Medium Transport; Low Wing; 2 Turbojet Eng
Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Air Traffic Control Time Certified In Pos 1 (yrs) 5
Situational Awareness; Training / Qualification; Communication Breakdown
ATC Issue All Types; Conflict Airborne Conflict; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Air Traffic Control Issued Advisory / Alert; Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Air Traffic Control Separated Traffic
Airspace Structure; Procedure
I was working Local Control with a [small aircraft] in local traffic pattern for touch and goes; and several departures waiting to go. An arrival was called inbound from Northeast by TRACON requiring IFR release request for northeast or south departures only; NOT for northwest departures. I cleared Aircraft Y for takeoff. Then Aircraft X 8 miles north of the airport heading toward the departure end of the runway at 3000 feet checked in on tower frequency for a visual approach. Aircraft Y was on the SID; heading 360 degrees unrestricted climb to 12000 feet. This was an unsafe situation with someone heading towards the departure end with aircraft departing climbing unrestricted; practically an opposite direction operation without proper coordination. Fortunately; Aircraft Y started their turn heading 360 degrees away from Aircraft X; I don't recall what altitude he was at. Another controller said he observed Aircraft Y at 2000 feet and Aircraft X at 3000 feet tail to tail. For a while now; there seems to be common practice by TRACON to give arrivals DIRECT to the VORTAC; some even let them descend to 3000 feet. Our current Letter of Agreement only restricts these arrivals to maintain 3000 feet until turning base. This gives NO PROTECTION for northwest departures. The departure corridor should be a sterile environment. I attempted to let TRACON know that it was an unsafe situation and that they need to stop letting arrivals in our departure corridor so low. The controller responded that Aircraft X was on a visual approach and didn't seem to understand how unsafe the operation was.  Letters of Agreement should have interim altitudes on all IFR departures. IFR Arrivals from the North should be at or above 6000 feet or routed to remain clear of departure corridor. Regardless if aircraft has visual of the airport inbound from the North; Approach should hold onto the aircraft until at least established on a base inbound. It's absolutely ridiculous to have Local Control talking to aircraft that far out. Many times aircraft on downwind on a visual approach are talking to Local Control; then TRACON will call to tell us to have the aircraft turn base for traffic inbound from the south. This should be approach's responsibility to ENSURE proper spacing/sequencing between arrivals per Letter of Agreement; or FAAH 7110.65. TRACON should stop having aircraft proceed direct to the VORTAC for Oceanic Arrivals and descending them to 5000 feet or below; this absolutely UNSAFE and BAD PRACTICE.
TRACON switched an aircraft on a visual approach towards the departure end of a runway which an IFR aircraft was departing on a SID. The Local Controller felt this was an unsafe situation because if no action was taken by ATC the aircraft could conflict with one another and lose separation. If ATC issued appropriate control instructions in a timely manner this situation would be remedied.