Approach controller vectoring 2 air carrier aircraft opposite direction to final approach was unable to establish visual separation before loss of separation occurred.

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Attributes
ACN	687319
Time
Date	200602
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sea.airport
State Reference	WA
Altitude	agl single value : 3300
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : s46.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	arrival : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tracon : s46.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	arrival : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar controller : military
Experience	controller time certified in position1 : 2
ASRS Report	687319
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : published procedure non adherence : required legal separation
Independent Detector	atc equipment : conflict alert other controllera
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action
Miss Distance	horizontal : 6000 vertical : 600
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

Working final at seattle; south flow; arriving both runway 16L/16R. Had been on position about 20 mins. Previous aircraft had been reporting in sight from both downwinds. I positioned air carrier X from the left downwind to be #1 to airport and landing runway 16L. Aircraft turned base 13 mi north of sea. I asked him to report airport in sight and descended him to 3000 ft. From the west; I advised air carrier Y he would be landing runway 16R and a B737 would be arriving from the east and landing on the other runway. Both aircraft would be followed by a B767 from the north. I put air carrier Y on a 070 degree heading and descended him to 3000 ft and asked him to report air carrier X in sight. I turned air carrier X to final as the conflict alert went off. Air carrier Y reported traffic in sight and they were responding to an RA. Air carrier X landed runway 16L. Air carrier Y continued east on a vector; passed above and behind air carrier X and was vectored for re-sequence. Visual approachs had been working and aircraft in the same position mins earlier had called airport.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: APCH CTLR VECTORING 2 ACR ACFT OPPOSITE DIRECTION TO FINAL APCH WAS UNABLE TO ESTABLISH VISUAL SEPARATION BEFORE LOSS OF SEPARATION OCCURRED.

Narrative: WORKING FINAL AT SEATTLE; S FLOW; ARRIVING BOTH RWY 16L/16R. HAD BEEN ON POS ABOUT 20 MINS. PREVIOUS ACFT HAD BEEN RPTING IN SIGHT FROM BOTH DOWNWINDS. I POSITIONED ACR X FROM THE L DOWNWIND TO BE #1 TO ARPT AND LNDG RWY 16L. ACFT TURNED BASE 13 MI N OF SEA. I ASKED HIM TO RPT ARPT IN SIGHT AND DSNDED HIM TO 3000 FT. FROM THE W; I ADVISED ACR Y HE WOULD BE LNDG RWY 16R AND A B737 WOULD BE ARRIVING FROM THE E AND LNDG ON THE OTHER RWY. BOTH ACFT WOULD BE FOLLOWED BY A B767 FROM THE N. I PUT ACR Y ON A 070 DEG HDG AND DSNDED HIM TO 3000 FT AND ASKED HIM TO RPT ACR X IN SIGHT. I TURNED ACR X TO FINAL AS THE CONFLICT ALERT WENT OFF. ACR Y RPTED TFC IN SIGHT AND THEY WERE RESPONDING TO AN RA. ACR X LANDED RWY 16L. ACR Y CONTINUED E ON A VECTOR; PASSED ABOVE AND BEHIND ACR X AND WAS VECTORED FOR RE-SEQUENCE. VISUAL APCHS HAD BEEN WORKING AND ACFT IN THE SAME POS MINS EARLIER HAD CALLED ARPT.

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.