Narrative:

The tower assigned departing piper navajo a climb to 3000 ft and a 340 degree heading. On initial contact with the departure controller; the pilot was issued a climb to 8000 ft and direct to aml. The turn to aml resulted in a 15 degree turn back toward the departure corridor in the tower's airspace. The LOA between the approach control and the tower does not allow the departure controller to turn an aircraft back toward the departure corridor within tower airspace without coordination. No coordination occurred; which resulted in an operational deviation. No other traffic was affected. Normally; overnight operations between the approach control facility and the tower allow maximum flexibility for controllers. This allows minimal verbal coordination while expediting pilot requests during periods of very light traffic. The incident reported herein would be considered an acceptable operation during a normal overnight watch. However; a controller at the tower was actively looking for ways to retaliate against any approach controller because of a previous occurrence involving the 2 facilities. The retaliatory actions of the single individual at the tower have now expanded to include others not even involved in the original event. The individual at the tower is set to retire. This controller's departure will eliminate a problem.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PCT CTLR DESCRIBED OPDEV WHEN DEP ACFT WAS TURNED INTO RIC TWR AIRSPACE WITHOUT COORD AS REQUIRED BY LOA.

Narrative: THE TWR ASSIGNED DEPARTING PIPER NAVAJO A CLB TO 3000 FT AND A 340 DEG HDG. ON INITIAL CONTACT WITH THE DEP CTLR; THE PLT WAS ISSUED A CLB TO 8000 FT AND DIRECT TO AML. THE TURN TO AML RESULTED IN A 15 DEG TURN BACK TOWARD THE DEP CORRIDOR IN THE TWR'S AIRSPACE. THE LOA BTWN THE APCH CTL AND THE TWR DOES NOT ALLOW THE DEP CTLR TO TURN AN ACFT BACK TOWARD THE DEP CORRIDOR WITHIN TWR AIRSPACE WITHOUT COORD. NO COORD OCCURRED; WHICH RESULTED IN AN OPDEV. NO OTHER TFC WAS AFFECTED. NORMALLY; OVERNIGHT OPS BTWN THE APCH CTL FACILITY AND THE TWR ALLOW MAX FLEXIBILITY FOR CTLRS. THIS ALLOWS MINIMAL VERBAL COORD WHILE EXPEDITING PLT REQUESTS DURING PERIODS OF VERY LIGHT TFC. THE INCIDENT RPTED HEREIN WOULD BE CONSIDERED AN ACCEPTABLE OP DURING A NORMAL OVERNIGHT WATCH. HOWEVER; A CTLR AT THE TWR WAS ACTIVELY LOOKING FOR WAYS TO RETALIATE AGAINST ANY APCH CTLR BECAUSE OF A PREVIOUS OCCURRENCE INVOLVING THE 2 FACILITIES. THE RETALIATORY ACTIONS OF THE SINGLE INDIVIDUAL AT THE TWR HAVE NOW EXPANDED TO INCLUDE OTHERS NOT EVEN INVOLVED IN THE ORIGINAL EVENT. THE INDIVIDUAL AT THE TWR IS SET TO RETIRE. THIS CTLR'S DEP WILL ELIMINATE A PROB.

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.