Narrative:

Atx X was holding in position on runway 27L. Traffic Y was 8-10 miles southwest of the airport eastbound at two thousand for runway 35. X was advised that he was waiting for aircraft Y to clear a line from the airport direct ood VOR. Aircraft X was cleared for takeoff and given a turn direct ood for weather avoidance. (There were level 5-6 thunderstorms west to north of the airport). At this point aircraft Y contacted me on the local frequency and was told to square his base to final to further keep him clear of X's flight path. Within several seconds I visually, and on the BRITE, observed aircraft Y turning northbound into aircraft X. I visually observed the aircraft converging and issued an immediate turn wbound to X and a turn eastbound to Y. I called traffic to both aircraft and when aircraft Y reported the other in sight I instructed him to maintain visual separation. I think a contributing factor to this situation was that aircraft Y most likely did not have runway 35 in sight when he was cleared for the approach and turned over to the tower. This caused him to start a turn to final when he was still several miles southwest of the airport. Also, local had coordinated for all departures to preceed direct ood and this was either forgotten by the ood sector controller or it was not included in a briefing during controller change. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: clarified time of incident as at night. Reporter cannot recall official visibility, but could see aircraft Y lights at 5 mi from airport. Clarified type of aircraft X. Got years of ATC experience for local controller and approach controller. After review with ATC supervisors incident was downgraded from operation error because local controller had both aircraft in sight and was able to effect visual sep. Still not sure if there was a briefing of relief problem in TRACON. Normal departure procedure is heading 255 degree off runway 27 until departure controller turns to ood VOR. Pilots did not want to fly into thunderstorm activity so were being given direct ood by local controller. Aircraft had approximately 300' altitude sep at closest point. Thinks pilot of Y made turn to north too soon because he saw well lighted roadway which is about same length as runway 17/35 and runs parallel.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: POTENTIAL CONFLICT BETWEEN DEPARTING ATX AND ARRIVING GA TWIN. OCCURRENCE DOWNGRADED FROM OPERATIONAL ERROR.

Narrative: ATX X WAS HOLDING IN POSITION ON RWY 27L. TFC Y WAS 8-10 MILES SW OF THE ARPT EBOUND AT TWO THOUSAND FOR RWY 35. X WAS ADVISED THAT HE WAS WAITING FOR ACFT Y TO CLEAR A LINE FROM THE ARPT DIRECT OOD VOR. ACFT X WAS CLRED FOR TKOF AND GIVEN A TURN DIRECT OOD FOR WEATHER AVOIDANCE. (THERE WERE LEVEL 5-6 THUNDERSTORMS WEST TO NORTH OF THE ARPT). AT THIS POINT ACFT Y CONTACTED ME ON THE LOCAL FREQ AND WAS TOLD TO SQUARE HIS BASE TO FINAL TO FURTHER KEEP HIM CLEAR OF X'S FLT PATH. WITHIN SEVERAL SECONDS I VISUALLY, AND ON THE BRITE, OBSERVED ACFT Y TURNING NBOUND INTO ACFT X. I VISUALLY OBSERVED THE ACFT CONVERGING AND ISSUED AN IMMEDIATE TURN WBOUND TO X AND A TURN EBOUND TO Y. I CALLED TFC TO BOTH ACFT AND WHEN ACFT Y REPORTED THE OTHER IN SIGHT I INSTRUCTED HIM TO MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION. I THINK A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO THIS SITUATION WAS THAT ACFT Y MOST LIKELY DID NOT HAVE RWY 35 IN SIGHT WHEN HE WAS CLRED FOR THE APCH AND TURNED OVER TO THE TWR. THIS CAUSED HIM TO START A TURN TO FINAL WHEN HE WAS STILL SEVERAL MILES SW OF THE ARPT. ALSO, LOCAL HAD COORDINATED FOR ALL DEPS TO PRECEED DIRECT OOD AND THIS WAS EITHER FORGOTTEN BY THE OOD SECTOR CTLR OR IT WAS NOT INCLUDED IN A BRIEFING DURING CTLR CHANGE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION: CLARIFIED TIME OF INCIDENT AS AT NIGHT. RPTR CANNOT RECALL OFFICIAL VISIBILITY, BUT COULD SEE ACFT Y LIGHTS AT 5 MI FROM ARPT. CLARIFIED TYPE OF ACFT X. GOT YEARS OF ATC EXPERIENCE FOR LCL CTLR AND APCH CTLR. AFTER REVIEW WITH ATC SUPERVISORS INCIDENT WAS DOWNGRADED FROM OP ERROR BECAUSE LCL CTLR HAD BOTH ACFT IN SIGHT AND WAS ABLE TO EFFECT VISUAL SEP. STILL NOT SURE IF THERE WAS A BRIEFING OF RELIEF PROBLEM IN TRACON. NORMAL DEP PROC IS HDG 255 DEG OFF RWY 27 UNTIL DEP CTLR TURNS TO OOD VOR. PLTS DID NOT WANT TO FLY INTO TSTM ACTIVITY SO WERE BEING GIVEN DIRECT OOD BY LCL CTLR. ACFT HAD APPROX 300' ALT SEP AT CLOSEST POINT. THINKS PLT OF Y MADE TURN TO NORTH TOO SOON BECAUSE HE SAW WELL LIGHTED ROADWAY WHICH IS ABOUT SAME LENGTH AS RWY 17/35 AND RUNS PARALLEL.

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.