Narrative:

I assumed north radar position from the preceding controller; who had only 1 aircraft on frequency. This was aircraft X; a heavy B747-200. These freighters are notoriously slow climbers -- especially during the warmer days of summer. Aircraft X was just out of 3500 ft when the controller turned him heading 120 degrees towards a 5500 ft MVA which is only 2.5 mi wide then it becomes an 8000 ft MVA. My very first transmission was to turn aircraft X left heading 360 degrees and then a series of left turns around to 080 degrees to 1) make the MVA requirements; 2) meet the requirement with zan to exit the ellam gate heading 080 degrees. The controller I relieved may or may not have had a plan to prevent aircraft X from impacting the chugach mountains. Though visibility was good and he would likely have said something; this was an embarrassing move on the controller's part. In addition to turning this heavy towards the rapidly rising terrain east of anc airport; the preceding controller did not point this heavy out to the underlying low sector who was working a VFR aircraft Y at 4100 ft (in our airspace without coordination). As I turned aircraft X for his climb; I had to initiate a pointout with the north low sector too.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A11 CTLR DESCRIBED NEAR SEPARATION LOSS WHEN RELIEVED CTLR TURNED SLOW CLIMBING ACFT TOWARD TERRAIN; CORRECTIVE ACTION TAKEN IN TIME.

Narrative: I ASSUMED N RADAR POS FROM THE PRECEDING CTLR; WHO HAD ONLY 1 ACFT ON FREQ. THIS WAS ACFT X; A HVY B747-200. THESE FREIGHTERS ARE NOTORIOUSLY SLOW CLIMBERS -- ESPECIALLY DURING THE WARMER DAYS OF SUMMER. ACFT X WAS JUST OUT OF 3500 FT WHEN THE CTLR TURNED HIM HDG 120 DEGS TOWARDS A 5500 FT MVA WHICH IS ONLY 2.5 MI WIDE THEN IT BECOMES AN 8000 FT MVA. MY VERY FIRST XMISSION WAS TO TURN ACFT X L HDG 360 DEGS AND THEN A SERIES OF L TURNS AROUND TO 080 DEGS TO 1) MAKE THE MVA REQUIREMENTS; 2) MEET THE REQUIREMENT WITH ZAN TO EXIT THE ELLAM GATE HDG 080 DEGS. THE CTLR I RELIEVED MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE HAD A PLAN TO PREVENT ACFT X FROM IMPACTING THE CHUGACH MOUNTAINS. THOUGH VISIBILITY WAS GOOD AND HE WOULD LIKELY HAVE SAID SOMETHING; THIS WAS AN EMBARRASSING MOVE ON THE CTLR'S PART. IN ADDITION TO TURNING THIS HVY TOWARDS THE RAPIDLY RISING TERRAIN E OF ANC ARPT; THE PRECEDING CTLR DID NOT POINT THIS HVY OUT TO THE UNDERLYING LOW SECTOR WHO WAS WORKING A VFR ACFT Y AT 4100 FT (IN OUR AIRSPACE WITHOUT COORD). AS I TURNED ACFT X FOR HIS CLB; I HAD TO INITIATE A POINTOUT WITH THE N LOW SECTOR TOO.

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.