Narrative:

Air carrier X was an arrival over gasto to anc. Prior to receiving the handoff of air carrier X, I had previously taken a handoff on air carrier Y, a heavy, and then air carrier Z. The sequences was air carrier Y, air carrier Z, and the speed of air carrier Z had been adjusted to preclude the flight from having to unnecessarily fly more than 12 mi or so from the airport. Air carrier X was vectored to a position 3 mi behind air carrier Z. When asked if he had air carrier Z in sight, air carrier X said 'looking.' upon turning air carrier X to H130, he asked me who was 'behind him' I acted accordingly and asked him if he had air carrier Z insight at his 10 O'clock position and 3 mi, to which he responded that he did. I then cleared air carrier X for the approach and advised him the closest traffic 'behind' him was 20 mi. I stated I was not sure why he requested that information. Air carrier X continued to question the sequence on the air. I did not want to entertain non-traffic related issues on an active air traffic frequency and requested that he call and discuss it on the phone, which he did. I asked the supervisor on duty if he had seen the situation. He said he had not. I then briefed him and he subsequently took the phone call from the air carrier X pilot. The supervisor briefed me later that the air carrier X pilot stated he had the right to fly at 250 KTS until 'he' felt he had to slow down. The pilot further stated to the supervisor that he felt that air carrier Z 'always' gets priority. Nothing could be further from the truth, because most controllers know that inside of 20 or even 30 mi a turboprop can usually beat a fanjet. Everyone has a right to his or her opinion, and next time it just might work the other way.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A11 CTLR DESCRIBES SEQUENCING DISPUTE WITH A FLT CREW WHO VOICED A COMPLAINT REGARDING AN ALLEGED CTLR FAVORITISM TO ANOTHER COMPANY.

Narrative: ACR X WAS AN ARR OVER GASTO TO ANC. PRIOR TO RECEIVING THE HDOF OF ACR X, I HAD PREVIOUSLY TAKEN A HDOF ON ACR Y, A HVY, AND THEN ACR Z. THE SEQUENCES WAS ACR Y, ACR Z, AND THE SPD OF ACR Z HAD BEEN ADJUSTED TO PRECLUDE THE FLT FROM HAVING TO UNNECESSARILY FLY MORE THAN 12 MI OR SO FROM THE ARPT. ACR X WAS VECTORED TO A POS 3 MI BEHIND ACR Z. WHEN ASKED IF HE HAD ACR Z IN SIGHT, ACR X SAID 'LOOKING.' UPON TURNING ACR X TO H130, HE ASKED ME WHO WAS 'BEHIND HIM' I ACTED ACCORDINGLY AND ASKED HIM IF HE HAD ACR Z INSIGHT AT HIS 10 O'CLOCK POS AND 3 MI, TO WHICH HE RESPONDED THAT HE DID. I THEN CLRED ACR X FOR THE APCH AND ADVISED HIM THE CLOSEST TFC 'BEHIND' HIM WAS 20 MI. I STATED I WAS NOT SURE WHY HE REQUESTED THAT INFO. ACR X CONTINUED TO QUESTION THE SEQUENCE ON THE AIR. I DID NOT WANT TO ENTERTAIN NON-TFC RELATED ISSUES ON AN ACTIVE AIR TFC FREQ AND REQUESTED THAT HE CALL AND DISCUSS IT ON THE PHONE, WHICH HE DID. I ASKED THE SUPVR ON DUTY IF HE HAD SEEN THE SIT. HE SAID HE HAD NOT. I THEN BRIEFED HIM AND HE SUBSEQUENTLY TOOK THE PHONE CALL FROM THE ACR X PLT. THE SUPVR BRIEFED ME LATER THAT THE ACR X PLT STATED HE HAD THE RIGHT TO FLY AT 250 KTS UNTIL 'HE' FELT HE HAD TO SLOW DOWN. THE PLT FURTHER STATED TO THE SUPVR THAT HE FELT THAT ACR Z 'ALWAYS' GETS PRIORITY. NOTHING COULD BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH, BECAUSE MOST CTLRS KNOW THAT INSIDE OF 20 OR EVEN 30 MI A TURBOPROP CAN USUALLY BEAT A FANJET. EVERYONE HAS A RIGHT TO HIS OR HER OPINION, AND NEXT TIME IT JUST MIGHT WORK THE OTHER WAY.

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.