Narrative:

Last night I may have witnessed 3 operrors in quick succession; that went unrpted. I was working north radar. I observed final radar work a brief arrival push; mostly comprised of aircraft fed from south radar. 1 aircraft was a bonanza; the other aircraft were air carrier and cpr jets. Final radar had the bonanza on a fairly tight (less than 3 mi) left downwind for the runway 28 ILS. I did not hear all of this controller's xmissions (nor any of the pilot xmissions); but I did hear the bonanza instructed to turn to a heading of 110 degrees; which was most likely issued to increase the bonanza's distance from the runway 28L localizer. I recall that the winds aloft were 30 or so KTS out of the southwest. The 110 degree heading didn't sufficiently get the bonanza far enough south of the localizer to provide standard IFR separation. I observed 3 jets; all tracking the runway 28L localizer inbound; pass the bonanza with approximately 2 mi head-on lateral separation; with less than 1000 ft vertical separation. There is a possibility that the controller was utilizing visual separation; but I don't think that was the case. The controller on final radar was a supervisor. He was maintaining his radar currency.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CMH CTLR DESCRIBED POSSIBLE OPERROR AT 4000 FT WITH MULTIPLE EVENTS AS HE OR SHE WITNESSED SUPVR CTL'S DOWNWIND TOO CLOSE TO THE ILS FINAL.

Narrative: LAST NIGHT I MAY HAVE WITNESSED 3 OPERRORS IN QUICK SUCCESSION; THAT WENT UNRPTED. I WAS WORKING N RADAR. I OBSERVED FINAL RADAR WORK A BRIEF ARR PUSH; MOSTLY COMPRISED OF ACFT FED FROM S RADAR. 1 ACFT WAS A BONANZA; THE OTHER ACFT WERE ACR AND CPR JETS. FINAL RADAR HAD THE BONANZA ON A FAIRLY TIGHT (LESS THAN 3 MI) L DOWNWIND FOR THE RWY 28 ILS. I DID NOT HEAR ALL OF THIS CTLR'S XMISSIONS (NOR ANY OF THE PLT XMISSIONS); BUT I DID HEAR THE BONANZA INSTRUCTED TO TURN TO A HDG OF 110 DEGS; WHICH WAS MOST LIKELY ISSUED TO INCREASE THE BONANZA'S DISTANCE FROM THE RWY 28L LOC. I RECALL THAT THE WINDS ALOFT WERE 30 OR SO KTS OUT OF THE SW. THE 110 DEG HDG DIDN'T SUFFICIENTLY GET THE BONANZA FAR ENOUGH S OF THE LOC TO PROVIDE STANDARD IFR SEPARATION. I OBSERVED 3 JETS; ALL TRACKING THE RWY 28L LOC INBOUND; PASS THE BONANZA WITH APPROX 2 MI HEAD-ON LATERAL SEPARATION; WITH LESS THAN 1000 FT VERT SEPARATION. THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT THE CTLR WAS UTILIZING VISUAL SEPARATION; BUT I DON'T THINK THAT WAS THE CASE. THE CTLR ON FINAL RADAR WAS A SUPVR. HE WAS MAINTAINING HIS RADAR CURRENCY.

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.