Narrative:

Prior to working position I had team brief; during team brief we got into a heated discussion with our front line manager (flm) about visual approaches. The argument had to do with the a pilot advising he had the airport insight during visual conditions; but being told by the flm we are not authorized to issue a visual approach due to tower advising weather conditions will not allow the pilot to do visual approaches. What to do in that situation when a pilot is adamant that he can keep the airport; but I as a controller; being instructed not to issue the visual approach. I sat down to work final in a stagger transitioning to simultaneous configuration; during the bank with a runway closed for daily maintenance. This was a very bad time for the runway to close as we had an airspace full of airplanes. Aircraft X was being vectored for spacing and being handed off to me and I was putting a crj in front of aircraft X. I asked the feeder controller to give me more spacing as we had collapse on final and I needed wake turbulence separation. As soon as I talked to aircraft X; I turned the aircraft to build spacing for wake turbulence; the pilot asked if I was building spacing for the crj ahead. I said yes; and the pilot stated we have that aircraft insight and could follow him to the airport. I instructed the pilot that I needed wake turbulence separation and I felt that the weather was such that he may not keep the aircraft insight. He said 'we have the aircraft insight and the airport insight and can provide visual separation'. During this time I am still running a very intensive stagger session. I ask my supervisor if he is listening and he says 'yes'; I ask him can I allow aircraft X to be on an ILS; but provide his own separation with the crj. He said yes; I issue the ILS to aircraft X with the instructions to slow to his slowest practical speed and maintain visual separation with the crj and a wake turbulence caution. On about 7 mile final the tower keys into my ear and says aircraft X will not be able to keep the crj and we need 4 miles there. They said I needed to break him out or let them break him out. I again am busy with other aircraft; I ask the supervisor again if he is listening to the situation; he said 'yes'. I asked him what should I do and he said break him out; I issue the pilot the cancellation of approach and he says ' are you breaking us out because of the crj ahead and I said yes; he says again I can keep him insight and can maintain visual; I said I have been instructed to break you out. He asked why when he can provide visual and the condition are such to allow him to be on a visual approach. Again I am still running my final while having this conversation on the frequency. I instructed the pilot that I could no longer have the conversation and to contact the approach and gave him the number.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: An S56 Controller disagreed with visual separation and visual approach use policies.

Narrative: Prior to working position I had team brief; during team brief we got into a heated discussion with our Front Line Manager (FLM) about visual approaches. The argument had to do with the a pilot advising he had the airport insight during visual conditions; but being told by the FLM we are not authorized to issue a visual approach due to Tower advising weather conditions will not allow the pilot to do visual approaches. What to do in that situation when a pilot is adamant that he can keep the airport; but I as a controller; being instructed not to issue the visual approach. I sat down to work Final in a stagger transitioning to simultaneous configuration; during the bank with a runway closed for daily maintenance. This was a very bad time for the runway to close as we had an airspace full of airplanes. Aircraft X was being vectored for spacing and being handed off to me and I was putting a CRJ in front of Aircraft X. I asked the Feeder Controller to give me more spacing as we had collapse on final and I needed wake turbulence separation. As soon as I talked to Aircraft X; I turned the aircraft to build spacing for wake turbulence; the pilot asked if I was building spacing for the CRJ ahead. I said yes; and the pilot stated we have that aircraft insight and could follow him to the airport. I instructed the pilot that I needed wake turbulence separation and I felt that the weather was such that he may not keep the aircraft insight. He said 'We have the aircraft insight and the airport insight and can provide visual separation'. During this time I am still running a very intensive stagger session. I ask my supervisor if he is listening and he says 'Yes'; I ask him can I allow Aircraft X to be on an ILS; but provide his own separation with the CRJ. He said yes; I issue the ILS to Aircraft X with the instructions to slow to his slowest practical speed and maintain visual separation with the CRJ and a wake turbulence caution. On about 7 mile final the Tower keys into my ear and says Aircraft X will not be able to keep the CRJ and we need 4 miles there. They said I needed to break him out or let them break him out. I again am busy with other aircraft; I ask the Supervisor again if he is listening to the situation; he said 'Yes'. I asked him what should I do and he said break him out; I issue the pilot the cancellation of approach and he says ' are you breaking us out because of the CRJ ahead and I said yes; he says again I can keep him insight and can maintain visual; I said I have been instructed to break you out. He asked why when he can provide visual and the condition are such to allow him to be on a visual approach. Again I am still running my final while having this conversation on the frequency. I instructed the pilot that I could no longer have the conversation and to contact the approach and gave him the number.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of April 2012 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.