Narrative:

Iah tower departed the SF34 sbound; then departed the B737 on a 130 degree heading; after the SF34 was 3.02 mi parallel to the B737; they then turned -- the SF34 to a 130 degree heading; the SF34 was by then on a heading that would have put him in the hobby ATCT airspace; in the face of hobby departures that climb to 5000 ft. I turned the SF34 to a 115 degree heading so as to avoid an accident with any hobby departures; and to keep this aircraft in my airspace. This procedure the iah tower used is a very poor procedure. I had no choice but to turn the aircraft. On apr/xa/05; we had another operational error due to this same procedure; and during the safety board meeting; the safety board recommended that the propellers come out on a 115 degree heading for safety reasons. This recommendation was never acted on. Our management dropped the ball on this. They failed to even write it down; so the procedure has never been changed. Had it been; then I would not have been in a situation where I had zero options. Had I done nothing; I would have had an operational error with hobby tower's airspace; and maybe even an accident; if there had been a slow climbing aircraft departing hobby ATCT northbound. This procedure is unsafe and needs to be changed; yet management let the safety board recommendation situation by the wayside and did nothing to change the possibility of another operational error; or to alleviate an accident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: I90 CTLR EXPERIENCED OPERROR AT 3000 FT DURING ATTEMPTS TO KEEP 2 CLOSELY SPACED IAH DEPS APART AND CLRING HOU DEP AIRSPACE.

Narrative: IAH TWR DEPARTED THE SF34 SBOUND; THEN DEPARTED THE B737 ON A 130 DEG HDG; AFTER THE SF34 WAS 3.02 MI PARALLEL TO THE B737; THEY THEN TURNED -- THE SF34 TO A 130 DEG HDG; THE SF34 WAS BY THEN ON A HDG THAT WOULD HAVE PUT HIM IN THE HOBBY ATCT AIRSPACE; IN THE FACE OF HOBBY DEPS THAT CLB TO 5000 FT. I TURNED THE SF34 TO A 115 DEG HDG SO AS TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT WITH ANY HOBBY DEPS; AND TO KEEP THIS ACFT IN MY AIRSPACE. THIS PROC THE IAH TWR USED IS A VERY POOR PROC. I HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO TURN THE ACFT. ON APR/XA/05; WE HAD ANOTHER OPERROR DUE TO THIS SAME PROC; AND DURING THE SAFETY BOARD MEETING; THE SAFETY BOARD RECOMMENDED THAT THE PROPS COME OUT ON A 115 DEG HDG FOR SAFETY REASONS. THIS RECOMMENDATION WAS NEVER ACTED ON. OUR MGMNT DROPPED THE BALL ON THIS. THEY FAILED TO EVEN WRITE IT DOWN; SO THE PROC HAS NEVER BEEN CHANGED. HAD IT BEEN; THEN I WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN IN A SITUATION WHERE I HAD ZERO OPTIONS. HAD I DONE NOTHING; I WOULD HAVE HAD AN OPERROR WITH HOBBY TWR'S AIRSPACE; AND MAYBE EVEN AN ACCIDENT; IF THERE HAD BEEN A SLOW CLBING ACFT DEPARTING HOBBY ATCT NBOUND. THIS PROC IS UNSAFE AND NEEDS TO BE CHANGED; YET MGMNT LET THE SAFETY BOARD RECOMMENDATION SIT BY THE WAYSIDE AND DID NOTHING TO CHANGE THE POSSIBILITY OF ANOTHER OPERROR; OR TO ALLEVIATE AN ACCIDENT.

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.