Narrative:

Air traffic has many rules -- both written and unwritten. One important unwritten rule: either resolve all conflicts before effecting a frequency change or let the receiving controller know about the situation. Another important unwritten rule: assumptions can be problematical; even dangerous. While working local control at richmond airport; the situation I encountered reinforces the importance of these unwritten rules. It also illuminates the shortcomings of the FAA quality assurance program; especially in terms of longstanding; interfacility procedural and coordination problems. In this situation; the james river sector at potomac consolidated TRACON; which is our radar control facility; was working a C172; 7 mi northwest of the airport. The C172 was making tight; rapidly changing orbits at 1500 ft. An air carrier checked in on my frequency; approximately 8 mi northwest of the airport; at 2000 ft; for a visual approach to runway 16; and heading right for the C172. In normal circumstances; it is reasonable to assume that the radar controller had properly applied such requirements as merging target procedures; traffic calls; and/or ensured appropriate vertical separation. Assumptions can be dangerous. I cleared the air carrier to land and asked to verify that they had the conflicting traffic in sight. A traffic alert; it turns out; would have been more appropriate. While the air carrier pilot had the cessna in sight; they did not expect the traffic; in the words of the captain; to be on a collision course. Pct later explained that the air carrier was instructed to maintain 2000 ft until established on the straight-in final; which; he assumed; would avoid any conflict. Pct failed to coordination the restr. If I had known about it; I would have not issued a landing clearance until after the air carrier passed the traffic because I would not want such a clearance to imply an authority/authorized to descend. Ideally; moreover; airplanes with conflicts should all be on the same frequency. Pilots can hear each other; hear the control instructions; and know the situation is under control. In this situation; pct cut corners; which is not unusual. Early frequency changes are just one example of their lackadaisical application of air traffic rules. Arrs often check in with the tower; descending on the visual approach; and flying near or through the pattern of nearby uncontrolled airports. They don't seem aware that there could be a conflict with VFR pop-up traffic. While it is not an illegal operation; it is not a particularly wise one. Pct's lackadaisical operating practices are a habitual problem. We often file local quality assurance reviews on their errors and poor control technique. Unfortunately; due to a lack of outside oversight and involvement; no improvements in methods and practices has been observed. Qar's between facilities should not be left to the 2 facilities to resolve. The regional office and/or headquarters should be involved to ensure the big; powerful facility does not dismiss or ignore the problem. With greater oversight; we might see a wiser application of air traffic rules; both written and unwritten; across the NAS.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RIC TWR CTLR DESCRIBED LNDG ACR VS. CESSNA CONFLICT; CITING LACK OF COORD BY PCT CTLR AS PRIMARY CAUSAL FACTOR.

Narrative: AIR TFC HAS MANY RULES -- BOTH WRITTEN AND UNWRITTEN. ONE IMPORTANT UNWRITTEN RULE: EITHER RESOLVE ALL CONFLICTS BEFORE EFFECTING A FREQ CHANGE OR LET THE RECEIVING CTLR KNOW ABOUT THE SITUATION. ANOTHER IMPORTANT UNWRITTEN RULE: ASSUMPTIONS CAN BE PROBLEMATICAL; EVEN DANGEROUS. WHILE WORKING LCL CTL AT RICHMOND ARPT; THE SITUATION I ENCOUNTERED REINFORCES THE IMPORTANCE OF THESE UNWRITTEN RULES. IT ALSO ILLUMINATES THE SHORTCOMINGS OF THE FAA QUALITY ASSURANCE PROGRAM; ESPECIALLY IN TERMS OF LONGSTANDING; INTERFAC PROCEDURAL AND COORD PROBS. IN THIS SITUATION; THE JAMES RIVER SECTOR AT POTOMAC CONSOLIDATED TRACON; WHICH IS OUR RADAR CTL FACILITY; WAS WORKING A C172; 7 MI NW OF THE ARPT. THE C172 WAS MAKING TIGHT; RAPIDLY CHANGING ORBITS AT 1500 FT. AN ACR CHKED IN ON MY FREQ; APPROX 8 MI NW OF THE ARPT; AT 2000 FT; FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 16; AND HEADING RIGHT FOR THE C172. IN NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES; IT IS REASONABLE TO ASSUME THAT THE RADAR CTLR HAD PROPERLY APPLIED SUCH REQUIREMENTS AS MERGING TARGET PROCS; TFC CALLS; AND/OR ENSURED APPROPRIATE VERT SEPARATION. ASSUMPTIONS CAN BE DANGEROUS. I CLRED THE ACR TO LAND AND ASKED TO VERIFY THAT THEY HAD THE CONFLICTING TFC IN SIGHT. A TFC ALERT; IT TURNS OUT; WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE APPROPRIATE. WHILE THE ACR PLT HAD THE CESSNA IN SIGHT; THEY DID NOT EXPECT THE TFC; IN THE WORDS OF THE CAPT; TO BE ON A COLLISION COURSE. PCT LATER EXPLAINED THAT THE ACR WAS INSTRUCTED TO MAINTAIN 2000 FT UNTIL ESTABLISHED ON THE STRAIGHT-IN FINAL; WHICH; HE ASSUMED; WOULD AVOID ANY CONFLICT. PCT FAILED TO COORD THE RESTR. IF I HAD KNOWN ABOUT IT; I WOULD HAVE NOT ISSUED A LNDG CLRNC UNTIL AFTER THE ACR PASSED THE TFC BECAUSE I WOULD NOT WANT SUCH A CLRNC TO IMPLY AN AUTH TO DSND. IDEALLY; MOREOVER; AIRPLANES WITH CONFLICTS SHOULD ALL BE ON THE SAME FREQ. PLTS CAN HEAR EACH OTHER; HEAR THE CTL INSTRUCTIONS; AND KNOW THE SITUATION IS UNDER CTL. IN THIS SITUATION; PCT CUT CORNERS; WHICH IS NOT UNUSUAL. EARLY FREQ CHANGES ARE JUST ONE EXAMPLE OF THEIR LACKADAISICAL APPLICATION OF AIR TFC RULES. ARRS OFTEN CHK IN WITH THE TWR; DSNDING ON THE VISUAL APCH; AND FLYING NEAR OR THROUGH THE PATTERN OF NEARBY UNCTLED ARPTS. THEY DON'T SEEM AWARE THAT THERE COULD BE A CONFLICT WITH VFR POP-UP TFC. WHILE IT IS NOT AN ILLEGAL OP; IT IS NOT A PARTICULARLY WISE ONE. PCT'S LACKADAISICAL OPERATING PRACTICES ARE A HABITUAL PROB. WE OFTEN FILE LCL QUALITY ASSURANCE REVIEWS ON THEIR ERRORS AND POOR CTL TECHNIQUE. UNFORTUNATELY; DUE TO A LACK OF OUTSIDE OVERSIGHT AND INVOLVEMENT; NO IMPROVEMENTS IN METHODS AND PRACTICES HAS BEEN OBSERVED. QAR'S BTWN FACILITIES SHOULD NOT BE LEFT TO THE 2 FACILITIES TO RESOLVE. THE REGIONAL OFFICE AND/OR HEADQUARTERS SHOULD BE INVOLVED TO ENSURE THE BIG; POWERFUL FACILITY DOES NOT DISMISS OR IGNORE THE PROB. WITH GREATER OVERSIGHT; WE MIGHT SEE A WISER APPLICATION OF AIR TFC RULES; BOTH WRITTEN AND UNWRITTEN; ACROSS THE NAS.

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.