Narrative:

At the time of the incident I was working the daggett radar position at las vegas TRACON. Runway confign 3 was in use (departure runways 1L and 1R; arrival runways 1L and 25L). The departure traffic volume was moderate to heavy. While working traffic departing las I was also in the process of sequencing a GA aircraft; aircraft X to the north las vegas airport. In the process of vectoring aircraft X to set the aircraft up for a visual approach to the north las vegas airport; neither I nor the person assigned to work as my radar assist recognized the confliction that existed between aircraft X and the departure rundown of king air. (Note -- the person assigned to work as my radar assist was not trained adequately; or certified to work as a radar assist during runway confign 3 operations.) when king air departed and made initial contact; I immediately instructed the aircraft to level off at 3500 ft. I then instructed aircraft X to level off and climb back up to 4500 ft. (The sole intent was to keep the aircraft separated.) I called traffic for king air; to which the pilot responded that he had the traffic in sight. I instructed king air to maintain visual separation; but minimum required separation had already been lost between the 2 aircraft. In addition; by instructing the aircraft to level off at 3500 ft; minimum required vertical separation from terrain was compromised as well (MVA). This situation could have been easily avoided had a certified radar assist been assigned to work the radar assist position. The traffic volume was such that it was extremely difficult for me to manage both airborne demand and take into consideration potentially developing conflictions. A certified radar assist would have easily made the situation at that time more manageable.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: L30 CTLR EXPERIENCED BOTH AN OPERROR AT 4100 BETWEEN DEP AND ARR ACFT AND TERRAIN SEPARATION ERROR WHEN ISSUING ALT BELOW MVA.

Narrative: AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT I WAS WORKING THE DAGGETT RADAR POS AT LAS VEGAS TRACON. RWY CONFIGN 3 WAS IN USE (DEP RWYS 1L AND 1R; ARR RWYS 1L AND 25L). THE DEP TFC VOLUME WAS MODERATE TO HVY. WHILE WORKING TFC DEPARTING LAS I WAS ALSO IN THE PROCESS OF SEQUENCING A GA ACFT; ACFT X TO THE NORTH LAS VEGAS ARPT. IN THE PROCESS OF VECTORING ACFT X TO SET THE ACFT UP FOR A VISUAL APCH TO THE NORTH LAS VEGAS ARPT; NEITHER I NOR THE PERSON ASSIGNED TO WORK AS MY RADAR ASSIST RECOGNIZED THE CONFLICTION THAT EXISTED BTWN ACFT X AND THE DEP RUNDOWN OF KING AIR. (NOTE -- THE PERSON ASSIGNED TO WORK AS MY RADAR ASSIST WAS NOT TRAINED ADEQUATELY; OR CERTIFIED TO WORK AS A RADAR ASSIST DURING RWY CONFIGN 3 OPS.) WHEN KING AIR DEPARTED AND MADE INITIAL CONTACT; I IMMEDIATELY INSTRUCTED THE ACFT TO LEVEL OFF AT 3500 FT. I THEN INSTRUCTED ACFT X TO LEVEL OFF AND CLB BACK UP TO 4500 FT. (THE SOLE INTENT WAS TO KEEP THE ACFT SEPARATED.) I CALLED TFC FOR KING AIR; TO WHICH THE PLT RESPONDED THAT HE HAD THE TFC IN SIGHT. I INSTRUCTED KING AIR TO MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION; BUT MINIMUM REQUIRED SEPARATION HAD ALREADY BEEN LOST BTWN THE 2 ACFT. IN ADDITION; BY INSTRUCTING THE ACFT TO LEVEL OFF AT 3500 FT; MINIMUM REQUIRED VERT SEPARATION FROM TERRAIN WAS COMPROMISED AS WELL (MVA). THIS SITUATION COULD HAVE BEEN EASILY AVOIDED HAD A CERTIFIED RADAR ASSIST BEEN ASSIGNED TO WORK THE RADAR ASSIST POS. THE TFC VOLUME WAS SUCH THAT IT WAS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT FOR ME TO MANAGE BOTH AIRBORNE DEMAND AND TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION POTENTIALLY DEVELOPING CONFLICTIONS. A CERTIFIED RADAR ASSIST WOULD HAVE EASILY MADE THE SITUATION AT THAT TIME MORE MANAGEABLE.

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.