Commercial Fixed Wing
Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Air Traffic Control Time Certified In Pos 1 (yrs) 8
Workload; Confusion; Distraction; Situational Awareness; Time Pressure
ATC Issue All Types; Conflict Airborne Conflict; Deviation - Speed All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Procedure; Human Factors; Staffing
I walked in to get the Final M scope; running Instruments; and was told in the brief to 'Valet Park' due to a closed taxiway on the airport. When I got the position the arrival controller tagged all the aircraft on the right downwind to the west runway and switched to the west (G scope) frequency and the aircraft on the left downwind was switched to the east final controller (M scope). Due to procedures aircraft on extended downwind to the airport automatically turn base; the arrival controller was way over-loaded and overwhelmed with aircraft; he wasn't listening to any request from the final controllers. This whole session was a goat rope and should be looked at and raised to the next level. This session was unsafe and almost had a near miss. At the time of this session; there was an Front Line Manager (FLM) behind the desk; an FLM watching; a TMC; 2 final controllers; 1 arrival controller and 2 or 3 other spectators; and I was already complaining to the arrival controller valet parking and the lousy (rephrase that; [expletive deleted]) feed. With all the experience in the room; this was the worse session I've seen since I have been here. Not one thing was done to correct or resolve this situation. Unacceptable!
I was final G. The arrivals were being fed high; fast; not switched; or on wrong frequency. One aircraft on the wrong frequency started a turn base on the RNAV STAR and got too close to an Air Carrier. The RNAV star should not turn base. The fiasco on arrival needs to be examined so this never happens again.
F11 Controllers report of a shift where the Arrival Controller was overloaded with traffic and nothing was done to help the Controller.