Narrative:

Newark airport runway confign; departure 22R arrival runway 22L. Wind 240-250 degrees at 14 KTS gusting to 23 KTS. Sun setting in the west with bad sun glare. Newark tower denied overflow on runway 11 due to crosswind/tailwind. ATC command center badgered and harassed newark tower into accepting overflow visual approach to runway 22R from the west. The controllers brought to the attention of the supervisor that the operation is potentially dangerous due to a 30-35 KT tailwind on the approaching aircraft from the west and the fact that the aircraft on ILS runway 22L must provide visual separation from the visual approach runway 22R aircraft to make the operation safe and legal. The sun glare made visual acquisition of the rapidly approaching overflow aircraft almost impossible. Additionally; the low wing E145 overflow aircraft must visually acquire the runway 22L arrival while in a wing-up turn to final; which is very difficult. Supervisor attempted to stop the overflow; but again was badgered by the command center into accepting the traffic. The supervisor verbally protested; but eventually submitted. After dusk; the visual approach runway 22R was then illegal so the command center asked again for ILS runway 11 overflow. The tailwind made the landing of a few aircraft difficult and the separation of the arriving aircraft by the controller was very difficult as well. I saw a gust to 23 KTS on the wind sensor; so I called over to the sector working the ILS runway 11 and told him about the wind which was 250 degrees at 15 KTS gusting to 23 KTS. He advised the approaching aircraft and the pilot terminated the approach. After that point the overflow stopped. The FAA sacrificed safety for more capacity during this session and the controllers were uncomfortable with the unsafe operation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EWR CTLR EXPRESSED CONCERN REGARDING PARALLEL RWY OPS TO RWYS 22.

Narrative: NEWARK ARPT RWY CONFIGN; DEP 22R ARR RWY 22L. WIND 240-250 DEGS AT 14 KTS GUSTING TO 23 KTS. SUN SETTING IN THE W WITH BAD SUN GLARE. NEWARK TWR DENIED OVERFLOW ON RWY 11 DUE TO XWIND/TAILWIND. ATC COMMAND CTR BADGERED AND HARASSED NEWARK TWR INTO ACCEPTING OVERFLOW VISUAL APCH TO RWY 22R FROM THE W. THE CTLRS BROUGHT TO THE ATTN OF THE SUPVR THAT THE OP IS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS DUE TO A 30-35 KT TAILWIND ON THE APCHING ACFT FROM THE W AND THE FACT THAT THE ACFT ON ILS RWY 22L MUST PROVIDE VISUAL SEPARATION FROM THE VISUAL APCH RWY 22R ACFT TO MAKE THE OP SAFE AND LEGAL. THE SUN GLARE MADE VISUAL ACQUISITION OF THE RAPIDLY APCHING OVERFLOW ACFT ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE. ADDITIONALLY; THE LOW WING E145 OVERFLOW ACFT MUST VISUALLY ACQUIRE THE RWY 22L ARR WHILE IN A WING-UP TURN TO FINAL; WHICH IS VERY DIFFICULT. SUPVR ATTEMPTED TO STOP THE OVERFLOW; BUT AGAIN WAS BADGERED BY THE COMMAND CTR INTO ACCEPTING THE TFC. THE SUPVR VERBALLY PROTESTED; BUT EVENTUALLY SUBMITTED. AFTER DUSK; THE VISUAL APCH RWY 22R WAS THEN ILLEGAL SO THE COMMAND CTR ASKED AGAIN FOR ILS RWY 11 OVERFLOW. THE TAILWIND MADE THE LNDG OF A FEW ACFT DIFFICULT AND THE SEPARATION OF THE ARRIVING ACFT BY THE CTLR WAS VERY DIFFICULT AS WELL. I SAW A GUST TO 23 KTS ON THE WIND SENSOR; SO I CALLED OVER TO THE SECTOR WORKING THE ILS RWY 11 AND TOLD HIM ABOUT THE WIND WHICH WAS 250 DEGS AT 15 KTS GUSTING TO 23 KTS. HE ADVISED THE APCHING ACFT AND THE PLT TERMINATED THE APCH. AFTER THAT POINT THE OVERFLOW STOPPED. THE FAA SACRIFICED SAFETY FOR MORE CAPACITY DURING THIS SESSION AND THE CTLRS WERE UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THE UNSAFE 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.