Light Transport; Low Wing; 2 Turbojet Eng
Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Air Traffic Control Time Certified In Pos 1 (yrs) 2.5
Communication Breakdown; Confusion; Situational Awareness; Training / Qualification
ATC Issue All Types; Conflict Airborne Conflict; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Procedure; Airspace Structure; Human Factors
I was conducting training on combined radar positions. Traffic wasn't too complex; but my trainee had been reaching a saturation level and was slowing down. Local Control sent down a strip off Runway 26L on a 230 heading; which was directly at an overflight we had at 4;000. The overflight was in a grey area between Tower's and TRACONS airspace boundaries and just cancelled IFR to continue VFR.  Tower called down and said the departure had an issue and cancelled takeoff and wasn't going out anymore. Aircraft X calls up from the south and requests Runway 35. He is tagged up accordingly and on final when tower calls to request an opposite direction departure off Runway 17. The coordination wasn't very clear. He said he was requesting two things; an Opposite Direction Departure (ODO); and a 230 heading to miss an overflight we had. Then; he corrected himself and said 130 heading. My trainee and I did not hear the 130 heading; and we approved the 230 heading; thinking he would miss the overflight. However; we weren't sure Tower was aware of traffic inbound to Runway 35 and weren't sure who's responsibility it was to make sure our arrival wasn't 10 miles from the airport before the departure tags up. My trainee decided to break N07m off the approach and bring him to Runway 26L. I agreed with this after seeing the strip that said '230' heading. I later found out this was the OLD strip; and not the current Runway 17 departure strip. Aircraft X and Aircraft Y came within 700 feet and 3 miles from one another and did not have each other in sight. Aircraft Y leveled at 4;000 feet and was lost in frequency when tower called to say 'your control'. This was a bad time for him to not be on frequency. I later found out the Aircraft Y never had a maintenance delay; this was the Tower trying to scare TRACON because they felt we shouldn't have been 10 miles from the field at 4;000 feet with an overflight.Our ODO order doesn't communicate very well whose responsibility it is to ensure the 10 miles between an arrival the ODO departure. This needs to be looked at.
I was working local/ground control combined during slow traffic. Training was being done on approach control. A point out was not made to me cutting through my departure corridor. I proceeded to toss a Aircraft Y strip down the tube that had a 230 heading assigned; which would point directly at the non-pointout. At this time Aircraft Y was not moving on the airfield; and this was a false departure. Approach immediately pointed the aircraft out; and I notified them that Aircraft Y was not departing 'due to maintenance'. Aircraft Y called for taxi right after this coordination. I proceeded to taxi him to Runway 26L. While he was coming up to taxiway bravo; he asked for Runway 17. I looked at the D-Brite (tower radar); noticed an inbound (Aircraft X) about 25 miles south of the airport; but no assigned Runway in the scratch pad. With my judgement; even if Aircraft X was to come to Runway 35 I would meet the 10 mile restriction to do an opposite direction departure off Runway 17 with Aircraft Y. I proceeded to do the coordination properly; but during my coordination; I had to correct my heading. I originally had stated a 230 heading; but there was a VFR overflight in the way; so I corrected myself; and coordinated a 120 heading. I cleared Aircraft Y on the 120 heading 'for traffic'; and it appeared I would still meet the 10 mile opposite direction restriction or at least have no less than 9 miles before the turn. After Aircraft Y departed; I noticed his turn; so I switched him to departure. I did not immediately notice that Aircraft X was no longer going to Runway 35; but had turned to the northeast; and into the path of Aircraft Y. I called down to (Tracon) and they were making a lot of transmissions; I snuck in a quick 'your control'; but did not specify a call sign.Tracon should be required to point all aircraft out that are operating within 10 miles of the airport within the departure corridor that would be conflict with any departure climbing to 4000 feet.
A Tower Controller reported a departure was launched on a heading toward arrival traffic due to miscommunication between the Tower and TRACON.