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; the new york TRACON; and ewr tower controllers are told to separate these aircraft by visual means. There seems to be no legitimate regulatory basis for this operation; which has 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 union filed an FAA ucr; requesting a clarification of this procedure. No response to the ucr has been received by the union. Today I witnessed 12 instances of planes cleared for conflicting ILS approachs to intersecting runways. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that his concerns regarding this procedure have been outlined to the facility manager via two union initiated ucr's. The reporter indicated that management has responded to both ucr's by simply closing them out; which basically stops any further review. The reporter indicated that the recent approach procedure to the intersecting runways was primarily the result of operrors to a single approach runway plus the need to keep traffic moving. The reporter also indicated that the converging runway display aid (crda) has been utilized; but that it has not worked because of target problems.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EWR CTLR EXPRESSED CONCERN REGARDING CURRENT PROCS THAT ALLOW N90 CTLRS TO ISSUE APCH CLRNC TO BOTH RWY 22L AND RWY 11 SIMULTANEOUSLY.

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; THE NEW YORK TRACON; AND EWR TWR CTLRS ARE TOLD TO SEPARATE THESE ACFT BY VISUAL MEANS. THERE SEEMS TO BE NO LEGITIMATE REGULATORY BASIS FOR THIS OP; WHICH HAS 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 UNION FILED AN FAA UCR; REQUESTING A CLARIFICATION OF THIS PROC. NO RESPONSE TO THE UCR HAS BEEN RECEIVED BY THE UNION. TODAY I WITNESSED 12 INSTANCES OF PLANES CLRED FOR CONFLICTING ILS APCHS TO INTERSECTING RWYS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT HIS CONCERNS REGARDING THIS PROC HAVE BEEN OUTLINED TO THE FAC MGR VIA TWO UNION INITIATED UCR'S. THE RPTR INDICATED THAT MGMNT HAS RESPONDED TO BOTH UCR'S BY SIMPLY CLOSING THEM OUT; WHICH BASICALLY STOPS ANY FURTHER REVIEW. THE RPTR INDICATED THAT THE RECENT APCH PROC TO THE INTERSECTING RWYS WAS PRIMARILY THE RESULT OF OPERRORS TO A SINGLE APCH RWY PLUS THE NEED TO KEEP TFC MOVING. THE RPTR ALSO INDICATED THAT THE CONVERGING RWY DISPLAY AID (CRDA) HAS BEEN UTILIZED; BUT THAT IT HAS NOT WORKED BECAUSE OF TARGET PROBS.

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.