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Las local controller expressed concern regarding possible wake turbulence separation error; citing ongoing TRACON final overtake situations.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 740864 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200706 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : las.airport |
| State Reference | NV |
| Altitude | msl single value : 4000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : las.tower |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B757 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Route In Use | approach : visual |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : las.tower |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B777 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Route In Use | approach : visual |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : local |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Experience | controller radar : 20 |
| ASRS Report | 740864 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe inflight encounter : wake turbulence non adherence : required legal separation |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 30000 vertical : 1000 |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | FAA |
| Primary Problem | FAA |
| Situations | |
| ATC Facility | procedure or policy : las.tower |
Narrative:
B757 was on a visual approach to runway 7R at mccarran international followed by a B777 also on a visual approach to runway 7. According to the BRITE display; aircraft Y was cleared for the visual approach; but did not have the B757 in sight. Aircraft Y was approximately 5 mi in trail and about 50 KTS faster. Wake turbulence was not ensured (according to radar data and local scratch pad entries) and was deteriorating rapidly. The local controller took immediate action and applied visual separation before wake turbulence separation was lost. Rapid overtake situations are an ongoing problem on final approach at mccarran; and basic separation and wake turbulence rules are broken on a regular basis. Management has been advised of this ongoing problem and as of yet this unsafe practice is still happening.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: LAS LCL CTLR EXPRESSED CONCERN REGARDING POSSIBLE WAKE TURB SEPARATION ERROR; CITING ONGOING TRACON FINAL OVERTAKE SITUATIONS.
Narrative: B757 WAS ON A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 7R AT MCCARRAN INTL FOLLOWED BY A B777 ALSO ON A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 7. ACCORDING TO THE BRITE DISPLAY; ACFT Y WAS CLRED FOR THE VISUAL APCH; BUT DID NOT HAVE THE B757 IN SIGHT. ACFT Y WAS APPROX 5 MI IN TRAIL AND ABOUT 50 KTS FASTER. WAKE TURB WAS NOT ENSURED (ACCORDING TO RADAR DATA AND LCL SCRATCH PAD ENTRIES) AND WAS DETERIORATING RAPIDLY. THE LCL CTLR TOOK IMMEDIATE ACTION AND APPLIED VISUAL SEPARATION BEFORE WAKE TURB SEPARATION WAS LOST. RAPID OVERTAKE SITUATIONS ARE AN ONGOING PROB ON FINAL APCH AT MCCARRAN; AND BASIC SEPARATION AND WAKE TURB RULES ARE BROKEN ON A REGULAR BASIS. MGMNT HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THIS ONGOING PROB AND AS OF YET THIS UNSAFE PRACTICE IS STILL HAPPENING.
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.