Narrative:

Air carrier X, controled by lit approach control, is cleared for a visual approach to runway 22 at lit. Air carrier X is on a right base approximately 4 NM northeast of the airport. Corp jet Y is in left closed traffic for runway 22, working with the local controller. Corp Y is turned onto base leg approximately 4 mi east of the airport, and is cleared to land. A trnee was working the local control position and when air carrier X came over on his frequency he clrd X to land, and gave traffic as 12 O'clock, 4 mi, and took no other action to sep the 2 aircraft. I immediately turned air carrier X to a heading of 090 degrees and again issued traffic. Air carrier X reports Y in sight and is cleared for a visual approach to follow the traffic. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter gave experience level of trnee controller. Says facility training policy does not use buddy system or team concept and instrument controllers often get trnee that is of unknown skill level. This reporter not familiar with this trnee's work. Facility did not make any report or review the incident. Fortunate that reporter was paying very close attention to traffic and able to turn air carrier X quickly. Supplemental information from acn 90954: statements from approach indicated there was a corp jet Y on a left base to '22' which we were to follow. We were on approximately a 4-5 mi downwind leg and approximately 5 mi from approach end of runway 22 when we were instructed by approach to 'turn to heading 140 degrees, cleared for the visual.' we were then cleared to tower frequency in the turn. As we rolled out on 140 degree heading and checked on with tower, we were given an immediate turn to 090 degrees about the same time I saw corp jet Y at about 11:30 and approximately 300' below our altitude. The 090 degrees heading was very adequate in separating us west/O resorting to abrupt on excessive control inputs. I feel approach control turned us in too soon, west/O us confirming the other aircraft in sight. However, we did have the field. I looked initially at about a 3 mi final earlier for the aircraft. Corp Y was a primed color (dirty gray), and was extremely hard to see.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR AND CORP JET WERE OPPOSITE DIRECTION AT SAME ALT IN TRAFFIC PATTERN. OPERATIONAL ERROR. LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION.

Narrative: ACR X, CTLED BY LIT APCH CTL, IS CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 22 AT LIT. ACR X IS ON A RIGHT BASE APPROX 4 NM NE OF THE ARPT. CORP JET Y IS IN LEFT CLOSED TFC FOR RWY 22, WORKING WITH THE LCL CTLR. CORP Y IS TURNED ONTO BASE LEG APPROX 4 MI E OF THE ARPT, AND IS CLRED TO LAND. A TRNEE WAS WORKING THE LCL CTL POS AND WHEN ACR X CAME OVER ON HIS FREQ HE CLRD X TO LAND, AND GAVE TFC AS 12 O'CLOCK, 4 MI, AND TOOK NO OTHER ACTION TO SEP THE 2 ACFT. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED ACR X TO A HDG OF 090 DEGS AND AGAIN ISSUED TFC. ACR X RPTS Y IN SIGHT AND IS CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH TO FOLLOW THE TFC. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR GAVE EXPERIENCE LEVEL OF TRNEE CTLR. SAYS FAC TRNING POLICY DOES NOT USE BUDDY SYS OR TEAM CONCEPT AND INSTR CTLRS OFTEN GET TRNEE THAT IS OF UNKNOWN SKILL LEVEL. THIS RPTR NOT FAMILIAR WITH THIS TRNEE'S WORK. FAC DID NOT MAKE ANY RPT OR REVIEW THE INCIDENT. FORTUNATE THAT RPTR WAS PAYING VERY CLOSE ATTN TO TFC AND ABLE TO TURN ACR X QUICKLY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 90954: STATEMENTS FROM APCH INDICATED THERE WAS A CORP JET Y ON A LEFT BASE TO '22' WHICH WE WERE TO FOLLOW. WE WERE ON APPROX A 4-5 MI DOWNWIND LEG AND APPROX 5 MI FROM APCH END OF RWY 22 WHEN WE WERE INSTRUCTED BY APCH TO 'TURN TO HDG 140 DEGS, CLRED FOR THE VISUAL.' WE WERE THEN CLRED TO TWR FREQ IN THE TURN. AS WE ROLLED OUT ON 140 DEG HDG AND CHKED ON WITH TWR, WE WERE GIVEN AN IMMEDIATE TURN TO 090 DEGS ABOUT THE SAME TIME I SAW CORP JET Y AT ABOUT 11:30 AND APPROX 300' BELOW OUR ALT. THE 090 DEGS HDG WAS VERY ADEQUATE IN SEPARATING US W/O RESORTING TO ABRUPT ON EXCESSIVE CTL INPUTS. I FEEL APCH CTL TURNED US IN TOO SOON, W/O US CONFIRMING THE OTHER ACFT IN SIGHT. HOWEVER, WE DID HAVE THE FIELD. I LOOKED INITIALLY AT ABOUT A 3 MI FINAL EARLIER FOR THE ACFT. CORP Y WAS A PRIMED COLOR (DIRTY GRAY), AND WAS EXTREMELY HARD TO SEE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.