Narrative:

I was working final radar with intermittent radar failure; huge differences of wind speeds at different altitudes (+/- up to 40 KTS); IMC. Turning on final outside of the final box for most of the 2 hour 27 min long session. Amass OTS; tower required spacing for departures due to no position and hold. I descended the above referenced aircraft to 2000 ft at 30 DME from mem to maintain spacing for compression due to layered winds and windshear. (A BE33 and crj were also descended through the MVA.) descent clearance just before turning base leg from 3000 ft to 2000 ft. MVA outside of 30 DME is 2300 ft. The airspace was saturated and I rejected several handoffs. I did not have my MVA map displayed. Even if I had; the MVA on the map is displayed some 20 mi from the final box. I was never advised by the supervisors or operations manager in the TRACON that I had descended below the MVA. Staggered ILS approachs to parallel runways; heavy jets mixed with C208; BE33; C414. Supervisors dictate our flow rate with ZME tmu. The problem is that we routinely allow too many airplanes into the airspace. On this given day; there was; what I believe to be; too much pressure from above (operations manager) to come out of holding. When we came out of holding; ZME did not comply with the spacing requirement from mem. We should have been in holding longer.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MEM TRACON CTLR DESCRIBED LOSS OF TERRAIN SEPARATION EVENT; ALLEGING RADAR EQUIP; WX AND THE EXTENDED FINAL AS CONTRIBUTORY FACTORS.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING FINAL RADAR WITH INTERMITTENT RADAR FAILURE; HUGE DIFFERENCES OF WIND SPDS AT DIFFERENT ALTS (+/- UP TO 40 KTS); IMC. TURNING ON FINAL OUTSIDE OF THE FINAL BOX FOR MOST OF THE 2 HR 27 MIN LONG SESSION. AMASS OTS; TWR REQUIRED SPACING FOR DEPS DUE TO NO POS AND HOLD. I DSNDED THE ABOVE REFED ACFT TO 2000 FT AT 30 DME FROM MEM TO MAINTAIN SPACING FOR COMPRESSION DUE TO LAYERED WINDS AND WINDSHEAR. (A BE33 AND CRJ WERE ALSO DSNDED THROUGH THE MVA.) DSCNT CLRNC JUST BEFORE TURNING BASE LEG FROM 3000 FT TO 2000 FT. MVA OUTSIDE OF 30 DME IS 2300 FT. THE AIRSPACE WAS SATURATED AND I REJECTED SEVERAL HDOFS. I DID NOT HAVE MY MVA MAP DISPLAYED. EVEN IF I HAD; THE MVA ON THE MAP IS DISPLAYED SOME 20 MI FROM THE FINAL BOX. I WAS NEVER ADVISED BY THE SUPVRS OR OPS MGR IN THE TRACON THAT I HAD DSNDED BELOW THE MVA. STAGGERED ILS APCHS TO PARALLEL RWYS; HVY JETS MIXED WITH C208; BE33; C414. SUPVRS DICTATE OUR FLOW RATE WITH ZME TMU. THE PROB IS THAT WE ROUTINELY ALLOW TOO MANY AIRPLANES INTO THE AIRSPACE. ON THIS GIVEN DAY; THERE WAS; WHAT I BELIEVE TO BE; TOO MUCH PRESSURE FROM ABOVE (OPS MGR) TO COME OUT OF HOLDING. WHEN WE CAME OUT OF HOLDING; ZME DID NOT COMPLY WITH THE SPACING REQUIREMENT FROM MEM. WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN IN HOLDING LONGER.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.