Narrative:

I was working west arrival and departure at albuquerque TRACON. On 1/mon/88 at approximately XA30 pm an small transport X departed runway 21 IFR, heading 170 degrees. Several mins later an medium large transport Y departed runway 17 heading 170 degrees about 8 mi behind the twin. Both aircraft were climbing to 10000'. Possibly due to frequency congestion and loud static on the frequency, the medium large transport Y did not call until about 6 mi south of the airport and 4 1/2 mi behind the twin. At this time I did not answer or see the medium large transport Y due to my preoccupation with a VFR aircraft in close proximity to the IFR final approach course with radio problems. About 2 mins later the medium large transport Y reported level at 10000'. It was then that I noticed his close proximity to the other aircraft and turned the medium large transport Y to avoid conflict. The aircraft passed with less than standard separation. There were many contributing factors in this error--a runway and airspace confign had just been accomplished, the controller and airspace confign was unfamiliar and not normally used, there was severe interference on the primary frequency for several mins, the WX had deteriorated greatly within the last few mins causing ASR approachs to be used, and most importantly was my tunnel vision with the VFR aircraft near the final approach course. I believe that this error could have been avoided if I had slowed traffic when all the unusual situations took place at once, ie, stopping the departures and holding some inbnds at outer fixes until the problems clrd up.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DEP CTLR CLEARED MLG ON SAME HEADING AND AT SAME ALT AS SMT. MLG OVERTOOK SMT BEFORE DEP CLTR INTERVENED.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING W ARR AND DEP AT ALBUQUERQUE TRACON. ON 1/MON/88 AT APPROX XA30 PM AN SMT X DEPARTED RWY 21 IFR, HDG 170 DEGS. SEVERAL MINS LATER AN MLG Y DEPARTED RWY 17 HDG 170 DEGS ABOUT 8 MI BEHIND THE TWIN. BOTH ACFT WERE CLBING TO 10000'. POSSIBLY DUE TO FREQ CONGESTION AND LOUD STATIC ON THE FREQ, THE MLG Y DID NOT CALL UNTIL ABOUT 6 MI S OF THE ARPT AND 4 1/2 MI BEHIND THE TWIN. AT THIS TIME I DID NOT ANSWER OR SEE THE MLG Y DUE TO MY PREOCCUPATION WITH A VFR ACFT IN CLOSE PROX TO THE IFR FINAL APCH COURSE WITH RADIO PROBS. ABOUT 2 MINS LATER THE MLG Y RPTED LEVEL AT 10000'. IT WAS THEN THAT I NOTICED HIS CLOSE PROX TO THE OTHER ACFT AND TURNED THE MLG Y TO AVOID CONFLICT. THE ACFT PASSED WITH LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION. THERE WERE MANY CONTRIBUTING FACTORS IN THIS ERROR--A RWY AND AIRSPACE CONFIGN HAD JUST BEEN ACCOMPLISHED, THE CTLR AND AIRSPACE CONFIGN WAS UNFAMILIAR AND NOT NORMALLY USED, THERE WAS SEVERE INTERFERENCE ON THE PRIMARY FREQ FOR SEVERAL MINS, THE WX HAD DETERIORATED GREATLY WITHIN THE LAST FEW MINS CAUSING ASR APCHS TO BE USED, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY WAS MY TUNNEL VISION WITH THE VFR ACFT NEAR THE FINAL APCH COURSE. I BELIEVE THAT THIS ERROR COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF I HAD SLOWED TFC WHEN ALL THE UNUSUAL SITUATIONS TOOK PLACE AT ONCE, IE, STOPPING THE DEPS AND HOLDING SOME INBNDS AT OUTER FIXES UNTIL THE PROBS CLRD UP.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.