EMB ERJ 190/195 ER/LR
Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Communication Breakdown; Situational Awareness; Confusion
ATC Issue All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance
Human Factors; Procedure; Weather
I was working in the LGA Sector; EMPYR position at the New York TRACON. During my session I had 8 planes holding at 7 different altitudes. The airport was closed due to wind shear and weather. When the airport opened back up I proceeded to vector aircraft and descend aircraft for the approach to Runway 4. My first aircraft was an E190; I cleared the aircraft for the ILS 4 approach; 3 times I came back to the E190 who was still high and asked him 'can you make the approach or shall I pull you out?' he replied I can make it; and I gave him a Visual Approach to Runway 4 when he called it in sight. I then shipped him to Tower and had my second aircraft inbound and cleared for the approach. Shortly there after; the E190 did a 360 on the approach and turned into my oncoming final a B737; I took every action with the B737 whom I was still talking too; I turned; climbed and called traffic to the B737; but separation was lost between both aircraft I think. While all this was going on; I still had other aircraft I had to vector off final and cancel their approach clearances.
N90 Controller described a probable loss of separation event when traffic on the ILS for LGA was changed to a Visual Approach because of altitude concerns. The aircraft then executed an uncoordinated 360 toward following traffic.