Narrative:

I was working arrival east (are) and the runway 27 final (arn) during a busy arrival push. Mem was landing runways 36L and 36R. Runway 27 was not available due to the amass being OTS. Mem was in a north confign; and the arrival coordinator (cia) was not staffed. There were approximately 8-10 aircraft on my frequency that were inbound on the wlder and holly arrs. ZME was providing good speed and spacing at the boundary; but I was still required to merge my 2 streams of traffic into a friendly feed for the final east (arm) controller. There were several SF34's inbound on the wlder arrival and a slow citation jet on the holly arrival that required all other aircraft to be spaced accordingly. I utilized speed on the wlder arrival to feed the arm controller 10 mi in trail at 210 KTS on the downwind; and then used spacing and selected speed assignments for the base feed on the holly arrs from the southeast. As a general rule; the arrival controller is not allowed to vector aircraft 'over the top' for the other parallel runway without approval from the supervisor or the cia. While I have seen it used at other facilities; mem does not condone feeding a final controller aircraft stacked for both parallel runways; regardless of what might be approaching from the other direction. So; unless otherwise directed by the supervisor or the arrival coordinator; the arrival controller must use speed and spacing to provide an in-trail feed on the downwind and base leg entry to the final controller. I had an A320 that was approximately 5 NM from clark intersection; which is the 'pivot point' where aircraft will fly heading 175 degrees for the downwind. All of my aircraft from the northeast had been issued speed adjustments and spaced so as to provide a friendly feed to my final controller. Suddenly; the supervisor directs me to take this one aircraft 'over the top' for runway 36L. This required me to steal the handoff from arm; change the stars data tag to reflect runway 36L; handoff and coordinate with arrival west (arw); issue the runway change to the pilot of the A320; assign a new heading to the A320; initiate a handoff to arw on the A320; and then switch the A320 to arw. The A320 crew had to program a new approach at the last moment; brief a new approach; accept a new heading from clark intersection; and then take the frequency change to arw. Once the A320 is on the arw frequency; the aircraft will fly for approximately 5 NM and then switch to the final west (arf) frequency for approach clearance. Mem management will not allow controllers to make these type of sequence decisions in advance. Instead; they wait until the last possible moment to change runways for these aircraft. This last min decision creates a considerable workload upon the arrival controller; and forces the pilot to scramble at the last moment as well. Most trainers at mem do not teach their trainees to look at the other arrival sector to ascertain if an 'over the top' situation would be beneficial. It's always a last min decision by the cia or TRACON supervisor to make these runway changes and sequences work. I'd like to see the cia staffed more often. The cia should be given more latitude and authority/authorized to issue speed and spacing requirements to ZME. And the cia should make these 'over the top' requests early so as to assist the pilot and the arrival controller.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MEM CTLR EXPRESSED CONCERN REGARDING SUPVR SEQUENCE DECISIONS AND LACK OF ARR COORD CTLR (CIA).

Narrative: I WAS WORKING ARR E (ARE) AND THE RWY 27 FINAL (ARN) DURING A BUSY ARR PUSH. MEM WAS LNDG RWYS 36L AND 36R. RWY 27 WAS NOT AVAILABLE DUE TO THE AMASS BEING OTS. MEM WAS IN A N CONFIGN; AND THE ARR COORDINATOR (CIA) WAS NOT STAFFED. THERE WERE APPROX 8-10 ACFT ON MY FREQ THAT WERE INBOUND ON THE WLDER AND HOLLY ARRS. ZME WAS PROVIDING GOOD SPD AND SPACING AT THE BOUNDARY; BUT I WAS STILL REQUIRED TO MERGE MY 2 STREAMS OF TFC INTO A FRIENDLY FEED FOR THE FINAL E (ARM) CTLR. THERE WERE SEVERAL SF34'S INBOUND ON THE WLDER ARR AND A SLOW CITATION JET ON THE HOLLY ARR THAT REQUIRED ALL OTHER ACFT TO BE SPACED ACCORDINGLY. I UTILIZED SPD ON THE WLDER ARR TO FEED THE ARM CTLR 10 MI IN TRAIL AT 210 KTS ON THE DOWNWIND; AND THEN USED SPACING AND SELECTED SPD ASSIGNMENTS FOR THE BASE FEED ON THE HOLLY ARRS FROM THE SE. AS A GENERAL RULE; THE ARR CTLR IS NOT ALLOWED TO VECTOR ACFT 'OVER THE TOP' FOR THE OTHER PARALLEL RWY WITHOUT APPROVAL FROM THE SUPVR OR THE CIA. WHILE I HAVE SEEN IT USED AT OTHER FACILITIES; MEM DOES NOT CONDONE FEEDING A FINAL CTLR ACFT STACKED FOR BOTH PARALLEL RWYS; REGARDLESS OF WHAT MIGHT BE APCHING FROM THE OTHER DIRECTION. SO; UNLESS OTHERWISE DIRECTED BY THE SUPVR OR THE ARR COORDINATOR; THE ARR CTLR MUST USE SPD AND SPACING TO PROVIDE AN IN-TRAIL FEED ON THE DOWNWIND AND BASE LEG ENTRY TO THE FINAL CTLR. I HAD AN A320 THAT WAS APPROX 5 NM FROM CLARK INTXN; WHICH IS THE 'PIVOT POINT' WHERE ACFT WILL FLY HDG 175 DEGS FOR THE DOWNWIND. ALL OF MY ACFT FROM THE NE HAD BEEN ISSUED SPD ADJUSTMENTS AND SPACED SO AS TO PROVIDE A FRIENDLY FEED TO MY FINAL CTLR. SUDDENLY; THE SUPVR DIRECTS ME TO TAKE THIS ONE ACFT 'OVER THE TOP' FOR RWY 36L. THIS REQUIRED ME TO STEAL THE HDOF FROM ARM; CHANGE THE STARS DATA TAG TO REFLECT RWY 36L; HDOF AND COORDINATE WITH ARR W (ARW); ISSUE THE RWY CHANGE TO THE PLT OF THE A320; ASSIGN A NEW HDG TO THE A320; INITIATE A HDOF TO ARW ON THE A320; AND THEN SWITCH THE A320 TO ARW. THE A320 CREW HAD TO PROGRAM A NEW APCH AT THE LAST MOMENT; BRIEF A NEW APCH; ACCEPT A NEW HDG FROM CLARK INTXN; AND THEN TAKE THE FREQ CHANGE TO ARW. ONCE THE A320 IS ON THE ARW FREQ; THE ACFT WILL FLY FOR APPROX 5 NM AND THEN SWITCH TO THE FINAL W (ARF) FREQ FOR APCH CLRNC. MEM MGMNT WILL NOT ALLOW CTLRS TO MAKE THESE TYPE OF SEQUENCE DECISIONS IN ADVANCE. INSTEAD; THEY WAIT UNTIL THE LAST POSSIBLE MOMENT TO CHANGE RWYS FOR THESE ACFT. THIS LAST MIN DECISION CREATES A CONSIDERABLE WORKLOAD UPON THE ARR CTLR; AND FORCES THE PLT TO SCRAMBLE AT THE LAST MOMENT AS WELL. MOST TRAINERS AT MEM DO NOT TEACH THEIR TRAINEES TO LOOK AT THE OTHER ARR SECTOR TO ASCERTAIN IF AN 'OVER THE TOP' SITUATION WOULD BE BENEFICIAL. IT'S ALWAYS A LAST MIN DECISION BY THE CIA OR TRACON SUPVR TO MAKE THESE RWY CHANGES AND SEQUENCES WORK. I'D LIKE TO SEE THE CIA STAFFED MORE OFTEN. THE CIA SHOULD BE GIVEN MORE LATITUDE AND AUTH TO ISSUE SPD AND SPACING REQUIREMENTS TO ZME. AND THE CIA SHOULD MAKE THESE 'OVER THE TOP' REQUESTS EARLY SO AS TO ASSIST THE PLT AND THE ARR CTLR.

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.