Narrative:

This report is another one dealing with the same and daily problems that we have with ZME. While working the mem east arrival position tonight; I experienced a continuing problem with how ZME (all sectors) feeds successive arrs to mem during a 'routine' inbound push. The mkl sector gave me a B757 descending to 10000 ft and slowing. The next jet aircraft was an A319 descending to 10000 ft and closing on the B757 by over 70 KTS. The B757's usually will slow on their own to 250 KTS with the next aircraft doing a much greater speed and compressing on the B757. I noticed the B757 slowing before he was on my frequency. (ZME has a procedure whereas their controllers will not xfer communications until the aircraft are in mem airspace.) I called the mkl sector and requested the controller to slow the A319 and to match the same speed as the B757. What I got was no action but a total insulting verbal response by the controller. I was basically threatened by the controller. When the B757 called me; I asked him if he had an assigned airspeed and his response was 250 KTS. When the A319 called on my frequency I asked him for his assigned speed and his response was 275 KTS. I slowed the A319 down to 230 KTS to maintain in trail wake turbulence separation. I further had to slow the A319 early to feed to the final controller for required radar downwind spacing to conduct parallel ILS approachs. The ZME usual response to any separation request that mem requests is that 'they have their 5 mi.' this absolute minimum separation will not work when they have trailing aircraft going faster than the lead aircraft; especially when it's a B757 or heavy jet that is slowing down. Every time I work the arrival position at mem; it feels as if ZME is on the verge of giving me an operational error because they refuse to properly provide a 'maintain' separation. They just can't do any better with the skills they use. They refuse to work together. Quality assurance within ZME doesn't exit. ZME still doesn't know mem airspace and we get dozens of aircraft on the wrong frequencys all day long everyday. Again; quality assurance doesn't exist within ZME.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MEM APCH CTLR DESCRIBED NEAR LOSS OF SEPARATION BECAUSE OF ZME CTLR'S FAILURE TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE IN TRAIL SPACING.

Narrative: THIS RPT IS ANOTHER ONE DEALING WITH THE SAME AND DAILY PROBS THAT WE HAVE WITH ZME. WHILE WORKING THE MEM E ARR POS TONIGHT; I EXPERIENCED A CONTINUING PROB WITH HOW ZME (ALL SECTORS) FEEDS SUCCESSIVE ARRS TO MEM DURING A 'ROUTINE' INBOUND PUSH. THE MKL SECTOR GAVE ME A B757 DSNDING TO 10000 FT AND SLOWING. THE NEXT JET ACFT WAS AN A319 DSNDING TO 10000 FT AND CLOSING ON THE B757 BY OVER 70 KTS. THE B757'S USUALLY WILL SLOW ON THEIR OWN TO 250 KTS WITH THE NEXT ACFT DOING A MUCH GREATER SPD AND COMPRESSING ON THE B757. I NOTICED THE B757 SLOWING BEFORE HE WAS ON MY FREQ. (ZME HAS A PROC WHEREAS THEIR CTLRS WILL NOT XFER COMS UNTIL THE ACFT ARE IN MEM AIRSPACE.) I CALLED THE MKL SECTOR AND REQUESTED THE CTLR TO SLOW THE A319 AND TO MATCH THE SAME SPD AS THE B757. WHAT I GOT WAS NO ACTION BUT A TOTAL INSULTING VERBAL RESPONSE BY THE CTLR. I WAS BASICALLY THREATENED BY THE CTLR. WHEN THE B757 CALLED ME; I ASKED HIM IF HE HAD AN ASSIGNED AIRSPD AND HIS RESPONSE WAS 250 KTS. WHEN THE A319 CALLED ON MY FREQ I ASKED HIM FOR HIS ASSIGNED SPD AND HIS RESPONSE WAS 275 KTS. I SLOWED THE A319 DOWN TO 230 KTS TO MAINTAIN IN TRAIL WAKE TURB SEPARATION. I FURTHER HAD TO SLOW THE A319 EARLY TO FEED TO THE FINAL CTLR FOR REQUIRED RADAR DOWNWIND SPACING TO CONDUCT PARALLEL ILS APCHS. THE ZME USUAL RESPONSE TO ANY SEPARATION REQUEST THAT MEM REQUESTS IS THAT 'THEY HAVE THEIR 5 MI.' THIS ABSOLUTE MINIMUM SEPARATION WILL NOT WORK WHEN THEY HAVE TRAILING ACFT GOING FASTER THAN THE LEAD ACFT; ESPECIALLY WHEN IT'S A B757 OR HVY JET THAT IS SLOWING DOWN. EVERY TIME I WORK THE ARR POS AT MEM; IT FEELS AS IF ZME IS ON THE VERGE OF GIVING ME AN OPERROR BECAUSE THEY REFUSE TO PROPERLY PROVIDE A 'MAINTAIN' SEPARATION. THEY JUST CAN'T DO ANY BETTER WITH THE SKILLS THEY USE. THEY REFUSE TO WORK TOGETHER. QUALITY ASSURANCE WITHIN ZME DOESN'T EXIT. ZME STILL DOESN'T KNOW MEM AIRSPACE AND WE GET DOZENS OF ACFT ON THE WRONG FREQS ALL DAY LONG EVERYDAY. AGAIN; QUALITY ASSURANCE DOESN'T EXIST WITHIN ZME.

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.