Approach controller vectored an aircraft through the final approach course for spacing which resulted in less than standard separation with an aircraft on downwind at the same altitude.

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Attributes
ACN	161416
Time
Date	199010
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : mkg
State Reference	MI
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3000 msl bound upper : 3000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : mkg
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other descent : approach
Route In Use	arrival other enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	descent : approach descent other
Route In Use	arrival other enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller radar : 8
ASRS Report	161416
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : published procedure non adherence : required legal separation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	faa : investigated faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Miss Distance	horizontal : 6600 vertical : 500
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

I was working moderate traffic for mkg, approximately 8-10 aircraft vectoring 4-5 aircraft for approachs to mkg as well as overflts. Localizer backcourse runway 14 approachs were in use, and at the time I was vectoring an small transport X from the east on a 240 degree heading through the localizer for spacing to follow an small transport Y established on the final approach course. An small transport Z was being vectored from the west and was turning a downwind (a right downwind) heading 320 degrees. He was to follow the small transport X. The small transport X was turned back to the east to intercept the final, but turned too slowly (wide) as to cause a conflict with the small transport Z on downwind. I can't think of contributing factors other than we went to the approach because of haze and 1 aircraft didn't see the other, possibly because of the haze. The pilot called us on the phone to report the incident and then I was questioned, decertified and had additional testing to recertify on radar. Overall human error was what I believe was the problem. At the time I felt alert and quite good about handling the amount of traffic. The incident did, however, make me feel quite bad and really made me think bout my job specifically. I hope this can be a lesson for all in the facility that it can happen to anyone, anytime.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: APCH CTLR VECTORED AN ACFT THROUGH THE FINAL APCH COURSE FOR SPACING WHICH RESULTED IN LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION WITH AN ACFT ON DOWNWIND AT THE SAME ALT.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING MODERATE TFC FOR MKG, APPROX 8-10 ACFT VECTORING 4-5 ACFT FOR APCHS TO MKG AS WELL AS OVERFLTS. LOC BACKCOURSE RWY 14 APCHS WERE IN USE, AND AT THE TIME I WAS VECTORING AN SMT X FROM THE E ON A 240 DEG HDG THROUGH THE LOC FOR SPACING TO FOLLOW AN SMT Y ESTABLISHED ON THE FINAL APCH COURSE. AN SMT Z WAS BEING VECTORED FROM THE W AND WAS TURNING A DOWNWIND (A RIGHT DOWNWIND) HDG 320 DEGS. HE WAS TO FOLLOW THE SMT X. THE SMT X WAS TURNED BACK TO THE E TO INTERCEPT THE FINAL, BUT TURNED TOO SLOWLY (WIDE) AS TO CAUSE A CONFLICT WITH THE SMT Z ON DOWNWIND. I CAN'T THINK OF CONTRIBUTING FACTORS OTHER THAN WE WENT TO THE APCH BECAUSE OF HAZE AND 1 ACFT DIDN'T SEE THE OTHER, POSSIBLY BECAUSE OF THE HAZE. THE PLT CALLED US ON THE PHONE TO RPT THE INCIDENT AND THEN I WAS QUESTIONED, DECERTIFIED AND HAD ADDITIONAL TESTING TO RECERTIFY ON RADAR. OVERALL HUMAN ERROR WAS WHAT I BELIEVE WAS THE PROB. AT THE TIME I FELT ALERT AND QUITE GOOD ABOUT HANDLING THE AMOUNT OF TFC. THE INCIDENT DID, HOWEVER, MAKE ME FEEL QUITE BAD AND REALLY MADE ME THINK BOUT MY JOB SPECIFICALLY. I HOPE THIS CAN BE A LESSON FOR ALL IN THE FAC THAT IT CAN HAPPEN TO ANYONE, ANYTIME.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.