Narrative:

I took handoff on small aircraft X from southeast level at 3000'. All traffic on frequency was from northwest. Moderate rain, light to moderate turbulence reported. Wind at 3000' was 160/60. The arrival sectors had given me traffic on opp base legs at 6000' along with downwind traffic. I let small aircraft X pass across final approach course inadvertently. The only explanation is that I got involved with the traffic from northwest and was distracted enough to let small aircraft X cross final approach course. This entire situation could have been prevented had there been 2 final controllers. While the volume normally wouldn't dictate 2 finals the wind, WX, and traffic at the point where it was, did warrant. Callback conversation with reporter revealed following information. Reporter was called to ascertain proximity of traffic, controller experience level and details of incident. The small aircraft was on final approach established on the localizer at 3000'. The medium large transport was turned on, in front of the small aircraft, but not far enough in front to preserve the sep. The sep was lost while the medium large transport was in the turn to final descending. Reporter restated that traffic workload was not heavy but only spread out over a fairly large area causing him to be trying to look at too great an area to work the traffic.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION WHEN AN ACR-MLG WAS TURNED ONTO FINAL APCH COURSE TOO NEAR AN SMA ALREADY ESTABLISHED ON THE FINAL APCH COURSE.

Narrative: I TOOK HANDOFF ON SMA X FROM SE LEVEL AT 3000'. ALL TFC ON FREQ WAS FROM NW. MODERATE RAIN, LIGHT TO MODERATE TURB RPTED. WIND AT 3000' WAS 160/60. THE ARR SECTORS HAD GIVEN ME TFC ON OPP BASE LEGS AT 6000' ALONG WITH DOWNWIND TFC. I LET SMA X PASS ACROSS FINAL APCH COURSE INADVERTENTLY. THE ONLY EXPLANATION IS THAT I GOT INVOLVED WITH THE TFC FROM NW AND WAS DISTRACTED ENOUGH TO LET SMA X CROSS FINAL APCH COURSE. THIS ENTIRE SITUATION COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED HAD THERE BEEN 2 FINAL CTLRS. WHILE THE VOLUME NORMALLY WOULDN'T DICTATE 2 FINALS THE WIND, WX, AND TFC AT THE POINT WHERE IT WAS, DID WARRANT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED FOLLOWING INFO. RPTR WAS CALLED TO ASCERTAIN PROX OF TFC, CTLR EXPERIENCE LEVEL AND DETAILS OF INCIDENT. THE SMA WAS ON FINAL APCH ESTABLISHED ON THE LOC AT 3000'. THE MLG WAS TURNED ON, IN FRONT OF THE SMA, BUT NOT FAR ENOUGH IN FRONT TO PRESERVE THE SEP. THE SEP WAS LOST WHILE THE MLG WAS IN THE TURN TO FINAL DSNDING. RPTR RESTATED THAT TFC WORKLOAD WAS NOT HEAVY BUT ONLY SPREAD OUT OVER A FAIRLY LARGE AREA CAUSING HIM TO BE TRYING TO LOOK AT TOO GREAT AN AREA TO WORK THE TFC.

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.