Narrative:

I am an atcs at southern california TRACON. I work the arrs into lax. This incident occurred when air carrier X, a B747, was on a 5 mi to runway 24R at lax. The los angeles tower local controller called the TRACON radar controller and stated 'I'm moving air carrier X to runway 25R.' this call from the tower was unanswered by TRACON controllers who were busy with other duties. I was just closing a handoff position when I noticed air carrier X moving from runway 24R to runway 25R 4 mi ahead of air carrier Y, a BA31. I alerted the radar controller who issued traffic '12 O'clock position 5 mi.' air carrier Y reported the aircraft in sight and was instructed to maintain visual separation. Immediately after this occurred a call was made to the tower and they were asked why the B747 was moved over to runway 25R 4 mi in front of the air carrier Y? The tower person answered that they didn't think of air carrier Y. I reported the incident to my supervisor as an operational error. He listened to the voice tapes, heard the traffic call '12 O'clock, 5 mi' and determined there to be no loss of separation. A cdr print-out was not done since there is no one on duty on the weekend to do it. This event is typical of TRACON management -- look the other way instead of properly investigating safety problems.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A TRACON RHO CTLR OBSERVES A B747, UNDER TWR CTL, CHANGE RWY ASSIGNMENT AT LAX ARPT FROM RWY 24R TO RWY 25R WITH A BA31 ON APCH IN SAME VICINITY. THE RHO CTLR DISAGREES WITH TWR ON B747 RWY CHANGE. A SUPVR INVESTIGATES AND DETERMINES INCIDENT IS NOT AN ERROR. RHO CTLR CLAIMS MGMNT NOT PROPERLY INVESTIGATING INCIDENT.

Narrative: I AM AN ATCS AT SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA TRACON. I WORK THE ARRS INTO LAX. THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED WHEN ACR X, A B747, WAS ON A 5 MI TO RWY 24R AT LAX. THE LOS ANGELES TWR LCL CTLR CALLED THE TRACON RADAR CTLR AND STATED 'I'M MOVING ACR X TO RWY 25R.' THIS CALL FROM THE TWR WAS UNANSWERED BY TRACON CTLRS WHO WERE BUSY WITH OTHER DUTIES. I WAS JUST CLOSING A HDOF POS WHEN I NOTICED ACR X MOVING FROM RWY 24R TO RWY 25R 4 MI AHEAD OF ACR Y, A BA31. I ALERTED THE RADAR CTLR WHO ISSUED TFC '12 O'CLOCK POS 5 MI.' ACR Y RPTED THE ACFT IN SIGHT AND WAS INSTRUCTED TO MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION. IMMEDIATELY AFTER THIS OCCURRED A CALL WAS MADE TO THE TWR AND THEY WERE ASKED WHY THE B747 WAS MOVED OVER TO RWY 25R 4 MI IN FRONT OF THE ACR Y? THE TWR PERSON ANSWERED THAT THEY DIDN'T THINK OF ACR Y. I RPTED THE INCIDENT TO MY SUPVR AS AN OPERROR. HE LISTENED TO THE VOICE TAPES, HEARD THE TFC CALL '12 O'CLOCK, 5 MI' AND DETERMINED THERE TO BE NO LOSS OF SEPARATION. A CDR PRINT-OUT WAS NOT DONE SINCE THERE IS NO ONE ON DUTY ON THE WEEKEND TO DO IT. THIS EVENT IS TYPICAL OF TRACON MGMNT -- LOOK THE OTHER WAY INSTEAD OF PROPERLY INVESTIGATING SAFETY PROBS.

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.