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Approach controller misjudged performance of aircraft he was sequencing behind and had less than standard separation with his and the preceding aircraft on final approach.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 88852 |
| Time | |
| Date | 198806 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : pit |
| State Reference | PA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 4000 msl bound upper : 4000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : pit |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach descent other |
| Route In Use | enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach descent other |
| Route In Use | enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : approach |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| ASRS Report | 88852 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : approach |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : required legal separation |
| Independent Detector | atc equipment other atc equipment : unspecified other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 12000 vertical : 0 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Operational Error |
Narrative:
Working 1 of 2 arrival positions that sequence aircraft to 1 runway. Arrs (south) controller got so busy with aircraft he issued holding to center (we had no arrival handoff due to short staffing). Normally we sequence with strip, but arrival south controller had not been keeping strips. We verbally agreed on a particular sequence to clean up the aircraft in our sector and I heard the ar (south) controller turn his aircraft toward the runway and descend to 4000'. I keyed on that information and turned my aircraft south and descended to 4000' also (I was trying to establish 4 mi spacing on final) ar/south aircraft was very slow turning and descending and by the time I watched the performance of the preceding aircraft less than standard separation was imminent by the time the southbound aircraft turned east to avoid the traffic he picked the traffic up visually and following the traffic back into the runway. Contributing factors: too many aircraft on approach control, no arrival handoff person to control arrival flow and establish sequence.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: APCH CTLR MISJUDGED PERFORMANCE OF ACFT HE WAS SEQUENCING BEHIND AND HAD LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION WITH HIS AND THE PRECEDING ACFT ON FINAL APCH.
Narrative: WORKING 1 OF 2 ARR POSITIONS THAT SEQUENCE ACFT TO 1 RWY. ARRS (S) CTLR GOT SO BUSY WITH ACFT HE ISSUED HOLDING TO CENTER (WE HAD NO ARR HDOF DUE TO SHORT STAFFING). NORMALLY WE SEQUENCE WITH STRIP, BUT ARR S CTLR HAD NOT BEEN KEEPING STRIPS. WE VERBALLY AGREED ON A PARTICULAR SEQUENCE TO CLEAN UP THE ACFT IN OUR SECTOR AND I HEARD THE AR (S) CTLR TURN HIS ACFT TOWARD THE RWY AND DSND TO 4000'. I KEYED ON THAT INFO AND TURNED MY ACFT S AND DSNDED TO 4000' ALSO (I WAS TRYING TO ESTABLISH 4 MI SPACING ON FINAL) AR/S ACFT WAS VERY SLOW TURNING AND DSNDING AND BY THE TIME I WATCHED THE PERFORMANCE OF THE PRECEDING ACFT LTSS WAS IMMINENT BY THE TIME THE SBND ACFT TURNED E TO AVOID THE TFC HE PICKED THE TFC UP VISUALLY AND FOLLOWING THE TFC BACK INTO THE RWY. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: TOO MANY ACFT ON APCH CTL, NO ARR HDOF PERSON TO CONTROL ARR FLOW AND ESTABLISH SEQUENCE.
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.