Narrative:

I was working local control position at kansas city international tower in the middle of our first winter storm of the season; it was a combination ice storm; with freezing rain; ice pellets and snow. There were 2 supervisors assigned to work on the night shift; but there was never more than one in the operation; never one in the control tower even though we were dealing with runways being closed due to snow/ice removal; deicing procedures; delays; braking action; increased coordination due to the storm. At the time of the incident we only had 3 controllers in the tower; no supervisor; and the sc position (tower cabin attendant supervisor) was combined to FD/clearance delivery (flight data/clearance delivery) preventing us from having an extra set of eyes and an extra person to coordinate. The incident occurred when air carrier X (a heavy airbus) crossed the threshold with air carrier Y (a small beech jet) less than 6 mi in trail creating an operational error. I believe that this error could have been prevented if there had been a supervisor in the tower cabin attendant monitoring the situation and assisting in the coordination of snow conditions; icing reports; braking action; delays; runway closures; etc.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MCI CTLR DESCRIBED POSSIBLE LOSS OF SEPARATION AS BEECH JET FOLLOWED HVY AIRBUS; LACK OF SUPVR IN TWR LISTED AS CONTRIBUTING FACTOR.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING LCL CTL POS AT KANSAS CITY INTL TWR IN THE MIDDLE OF OUR FIRST WINTER STORM OF THE SEASON; IT WAS A COMBINATION ICE STORM; WITH FREEZING RAIN; ICE PELLETS AND SNOW. THERE WERE 2 SUPVRS ASSIGNED TO WORK ON THE NIGHT SHIFT; BUT THERE WAS NEVER MORE THAN ONE IN THE OP; NEVER ONE IN THE CTL TWR EVEN THOUGH WE WERE DEALING WITH RWYS BEING CLOSED DUE TO SNOW/ICE REMOVAL; DEICING PROCS; DELAYS; BRAKING ACTION; INCREASED COORD DUE TO THE STORM. AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT WE ONLY HAD 3 CTLRS IN THE TWR; NO SUPVR; AND THE SC POS (TWR CAB SUPVR) WAS COMBINED TO FD/CD (FLT DATA/CLRNC DELIVERY) PREVENTING US FROM HAVING AN EXTRA SET OF EYES AND AN EXTRA PERSON TO COORDINATE. THE INCIDENT OCCURRED WHEN ACR X (A HVY AIRBUS) CROSSED THE THRESHOLD WITH ACR Y (A SMALL BEECH JET) LESS THAN 6 MI IN TRAIL CREATING AN OPERROR. I BELIEVE THAT THIS ERROR COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED IF THERE HAD BEEN A SUPVR IN THE TWR CAB MONITORING THE SIT AND ASSISTING IN THE COORD OF SNOW CONDITIONS; ICING RPTS; BRAKING ACTION; DELAYS; RWY CLOSURES; ETC.

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.