Narrative:

I was working dallas east (de -- feeder position for dfw propellers and all inbounds to the east satellite airports from the east) combined with ar 6 (AR6 -- dfw runway 31R final) with all area airports in a north flow. The dallas south controller advised he was releasing a sbound propeller departure off dal behind an MD80 that was on the runway 31R final to dfw. At the time there was a 21 NM gap between air carrier X and the event aircraft. Air carrier Y was kept high on the final; stepping down slightly above the GS to runway 31R due to opposite direction B737 traffic descending for dal. It took dal tower nearly 3 mins to get air carrier Z airborne; who then made a fairly wide turn to the assigned sbound heading. Meanwhile; air carrier Y had cleared the opposite direction traffic and was cleared for the visual approach from 4000 ft at point still slightly above the GS about 10 NM from dfw runway 31R. Air carrier Y descended to and captured the GS which put air carrier Y crossing vande at 3000 ft and fivis at 2400 ft. Air carrier Z was about 1/2 way between fivis and vande at 2000 ft due to the wide turn when vertical separation was lost. Assigning air carrier Y crossing altitude at fivis of 3000 ft (600 ft above the GS) may or may not have worked in this situation due to B757 wake turbulence concerns. Upon further review of the procedures; orders; and airspace; the procedures or lack thereof; are flawed making protection for sbound departures off dal nearly impossible. Some examples are: 1) dal tower has no written guidance on when sbound propeller departures must be established on the appropriate heading to protect the dfw runway 31R final. 2) pilots departing dal have no guidance on when they need to be established on the sbound heading to protect the dfw runway 31R final. 3) dallas south does not own the airspace that they are releasing aircraft into; nor do they have prearranged coordination to do so. 4) dallas south does not have any written requirement to advise AR6 that a dal release has been given; it is generally done; but as a courtesy -- not a requirement.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: D10 CTLR EXPERIENCED OPERROR AT APPROX 3000 FT WHEN DAL DEP ACFT CONFLICTED WITH DFW ARR BECAUSE OF WIDE DEP TURN.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING DALLAS E (DE -- FEEDER POS FOR DFW PROPS AND ALL INBOUNDS TO THE E SATELLITE ARPTS FROM THE E) COMBINED WITH AR 6 (AR6 -- DFW RWY 31R FINAL) WITH ALL AREA ARPTS IN A N FLOW. THE DALLAS S CTLR ADVISED HE WAS RELEASING A SBOUND PROP DEP OFF DAL BEHIND AN MD80 THAT WAS ON THE RWY 31R FINAL TO DFW. AT THE TIME THERE WAS A 21 NM GAP BTWN ACR X AND THE EVENT ACFT. ACR Y WAS KEPT HIGH ON THE FINAL; STEPPING DOWN SLIGHTLY ABOVE THE GS TO RWY 31R DUE TO OPPOSITE DIRECTION B737 TFC DSNDING FOR DAL. IT TOOK DAL TWR NEARLY 3 MINS TO GET ACR Z AIRBORNE; WHO THEN MADE A FAIRLY WIDE TURN TO THE ASSIGNED SBOUND HDG. MEANWHILE; ACR Y HAD CLRED THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION TFC AND WAS CLRED FOR THE VISUAL APCH FROM 4000 FT AT POINT STILL SLIGHTLY ABOVE THE GS ABOUT 10 NM FROM DFW RWY 31R. ACR Y DSNDED TO AND CAPTURED THE GS WHICH PUT ACR Y XING VANDE AT 3000 FT AND FIVIS AT 2400 FT. ACR Z WAS ABOUT 1/2 WAY BTWN FIVIS AND VANDE AT 2000 FT DUE TO THE WIDE TURN WHEN VERT SEPARATION WAS LOST. ASSIGNING ACR Y XING ALT AT FIVIS OF 3000 FT (600 FT ABOVE THE GS) MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE WORKED IN THIS SITUATION DUE TO B757 WAKE TURB CONCERNS. UPON FURTHER REVIEW OF THE PROCS; ORDERS; AND AIRSPACE; THE PROCS OR LACK THEREOF; ARE FLAWED MAKING PROTECTION FOR SBOUND DEPS OFF DAL NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE. SOME EXAMPLES ARE: 1) DAL TWR HAS NO WRITTEN GUIDANCE ON WHEN SBOUND PROP DEPS MUST BE ESTABLISHED ON THE APPROPRIATE HDG TO PROTECT THE DFW RWY 31R FINAL. 2) PLTS DEPARTING DAL HAVE NO GUIDANCE ON WHEN THEY NEED TO BE ESTABLISHED ON THE SBOUND HDG TO PROTECT THE DFW RWY 31R FINAL. 3) DALLAS S DOES NOT OWN THE AIRSPACE THAT THEY ARE RELEASING ACFT INTO; NOR DO THEY HAVE PREARRANGED COORD TO DO SO. 4) DALLAS S DOES NOT HAVE ANY WRITTEN REQUIREMENT TO ADVISE AR6 THAT A DAL RELEASE HAS BEEN GIVEN; IT IS GENERALLY DONE; BUT AS A COURTESY -- NOT A REQUIREMENT.

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.