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Mem controller ordered by supervisor to allow less than required wake separation with crj behind heavy airbus to runway 36C.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 727095 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200702 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : mem.airport |
| State Reference | TN |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : mem.tower |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Airbus Industrie Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | ils localizer & glide slope : 36c |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Route In Use | approach : instrument precision |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : mem.tower |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Regional Jet 200 ER&LR |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | ils localizer & glide slope : 36c |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Route In Use | approach : instrument precision |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : local |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Experience | controller non radar : 3 controller radar : 16 |
| ASRS Report | 727095 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | oversight : supervisor |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : required legal separation |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 1000 vertical : 5 |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | ATC Human Performance FAA |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Operational Error |
Narrative:
Arrival bank; strong winds from the wnw. Air carrier X heavy airbus on final ILS runway 36C; slowing inside the marker (ginie) for landing. CRJ2 also on ILS runway 36C; significantly faster with spacing behind air carrier X rapidly diminishing. As airbus got within 2 mi of runway; I determined that wake turbulence spacing was not going to exist when air carrier X crossed the runway threshold. I advised supervisor that I was going to break the CRJ2 out of the sequence. Supervisor ordered me to let the CRJ2 land. I questioned him about it because I did not agree with the decision. Supervisor said there would be about 4.4 mi of spacing and that it would be fine. I complied with the order but feel the order deliberately placed the CRJ2 in an unsafe situation. In discussing the matter with another colleague; I was advised that this was not the first such incident involving this supervisor.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: MEM CTLR ORDERED BY SUPVR TO ALLOW LESS THAN REQUIRED WAKE SEPARATION WITH CRJ BEHIND HEAVY AIRBUS TO RWY 36C.
Narrative: ARR BANK; STRONG WINDS FROM THE WNW. ACR X HVY AIRBUS ON FINAL ILS RWY 36C; SLOWING INSIDE THE MARKER (GINIE) FOR LNDG. CRJ2 ALSO ON ILS RWY 36C; SIGNIFICANTLY FASTER WITH SPACING BEHIND ACR X RAPIDLY DIMINISHING. AS AIRBUS GOT WITHIN 2 MI OF RWY; I DETERMINED THAT WAKE TURB SPACING WAS NOT GOING TO EXIST WHEN ACR X CROSSED THE RWY THRESHOLD. I ADVISED SUPVR THAT I WAS GOING TO BREAK THE CRJ2 OUT OF THE SEQUENCE. SUPVR ORDERED ME TO LET THE CRJ2 LAND. I QUESTIONED HIM ABOUT IT BECAUSE I DID NOT AGREE WITH THE DECISION. SUPVR SAID THERE WOULD BE ABOUT 4.4 MI OF SPACING AND THAT IT WOULD BE FINE. I COMPLIED WITH THE ORDER BUT FEEL THE ORDER DELIBERATELY PLACED THE CRJ2 IN AN UNSAFE SITUATION. IN DISCUSSING THE MATTER WITH ANOTHER COLLEAGUE; I WAS ADVISED THAT THIS WAS NOT THE FIRST SUCH INCIDENT INVOLVING THIS SUPVR.
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.