittingly compelled to work air traffic destined to las airport at a level that can only be characterized as exceedingly unsafe. At approximately XA15; the originator of this report signed on to work the lake radar sector at las vegas TRACON. During the first hour of the radar session; the traffic level was light to moderate; and routine. But during the second hour of the radar session; the traffic level for the lake sector increased beyond a point that could be considered as safe. It was during this period that air traffic was allowed to proceed inbound in such a manner that eventually evasive actions had to be taken by the originator of this report in an attempt to ensure that the safety of the aircraft being worked and the overall integrity of the operation was maintained. Those evasive actions include the assignment of speed reductions on initial radio contact that are considered radical for turbojet aircraft in the transitional phase from the center environment to the terminal environment; taking aircraft off of their RNAV stars in an attempt to ensure that overtake situations did not occur; issuing climb clrncs to those aircraft that were on the RNAV STAR in the process of descending; and overtaking slower preceding traffic. During this period of time; I an unable to state with certainty that the minimum required separation between all aircraft was maintained at all times.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: L30 CTLR EXPRESSED CONCERN REGARDING TFC VOLUME; REQUIRED ACTIONS BY THE CTLR AND POSSIBLE LOSS OF SEPARATION.

Narrative: ON OCT/THU/05; A SITUATION OCCURRED AT LAS TRACON WHEREBY THE ORIGINATOR OF THIS RPT WAS UNWITTINGLY COMPELLED TO WORK AIR TFC DESTINED TO LAS ARPT AT A LEVEL THAT CAN ONLY BE CHARACTERIZED AS EXCEEDINGLY UNSAFE. AT APPROX XA15; THE ORIGINATOR OF THIS RPT SIGNED ON TO WORK THE LAKE RADAR SECTOR AT LAS VEGAS TRACON. DURING THE FIRST HR OF THE RADAR SESSION; THE TFC LEVEL WAS LIGHT TO MODERATE; AND ROUTINE. BUT DURING THE SECOND HR OF THE RADAR SESSION; THE TFC LEVEL FOR THE LAKE SECTOR INCREASED BEYOND A POINT THAT COULD BE CONSIDERED AS SAFE. IT WAS DURING THIS PERIOD THAT AIR TFC WAS ALLOWED TO PROCEED INBOUND IN SUCH A MANNER THAT EVENTUALLY EVASIVE ACTIONS HAD TO BE TAKEN BY THE ORIGINATOR OF THIS RPT IN AN ATTEMPT TO ENSURE THAT THE SAFETY OF THE ACFT BEING WORKED AND THE OVERALL INTEGRITY OF THE OP WAS MAINTAINED. THOSE EVASIVE ACTIONS INCLUDE THE ASSIGNMENT OF SPD REDUCTIONS ON INITIAL RADIO CONTACT THAT ARE CONSIDERED RADICAL FOR TURBOJET ACFT IN THE TRANSITIONAL PHASE FROM THE CTR ENVIRONMENT TO THE TERMINAL ENVIRONMENT; TAKING ACFT OFF OF THEIR RNAV STARS IN AN ATTEMPT TO ENSURE THAT OVERTAKE SITUATIONS DID NOT OCCUR; ISSUING CLB CLRNCS TO THOSE ACFT THAT WERE ON THE RNAV STAR IN THE PROCESS OF DSNDING; AND OVERTAKING SLOWER PRECEDING TFC. DURING THIS PERIOD OF TIME; I AN UNABLE TO STATE WITH CERTAINTY THAT THE MINIMUM REQUIRED SEPARATION BTWN ALL ACFT WAS MAINTAINED AT ALL TIMES.

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.