Narrative:

As an ATC supervisor; I began a radar certification skill check on a developmental at a radar arrival sector. A front was moving through the area requiring a southeast radar confign due to winds. The localizer approach was in use and due to cloud cover visual approachs were not available. The developmental was running close sequences to the final approach course. 2 F16's checked in IFR returning to base. I did not hear their request for a 'radar trail recovery' (a new term added to our LOA dec/2004). Traffic increased to moderate. The developmental sequenced the CL60 behind the F16's on the final approach course. A speed reduction was issued to the CL60 but he did not slow soon enough to be effective in maintaining separation throughout the approach to landing. When I realized this; I instructed the developmental to break out the CL60 heading 020 degrees. (I was concerned with maintaining 4 NM separation with the preceding F16 formation flight.) about this time; local control informed us of a primary target ahead of the CL60 that he thought might be the second F16 (wingman). This aircraft had not been assigned a transponder code as I believed he was in the flight. I again instructed the developmental to break out the CL60. Separation was lost as it was determined that 1.2 NM separation had existed between the second F16 which fell 2 mi behind the lead on the localizer and the CL60 in trail. Lessons learned: 1) when conducting a certification skill check; be extra vigilant for missed information or miscom. 2) do not assume past developmental performance is any indication or prediction of present performance. 3) proficiency and comfort level is not great on the less used runway configns; as it is on standard operating configns. 4) intervene before reaching your minimum comfort level. 5) terminate a certification skill check at the first sign that standards are not being met. 6) always ensure a beacon code is assigned to the final element in a formation flight when a radar trail recovery is being conducted. Recommendations: 1) as a supervisor; maintain more than the minimum required proficiency time on all position (only 4 hours every 30 days are required -- total all radar position). 2) attempt to obtain proficiency when operations are in use on the less used configns. 3) spread your proficiency time out over the 30 day period so that a greater level of proficiency is maintained. (Previous; I would only get to radar from cabin attendant 1 day a month to maintain required proficiency time.) 4) perform certification skill checks as an observer with the developmental's ojti responsible for the position allowing complete attention toward evaluating performance. 5) position yourself directly behind the developmental and directly in front of the radar position to allow the same view that is seen by the developmental. Conclusions: many yrs ATC without a reported error. As the ATC work force ages (me) proficiency decreases. More time is needed than the minimum 4 hour radar/4 hour cabin attendant every 30 days. Supervisors are directed to work our proficiency time during light traffic periods further decreasing our skill and proficiency levels -- skills that may be needed when performing certification skill checks as in this case.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FAT SUPVR CTLR EXPERIENCED OPERROR AS DEVELOPMENTAL CTLR WAS LATE IN BOTH RECOGNIZING POTENTIAL LOSS OF SEPARATION AND THEN RELAYING THE SUPVR'S CTL INSTRUCTIONS.

Narrative: AS AN ATC SUPVR; I BEGAN A RADAR CERTIFICATION SKILL CHK ON A DEVELOPMENTAL AT A RADAR ARR SECTOR. A FRONT WAS MOVING THROUGH THE AREA REQUIRING A SE RADAR CONFIGN DUE TO WINDS. THE LOC APCH WAS IN USE AND DUE TO CLOUD COVER VISUAL APCHS WERE NOT AVAILABLE. THE DEVELOPMENTAL WAS RUNNING CLOSE SEQUENCES TO THE FINAL APCH COURSE. 2 F16'S CHKED IN IFR RETURNING TO BASE. I DID NOT HEAR THEIR REQUEST FOR A 'RADAR TRAIL RECOVERY' (A NEW TERM ADDED TO OUR LOA DEC/2004). TFC INCREASED TO MODERATE. THE DEVELOPMENTAL SEQUENCED THE CL60 BEHIND THE F16'S ON THE FINAL APCH COURSE. A SPD REDUCTION WAS ISSUED TO THE CL60 BUT HE DID NOT SLOW SOON ENOUGH TO BE EFFECTIVE IN MAINTAINING SEPARATION THROUGHOUT THE APCH TO LNDG. WHEN I REALIZED THIS; I INSTRUCTED THE DEVELOPMENTAL TO BREAK OUT THE CL60 HDG 020 DEGS. (I WAS CONCERNED WITH MAINTAINING 4 NM SEPARATION WITH THE PRECEDING F16 FORMATION FLT.) ABOUT THIS TIME; LCL CTL INFORMED US OF A PRIMARY TARGET AHEAD OF THE CL60 THAT HE THOUGHT MIGHT BE THE SECOND F16 (WINGMAN). THIS ACFT HAD NOT BEEN ASSIGNED A XPONDER CODE AS I BELIEVED HE WAS IN THE FLT. I AGAIN INSTRUCTED THE DEVELOPMENTAL TO BREAK OUT THE CL60. SEPARATION WAS LOST AS IT WAS DETERMINED THAT 1.2 NM SEPARATION HAD EXISTED BTWN THE SECOND F16 WHICH FELL 2 MI BEHIND THE LEAD ON THE LOC AND THE CL60 IN TRAIL. LESSONS LEARNED: 1) WHEN CONDUCTING A CERTIFICATION SKILL CHK; BE EXTRA VIGILANT FOR MISSED INFO OR MISCOM. 2) DO NOT ASSUME PAST DEVELOPMENTAL PERFORMANCE IS ANY INDICATION OR PREDICTION OF PRESENT PERFORMANCE. 3) PROFICIENCY AND COMFORT LEVEL IS NOT GREAT ON THE LESS USED RWY CONFIGNS; AS IT IS ON STANDARD OPERATING CONFIGNS. 4) INTERVENE BEFORE REACHING YOUR MINIMUM COMFORT LEVEL. 5) TERMINATE A CERTIFICATION SKILL CHK AT THE FIRST SIGN THAT STANDARDS ARE NOT BEING MET. 6) ALWAYS ENSURE A BEACON CODE IS ASSIGNED TO THE FINAL ELEMENT IN A FORMATION FLT WHEN A RADAR TRAIL RECOVERY IS BEING CONDUCTED. RECOMMENDATIONS: 1) AS A SUPVR; MAINTAIN MORE THAN THE MINIMUM REQUIRED PROFICIENCY TIME ON ALL POS (ONLY 4 HRS EVERY 30 DAYS ARE REQUIRED -- TOTAL ALL RADAR POS). 2) ATTEMPT TO OBTAIN PROFICIENCY WHEN OPS ARE IN USE ON THE LESS USED CONFIGNS. 3) SPREAD YOUR PROFICIENCY TIME OUT OVER THE 30 DAY PERIOD SO THAT A GREATER LEVEL OF PROFICIENCY IS MAINTAINED. (PREVIOUS; I WOULD ONLY GET TO RADAR FROM CAB 1 DAY A MONTH TO MAINTAIN REQUIRED PROFICIENCY TIME.) 4) PERFORM CERTIFICATION SKILL CHKS AS AN OBSERVER WITH THE DEVELOPMENTAL'S OJTI RESPONSIBLE FOR THE POS ALLOWING COMPLETE ATTN TOWARD EVALUATING PERFORMANCE. 5) POS YOURSELF DIRECTLY BEHIND THE DEVELOPMENTAL AND DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THE RADAR POS TO ALLOW THE SAME VIEW THAT IS SEEN BY THE DEVELOPMENTAL. CONCLUSIONS: MANY YRS ATC WITHOUT A RPTED ERROR. AS THE ATC WORK FORCE AGES (ME) PROFICIENCY DECREASES. MORE TIME IS NEEDED THAN THE MINIMUM 4 HR RADAR/4 HR CAB EVERY 30 DAYS. SUPVRS ARE DIRECTED TO WORK OUR PROFICIENCY TIME DURING LIGHT TFC PERIODS FURTHER DECREASING OUR SKILL AND PROFICIENCY LEVELS -- SKILLS THAT MAY BE NEEDED WHEN PERFORMING CERTIFICATION SKILL CHKS AS IN THIS CASE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.