Narrative:

While working the satellite position; the previous controller had an aircraft 'tagged up' indicating she had authority/authorized the arrival controller to descend that aircraft as low as 4000 ft. That aircraft landed cle without incident. I had an LJ45 on a 320 degree heading destined for bkl at 3000 ft. The arrival controller descended an aircraft to 3000 ft in my airspace and I issued traffic to LJ45 in ample time to issue visual separation instructions. I issued traffic of the next arrival; an E135 rj at or above 4000 ft at the time. As I observed the rj descend below 4000 ft; I reissued the traffic to LJ45 and he reported the traffic in sight and I instructed the aircraft to maintain visual separation from that traffic. I do not know how close the aircraft were to each other at the time the visual separation instruction was issued. At the time of this occurrence; I observed the operational supervisor who had been watching the arrival controller; turn around and walk back to the supervisor's deck. Upon being relieved; I went to the supervisor; asking her what was going on there. She shook her head in what appeared to be frustration. Later; when asked about the incident; I told her that I did not know for sure if there was a loss of separation or not.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CLE APCH CTLR DESCRIBES SUSPECTED SEPARATION INCIDENT AS ADJACENT CTLR ENTERED AIRSPACE WITHOUT PROPER COORD OR AUTH.

Narrative: WHILE WORKING THE SATELLITE POS; THE PREVIOUS CTLR HAD AN ACFT 'TAGGED UP' INDICATING SHE HAD AUTH THE ARR CTLR TO DSND THAT ACFT AS LOW AS 4000 FT. THAT ACFT LANDED CLE WITHOUT INCIDENT. I HAD AN LJ45 ON A 320 DEG HDG DESTINED FOR BKL AT 3000 FT. THE ARR CTLR DSNDED AN ACFT TO 3000 FT IN MY AIRSPACE AND I ISSUED TFC TO LJ45 IN AMPLE TIME TO ISSUE VISUAL SEPARATION INSTRUCTIONS. I ISSUED TFC OF THE NEXT ARR; AN E135 RJ AT OR ABOVE 4000 FT AT THE TIME. AS I OBSERVED THE RJ DSND BELOW 4000 FT; I REISSUED THE TFC TO LJ45 AND HE RPTED THE TFC IN SIGHT AND I INSTRUCTED THE ACFT TO MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION FROM THAT TFC. I DO NOT KNOW HOW CLOSE THE ACFT WERE TO EACH OTHER AT THE TIME THE VISUAL SEPARATION INSTRUCTION WAS ISSUED. AT THE TIME OF THIS OCCURRENCE; I OBSERVED THE OPERATIONAL SUPVR WHO HAD BEEN WATCHING THE ARR CTLR; TURN AROUND AND WALK BACK TO THE SUPVR'S DECK. UPON BEING RELIEVED; I WENT TO THE SUPVR; ASKING HER WHAT WAS GOING ON THERE. SHE SHOOK HER HEAD IN WHAT APPEARED TO BE FRUSTRATION. LATER; WHEN ASKED ABOUT THE INCIDENT; I TOLD HER THAT I DID NOT KNOW FOR SURE IF THERE WAS A LOSS OF SEPARATION OR NOT.

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.