Narrative:

I was working the local 4 position at den tower. At the time I was responsible for all departures off of den airport. Since the wind at the time was 270 degrees at 20 KTS; all departures were departing off of runways 25; 34L or 34R. The traffic management coordinator came up from a break and decided to start departing some of the east gate traffic off of runway 8. I told him that probably was not a good idea since we were having an 18-20 KT tailwind off that runway. He said the winds were calm on runway 8. I told him that maybe true now (don't know what the winds at runway 8 were at the time); but it wouldn't last. Ironically; they only departed runway 8 for about 15 mins or less; when they had to stop because of the 20 KT tailwind. A short time later the local control-2 controller called me on the landline to coordination so he could use the 095 degree heading off of runway 8. I told him unable; that I still have about 5 or 6 departures that would be using that heading off of runway 34R. He said no problem. I hear some commotion on the other side of the tower cabin attendant and hear the local control-2 controller tell the tmc and supervisor that he couldn't depart because local control-4 (me) still was using that airspace. I don't know what the tmc told him. However; I did hear local control-2 tell him he was uncomfortable with that operation. A few mins later the tmc comes over to me and tells me that local control-2 has aircraft on a 110 degree heading off runway 8. I look at my radar and see aircraft already airborne when he tells me this. I tell the tmc he better miss me because I am already over there and he does not own that airspace. The tmc authority/authorized and told the local control-2 controller to depart aircraft in airspace that he did not have jurisdiction over. This tmc refuses to put his coords on recorded lines as controllers are required to do. An employee suggestion was submitted last yr that would require all supervisors and tmc's to coordination on recorded lines per FAA orders 7110.65 and 7210.3. This suggestion was denied by local facility management. Then; the den TRACON calls and yells to stop one of the local control-2 departures at either 8000 ft or 9000 ft (instead of 10000 ft). What happened is that the departure that local control-2 was forced to clear was side-by-side of each one of the runway 34R departures; but on the wrong side for their direction of flight. The TRACON was going to have to use altitude adjustments to get them on the correct side of each other. About that time both the local control-2 controller and I were getting a normal position relief. Both of us expressed concern to the supervisor; who said he saw it; acknowledge it was a problem and would take care of it. He told me that the tmc said I approved that operation. I did no such thing! The tapes will back me up. When I came back to work later that evening; I noticed there was no qar entry on the log that would have noted that they were investigating a possible operational error. I do not know if the agency is going to investigate this or not. The solution to this is very simple and already mandated if local facility management will just follow existing FAA orders. All coordination for use of airspace shall be on recorded lines. Currently supervisors and tmc's coordination with tower controllers verbally without using recorded lines. They also perform many (not all) coords with the denver TRACON on unrecorded lines. They do this so they are not held accountable for their actions.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DEN TWR CTLR EXPERIENCED NEAR OPDEV-OPERROR WHEN APPROPRIATE INTRAFAC-INTERFAC COORD PROCS WERE NOT COMPLETED.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING THE LCL 4 POS AT DEN TWR. AT THE TIME I WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL DEPS OFF OF DEN ARPT. SINCE THE WIND AT THE TIME WAS 270 DEGS AT 20 KTS; ALL DEPS WERE DEPARTING OFF OF RWYS 25; 34L OR 34R. THE TFC MGMNT COORDINATOR CAME UP FROM A BREAK AND DECIDED TO START DEPARTING SOME OF THE E GATE TFC OFF OF RWY 8. I TOLD HIM THAT PROBABLY WAS NOT A GOOD IDEA SINCE WE WERE HAVING AN 18-20 KT TAILWIND OFF THAT RWY. HE SAID THE WINDS WERE CALM ON RWY 8. I TOLD HIM THAT MAYBE TRUE NOW (DON'T KNOW WHAT THE WINDS AT RWY 8 WERE AT THE TIME); BUT IT WOULDN'T LAST. IRONICALLY; THEY ONLY DEPARTED RWY 8 FOR ABOUT 15 MINS OR LESS; WHEN THEY HAD TO STOP BECAUSE OF THE 20 KT TAILWIND. A SHORT TIME LATER THE LC-2 CTLR CALLED ME ON THE LANDLINE TO COORD SO HE COULD USE THE 095 DEG HDG OFF OF RWY 8. I TOLD HIM UNABLE; THAT I STILL HAVE ABOUT 5 OR 6 DEPS THAT WOULD BE USING THAT HDG OFF OF RWY 34R. HE SAID NO PROB. I HEAR SOME COMMOTION ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE TWR CAB AND HEAR THE LC-2 CTLR TELL THE TMC AND SUPVR THAT HE COULDN'T DEPART BECAUSE LC-4 (ME) STILL WAS USING THAT AIRSPACE. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE TMC TOLD HIM. HOWEVER; I DID HEAR LC-2 TELL HIM HE WAS UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THAT OP. A FEW MINS LATER THE TMC COMES OVER TO ME AND TELLS ME THAT LC-2 HAS ACFT ON A 110 DEG HDG OFF RWY 8. I LOOK AT MY RADAR AND SEE ACFT ALREADY AIRBORNE WHEN HE TELLS ME THIS. I TELL THE TMC HE BETTER MISS ME BECAUSE I AM ALREADY OVER THERE AND HE DOES NOT OWN THAT AIRSPACE. THE TMC AUTH AND TOLD THE LC-2 CTLR TO DEPART ACFT IN AIRSPACE THAT HE DID NOT HAVE JURISDICTION OVER. THIS TMC REFUSES TO PUT HIS COORDS ON RECORDED LINES AS CTLRS ARE REQUIRED TO DO. AN EMPLOYEE SUGGESTION WAS SUBMITTED LAST YR THAT WOULD REQUIRE ALL SUPVRS AND TMC'S TO COORD ON RECORDED LINES PER FAA ORDERS 7110.65 AND 7210.3. THIS SUGGESTION WAS DENIED BY LCL FACILITY MGMNT. THEN; THE DEN TRACON CALLS AND YELLS TO STOP ONE OF THE LC-2 DEPS AT EITHER 8000 FT OR 9000 FT (INSTEAD OF 10000 FT). WHAT HAPPENED IS THAT THE DEP THAT LC-2 WAS FORCED TO CLR WAS SIDE-BY-SIDE OF EACH ONE OF THE RWY 34R DEPS; BUT ON THE WRONG SIDE FOR THEIR DIRECTION OF FLT. THE TRACON WAS GOING TO HAVE TO USE ALT ADJUSTMENTS TO GET THEM ON THE CORRECT SIDE OF EACH OTHER. ABOUT THAT TIME BOTH THE LC-2 CTLR AND I WERE GETTING A NORMAL POS RELIEF. BOTH OF US EXPRESSED CONCERN TO THE SUPVR; WHO SAID HE SAW IT; ACKNOWLEDGE IT WAS A PROB AND WOULD TAKE CARE OF IT. HE TOLD ME THAT THE TMC SAID I APPROVED THAT OP. I DID NO SUCH THING! THE TAPES WILL BACK ME UP. WHEN I CAME BACK TO WORK LATER THAT EVENING; I NOTICED THERE WAS NO QAR ENTRY ON THE LOG THAT WOULD HAVE NOTED THAT THEY WERE INVESTIGATING A POSSIBLE OPERROR. I DO NOT KNOW IF THE AGENCY IS GOING TO INVESTIGATE THIS OR NOT. THE SOLUTION TO THIS IS VERY SIMPLE AND ALREADY MANDATED IF LCL FACILITY MGMNT WILL JUST FOLLOW EXISTING FAA ORDERS. ALL COORD FOR USE OF AIRSPACE SHALL BE ON RECORDED LINES. CURRENTLY SUPVRS AND TMC'S COORD WITH TWR CTLRS VERBALLY WITHOUT USING RECORDED LINES. THEY ALSO PERFORM MANY (NOT ALL) COORDS WITH THE DENVER TRACON ON UNRECORDED LINES. THEY DO THIS SO THEY ARE NOT HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR ACTIONS.

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.