Narrative:

In spite of concerns expressed by ATC controllers at newark liberty airport control tower; newark; nj; the air traffic manager insists that we continue to accept aircraft on ILS approachs to our intersecting runways. There is no sequencing being done by the facility which has approach separation responsibility for these aircraft. New york TRACON; and newark tower controllers are told to separate these aircraft by visual means. There seems to be no legitimate regulatory basis for this operation; which has thus far resulted in 2 instances of missed approachs flying right over landing aircraft; or right over other aircraft executing a missed approach. FAA regulations clearly state that visual separation may be used to separate aircraft on approachs to intersecting runways if at least one of those aircraft is on a visual approach; and even then; staggered approachs may be necessary to ensure proper runway separation. What we currently have is a free-for-all; where planes are simply cleared for the 2 conflicting ILS approachs and switched to the tower. It has now been 4 months since an FAA ucr; requesting a clarification of this procedure was filed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EWR CTLR EXPRESSED CONCERNS REGARDING INTERSECTING RWY ILS PROCS BEING USED WITH QUESTIONABLE SEPARATION STANDARDS.

Narrative: IN SPITE OF CONCERNS EXPRESSED BY ATC CTLRS AT NEWARK LIBERTY ARPT CTL TWR; NEWARK; NJ; THE AIR TFC MGR INSISTS THAT WE CONTINUE TO ACCEPT ACFT ON ILS APCHS TO OUR INTERSECTING RWYS. THERE IS NO SEQUENCING BEING DONE BY THE FACILITY WHICH HAS APCH SEPARATION RESPONSIBILITY FOR THESE ACFT. NEW YORK TRACON; AND NEWARK TWR CTLRS ARE TOLD TO SEPARATE THESE ACFT BY VISUAL MEANS. THERE SEEMS TO BE NO LEGITIMATE REGULATORY BASIS FOR THIS OP; WHICH HAS THUS FAR RESULTED IN 2 INSTANCES OF MISSED APCHS FLYING RIGHT OVER LNDG ACFT; OR RIGHT OVER OTHER ACFT EXECUTING A MISSED APCH. FAA REGS CLRLY STATE THAT VISUAL SEPARATION MAY BE USED TO SEPARATE ACFT ON APCHS TO INTERSECTING RWYS IF AT LEAST ONE OF THOSE ACFT IS ON A VISUAL APCH; AND EVEN THEN; STAGGERED APCHS MAY BE NECESSARY TO ENSURE PROPER RWY SEPARATION. WHAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE IS A FREE-FOR-ALL; WHERE PLANES ARE SIMPLY CLRED FOR THE 2 CONFLICTING ILS APCHS AND SWITCHED TO THE TWR. IT HAS NOW BEEN 4 MONTHS SINCE AN FAA UCR; REQUESTING A CLARIFICATION OF THIS PROC WAS FILED.

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.