Narrative:

On direction from the supervisor; I had just combined both east and west arrival to my position as traffic was fairly light. 1 controller was working both parallel final position. I had air carrier X; a heavy jet inbound from the southwest and air carrier Y a heavy jet; inbound from the southeast. I had a third air carrier heavy jet inbound from the northeast that was #1 in the 3 plane sequence. Also taking away from my attention was a VFR C182 requesting a practice approach with 2 aircraft off my frequency that required numerous traffic calls. I had assigned all 3 aircraft runway 36R for landing; reduced each to 210 KTS; and descended each to the appropriate altitude for entry into the final controller's airspace. I did not verbally request approval for a runway 36R assignment for air carrier X from the final controller although traffic was light and the aircraft tags were clearly denoted. As my VFR traffic increased the supervisor asked another controller to split the west arrival position from me. I gave the controller a full briefing; including advising that controller of the only traffic on the west side of the airspace which was aircraft X; tagged for the right; on a 070 degree heading; reduced to 210 KTS; descending go 6000 ft. The final controller accepted handoffs of all 3 air carrier aircraft without question. Shortly thereafter; the final controller cleared aircraft X for an approach to runway 36L; and aircraft X joined the localizer for runway 36R; coming in possible conflict with aircraft Y or the other air carrier aircraft. As I write this; the investigation is still under way to determine if there was a loss of separation. I do not normally work with the controller that was working the final position; and I should have verbally requested approval to assign aircraft X; runway 36R; but I also believe that the final controller should have been more aware of the 3 aircraft tags that he had accepted handoffs on. I also believe that the supervisor's decision to combine and then decombine the arrival position in the span of about 15 mins played a role in distracting me from the verbal notification. Each confign of the arrival position required multiple keyboard entries to set the radar scope configns and full briefings of the traffic. These duties took time that I may have used to verbally request the runway assignment for aircraft X with the final controller.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MEM APCH CTLR DESCRIBED INCOMPLETE POSITION RELIEF BRIEFING THAT CAUSED POTENTIAL LOSS OF SEPARATION EVENT.

Narrative: ON DIRECTION FROM THE SUPVR; I HAD JUST COMBINED BOTH E AND W ARR TO MY POS AS TFC WAS FAIRLY LIGHT. 1 CTLR WAS WORKING BOTH PARALLEL FINAL POS. I HAD ACR X; A HVY JET INBOUND FROM THE SW AND ACR Y A HVY JET; INBOUND FROM THE SE. I HAD A THIRD ACR HVY JET INBOUND FROM THE NE THAT WAS #1 IN THE 3 PLANE SEQUENCE. ALSO TAKING AWAY FROM MY ATTN WAS A VFR C182 REQUESTING A PRACTICE APCH WITH 2 ACFT OFF MY FREQ THAT REQUIRED NUMEROUS TFC CALLS. I HAD ASSIGNED ALL 3 ACFT RWY 36R FOR LNDG; REDUCED EACH TO 210 KTS; AND DSNDED EACH TO THE APPROPRIATE ALT FOR ENTRY INTO THE FINAL CTLR'S AIRSPACE. I DID NOT VERBALLY REQUEST APPROVAL FOR A RWY 36R ASSIGNMENT FOR ACR X FROM THE FINAL CTLR ALTHOUGH TFC WAS LIGHT AND THE ACFT TAGS WERE CLEARLY DENOTED. AS MY VFR TFC INCREASED THE SUPVR ASKED ANOTHER CTLR TO SPLIT THE W ARR POS FROM ME. I GAVE THE CTLR A FULL BRIEFING; INCLUDING ADVISING THAT CTLR OF THE ONLY TFC ON THE W SIDE OF THE AIRSPACE WHICH WAS ACFT X; TAGGED FOR THE R; ON A 070 DEG HDG; REDUCED TO 210 KTS; DSNDING GO 6000 FT. THE FINAL CTLR ACCEPTED HDOFS OF ALL 3 ACR ACFT WITHOUT QUESTION. SHORTLY THEREAFTER; THE FINAL CTLR CLRED ACFT X FOR AN APCH TO RWY 36L; AND ACFT X JOINED THE LOC FOR RWY 36R; COMING IN POSSIBLE CONFLICT WITH ACFT Y OR THE OTHER ACR ACFT. AS I WRITE THIS; THE INVESTIGATION IS STILL UNDER WAY TO DETERMINE IF THERE WAS A LOSS OF SEPARATION. I DO NOT NORMALLY WORK WITH THE CTLR THAT WAS WORKING THE FINAL POS; AND I SHOULD HAVE VERBALLY REQUESTED APPROVAL TO ASSIGN ACFT X; RWY 36R; BUT I ALSO BELIEVE THAT THE FINAL CTLR SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE AWARE OF THE 3 ACFT TAGS THAT HE HAD ACCEPTED HDOFS ON. I ALSO BELIEVE THAT THE SUPVR'S DECISION TO COMBINE AND THEN DECOMBINE THE ARR POS IN THE SPAN OF ABOUT 15 MINS PLAYED A ROLE IN DISTRACTING ME FROM THE VERBAL NOTIFICATION. EACH CONFIGN OF THE ARR POS REQUIRED MULTIPLE KEYBOARD ENTRIES TO SET THE RADAR SCOPE CONFIGNS AND FULL BRIEFINGS OF THE TFC. THESE DUTIES TOOK TIME THAT I MAY HAVE USED TO VERBALLY REQUEST THE RWY ASSIGNMENT FOR ACFT X WITH THE FINAL CTLR.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.