Narrative:

It was my first position of the day. I had just come from my daughter's birthday party and my mind was not on ATC. I relieved the radar controller, he was not busy and had 3 or 4 aircraft on frequency. One of the planes was an air carrier X B737 inbound to lex, he was about 14 mi due north and the other controller had him on a 180 degree heading. I thought that was a bad heading, running him straight at the airport, so my fist transmission after sitting down was to turn air carrier X left to 140 degrees. That would put him on a 9 mi base for runway 22. About 2 mins later I turned him right to 180 degrees and told him to expect the visual approach to runway 22. Air carrier X sounded a little surprised and asked what the winds were. I told him the winds were 320 degrees at 12 KTS. That's when I saw air carrier Y departing lex off runway 4. Crap we are on runway 4 not runway 22. I turned air carrier X left to 090 degrees. I gave air carrier Y a quick radar contact, turn right heading 090 degrees. They were still coming together. I told air carrier Y to make it a hard right turn to 120 degrees and I pointed out the B737 traffic. Air carrier Y said he had the B737 in sight. I told him to maintain visual separation from the traffic and to climb and maintain 10000 ft. During this time the tower called down and asked what air carrier X was doing. I said he was visual to runway 4 and asked if I could come direct to the airport (not that it made any difference at this point because I was right smack in the middle of the arp, (automatic release procedures), area anyway. I then vectored air carrier X out for the ILS to runway 4. Both pilots never said anything, but I think air carrier X knew I messed up big time. We are on runway 22 at lex 80% of the time. I read that runway 4 was in use, plus the controller I relieved stated runway 4 in his briefing. The 180 degree heading was perfect and the next turn should have been right to 220 degrees for the left downwind. I thought it was a bad vector to runway 22 when it was a good vector to runway 4. Air carrier X also threw up a flag when he requested the winds. 320 degrees favors runway 4. I was very lucky that air carrier Y saw air carrier X. I hope this helps, I was very complacent and not busy at all. This scared me and all within 3 mins of sitting down. Like I said my mind was still at my little girl's birthday party.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AFTER TAKING OVER APCH CTL POS AT LEX, THE RELIEVING CTLR CHANGES A VECTOR HEADING ON ARRIVING B737 AND PUTS THE FLT IN CONFLICT WITH A DEPARTING ATR72.

Narrative: IT WAS MY FIRST POS OF THE DAY. I HAD JUST COME FROM MY DAUGHTER'S BIRTHDAY PARTY AND MY MIND WAS NOT ON ATC. I RELIEVED THE RADAR CTLR, HE WAS NOT BUSY AND HAD 3 OR 4 ACFT ON FREQ. ONE OF THE PLANES WAS AN ACR X B737 INBOUND TO LEX, HE WAS ABOUT 14 MI DUE N AND THE OTHER CTLR HAD HIM ON A 180 DEG HEADING. I THOUGHT THAT WAS A BAD HEADING, RUNNING HIM STRAIGHT AT THE ARPT, SO MY FIST XMISSION AFTER SITTING DOWN WAS TO TURN ACR X L TO 140 DEGS. THAT WOULD PUT HIM ON A 9 MI BASE FOR RWY 22. ABOUT 2 MINS LATER I TURNED HIM R TO 180 DEGS AND TOLD HIM TO EXPECT THE VISUAL APCH TO RWY 22. ACR X SOUNDED A LITTLE SURPRISED AND ASKED WHAT THE WINDS WERE. I TOLD HIM THE WINDS WERE 320 DEGS AT 12 KTS. THAT'S WHEN I SAW ACR Y DEPARTING LEX OFF RWY 4. CRAP WE ARE ON RWY 4 NOT RWY 22. I TURNED ACR X L TO 090 DEGS. I GAVE ACR Y A QUICK RADAR CONTACT, TURN R HEADING 090 DEGS. THEY WERE STILL COMING TOGETHER. I TOLD ACR Y TO MAKE IT A HARD R TURN TO 120 DEGS AND I POINTED OUT THE B737 TFC. ACR Y SAID HE HAD THE B737 IN SIGHT. I TOLD HIM TO MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION FROM THE TFC AND TO CLB AND MAINTAIN 10000 FT. DURING THIS TIME THE TWR CALLED DOWN AND ASKED WHAT ACR X WAS DOING. I SAID HE WAS VISUAL TO RWY 4 AND ASKED IF I COULD COME DIRECT TO THE ARPT (NOT THAT IT MADE ANY DIFFERENCE AT THIS POINT BECAUSE I WAS RIGHT SMACK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ARP, (AUTO RELEASE PROCS), AREA ANYWAY. I THEN VECTORED ACR X OUT FOR THE ILS TO RWY 4. BOTH PLTS NEVER SAID ANYTHING, BUT I THINK ACR X KNEW I MESSED UP BIG TIME. WE ARE ON RWY 22 AT LEX 80% OF THE TIME. I READ THAT RWY 4 WAS IN USE, PLUS THE CTLR I RELIEVED STATED RWY 4 IN HIS BRIEFING. THE 180 DEG HDG WAS PERFECT AND THE NEXT TURN SHOULD HAVE BEEN R TO 220 DEGS FOR THE L DOWNWIND. I THOUGHT IT WAS A BAD VECTOR TO RWY 22 WHEN IT WAS A GOOD VECTOR TO RWY 4. ACR X ALSO THREW UP A FLAG WHEN HE REQUESTED THE WINDS. 320 DEGS FAVORS RWY 4. I WAS VERY LUCKY THAT ACR Y SAW ACR X. I HOPE THIS HELPS, I WAS VERY COMPLACENT AND NOT BUSY AT ALL. THIS SCARED ME AND ALL WITHIN 3 MINS OF SITTING DOWN. LIKE I SAID MY MIND WAS STILL AT MY LITTLE GIRL'S BIRTHDAY PARTY.

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.