Narrative:

Atl currently has runway 8R/26L closed for repair. As a result A80 must alter the feed of inbound aircraft to the airport. During periods of heavy flow the bulk of the traffic is landed on runways 10/28; 9R/27L and somewhat sparingly on 8L/26R as it is used as a heavy departure runway. Management has the arrival sector feed aircraft landing different runways to separate final controllers in the same downwind. This creates an unsafe situation as 2 controllers must manage their traffic in the same airspace. In this situation I was the final controller for runway 27L and was being fed aircraft descending to 8000 ft and the controller working runway 26R descending to 7000 ft in the same downwind. The runway 26R controller must ensure his traffic is separated vertically below the runway 27L traffic prior to issuing any control instructions. In this instance I had a B717 level at 8000 ft on a 090 degree heading. The runway 26R controller had an MD88 on the same heading but slightly north of my traffic still in a descent to 7000 ft or something lower. The runway 26R controller issued a right turn south to the MD88 while prior to the aircraft descending through 8000 ft which created a cutoff conflict situation with my B717 as the MD88 crossed his nose at approximately 1.5 mi and 500 ft. When I recognized what was occurring I was able to initiate visual separation with my aircraft. I believe the MD88 was also given alternate instructions. Contributing factors to this situation were convective activity in the area and a strong tailwind component on the downwind which made for slow rates of descent. Additionally; there were too many arrival aircraft in the approach control airspace for the airport and WX conditions which could be attributed to the traffic management controller on duty who is well known for allowing that type of situation to occur. Other factors could be data tags of one controller's being obscured by those of another's being worked in the same bit of airspace. My suggestion to correct this situation would be to lower the arrival rate and run strictly a 2-RWY arrival operation until the airport is ready for a standard triple operation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A80 CTLR EXPERIENCED CONFLICT AS ADJACENT CTLR TURNED ACFT TOWARD HIS ACFT PRIOR TO ESTABLISHING ALT SEPARATION.

Narrative: ATL CURRENTLY HAS RWY 8R/26L CLOSED FOR REPAIR. AS A RESULT A80 MUST ALTER THE FEED OF INBOUND ACFT TO THE ARPT. DURING PERIODS OF HVY FLOW THE BULK OF THE TFC IS LANDED ON RWYS 10/28; 9R/27L AND SOMEWHAT SPARINGLY ON 8L/26R AS IT IS USED AS A HVY DEP RWY. MGMNT HAS THE ARR SECTOR FEED ACFT LNDG DIFFERENT RWYS TO SEPARATE FINAL CTLRS IN THE SAME DOWNWIND. THIS CREATES AN UNSAFE SITUATION AS 2 CTLRS MUST MANAGE THEIR TFC IN THE SAME AIRSPACE. IN THIS SITUATION I WAS THE FINAL CTLR FOR RWY 27L AND WAS BEING FED ACFT DSNDING TO 8000 FT AND THE CTLR WORKING RWY 26R DSNDING TO 7000 FT IN THE SAME DOWNWIND. THE RWY 26R CTLR MUST ENSURE HIS TFC IS SEPARATED VERTICALLY BELOW THE RWY 27L TFC PRIOR TO ISSUING ANY CTL INSTRUCTIONS. IN THIS INSTANCE I HAD A B717 LEVEL AT 8000 FT ON A 090 DEG HDG. THE RWY 26R CTLR HAD AN MD88 ON THE SAME HDG BUT SLIGHTLY N OF MY TFC STILL IN A DSCNT TO 7000 FT OR SOMETHING LOWER. THE RWY 26R CTLR ISSUED A R TURN S TO THE MD88 WHILE PRIOR TO THE ACFT DSNDING THROUGH 8000 FT WHICH CREATED A CUTOFF CONFLICT SITUATION WITH MY B717 AS THE MD88 CROSSED HIS NOSE AT APPROX 1.5 MI AND 500 FT. WHEN I RECOGNIZED WHAT WAS OCCURRING I WAS ABLE TO INITIATE VISUAL SEPARATION WITH MY ACFT. I BELIEVE THE MD88 WAS ALSO GIVEN ALTERNATE INSTRUCTIONS. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THIS SITUATION WERE CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY IN THE AREA AND A STRONG TAILWIND COMPONENT ON THE DOWNWIND WHICH MADE FOR SLOW RATES OF DSCNT. ADDITIONALLY; THERE WERE TOO MANY ARR ACFT IN THE APCH CTL AIRSPACE FOR THE ARPT AND WX CONDITIONS WHICH COULD BE ATTRIBUTED TO THE TFC MGMNT CTLR ON DUTY WHO IS WELL KNOWN FOR ALLOWING THAT TYPE OF SITUATION TO OCCUR. OTHER FACTORS COULD BE DATA TAGS OF ONE CTLR'S BEING OBSCURED BY THOSE OF ANOTHER'S BEING WORKED IN THE SAME BIT OF AIRSPACE. MY SUGGESTION TO CORRECT THIS SITUATION WOULD BE TO LOWER THE ARR RATE AND RUN STRICTLY A 2-RWY ARR OP UNTIL THE ARPT IS READY FOR A STANDARD TRIPLE OP.

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.