Narrative:

I was working the departing a heavy air carrier in the tower on take off role to climb out. The VFR E50P was a departure from a nearby satellite airport utilizing a fairly new procedure to get IFR aircraft on course faster and easier by departing VFR and flying over sdf before getting a climb and IFR clearance. The E50P was talking with the departure controller and I was anticipating the aircraft making a west turn north of the sdf departure corridor; so my departures were rolling normally. The departure controller was however training and quite busy and left the aircraft on southwest heading that crossed just over the end of the runway 17L departure; so the aircraft was 7 to 8 hundred feet over the heavy air carrier when the paths crossed. Since the heavy air carrier was in a critical phase of flight; my options were limited if I had needed to make an evasive vector or altitude. This is a newer procedure. It would have been a better operation if I was talking with the VFR aircraft instead of the departure controller. It would have increased my awareness of the heading and speed of the E50P and I could have made several adjustments; including traffic calls and/or a turn for the E50P. I feel the procedure could be enhanced by letting the tower control the over the top aircraft and make a hand off to the departure controller position; after all conflicts have been resolved. In absence of that type of change; then during busy and complex periods like this event; it would be prudent just to stop departures until the aircraft was west of the field. I don't feel that would be the best option and would provide the poorest level of service to the user.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SDF Controller described a suspected loss of separation event involving a new procedure for aircraft departing a satellite airport; the reporter providing a number of remedies to prevent similar occurrences.

Narrative: I was working the departing a Heavy Air Carrier in the Tower on take off role to climb out. The VFR E50P was a departure from a nearby satellite airport utilizing a fairly new procedure to get IFR aircraft on course faster and easier by departing VFR and flying over SDF before getting a climb and IFR clearance. The E50P was talking with the Departure Controller and I was anticipating the aircraft making a west turn north of the SDF departure corridor; so my departures were rolling normally. The Departure Controller was however training and quite busy and left the aircraft on southwest heading that crossed just over the end of the Runway 17L departure; so the aircraft was 7 to 8 hundred feet over the Heavy Air Carrier when the paths crossed. Since the Heavy Air Carrier was in a critical phase of flight; my options were limited if I had needed to make an evasive vector or altitude. This is a newer procedure. It would have been a better operation if I was talking with the VFR aircraft instead of the Departure Controller. It would have increased my awareness of the heading and speed of the E50P and I could have made several adjustments; including traffic calls and/or a turn for the E50P. I feel the procedure could be enhanced by letting the Tower control the over the top aircraft and make a hand off to the Departure Controller position; after all conflicts have been resolved. In absence of that type of change; then during busy and complex periods like this event; it would be prudent just to stop departures until the aircraft was west of the field. I don't feel that would be the best option and would provide the poorest level of service to the user.

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.