Narrative:

This does not pertain to a particular flight, but to an ongoing problem at ewr. Approach control will routinely clear aircraft for an ILS runway 22L approach to ewr, with instructions to maintain 180 KTS to the OM. On our TCASII display, we can see aircraft 2 1/2 - 3 mi ahead of us on the same approach. Obviously, when they pass over the OM and slow, the spacing between him and us decreases, unless we also slow. 2 yrs ago, I had to do a missed approach because we had inadequate spacing and tower told us to go around. Last month I telephoned ewr tower and asked them why they didn't coordinate better with approach control. His response, essentially, was that approach 'blows us off.' approach control is a different facility. Approach control knows the spacing difficulty that is being handed to tower, but approach doesn't care. The spacing difficulty becomes tower's problem, not approach's problem. Approach has their own problems to contend with. I was flabbergasted. This was an admission that approach and tower don't coordinate, and in fact, one is contributing to the other's problems. The result is a decrease in airline safety. I thought you'd like to know.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTED ONGOING SIT OF INADEQUATE SPACING ON SUCCESSIVE ARRS WITH ASSIGNED SPDS TO MAINTAIN TO THE OM WITHOUT CONSIDERATION FOR SPD REDUCTION INSIDE THE MARKER. TWR IS REQUIRED AT TIMES TO ISSUE A GAR DUE TO LOSS OF SEPARATION BTWN ARRS. INDICATED CONFLICT BTWN THE APCH AND TWR FACILITIES.

Narrative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

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.