Large Transport; Low Wing; 2 Turbojet Eng
Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Air Traffic Control Time Certified In Pos 1 (yrs) 12
Situational Awareness; Confusion; Communication Breakdown
ATC Issue All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Inflight Event / Encounter CFTT / CFIT
Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Flight Crew Executed Go Around / Missed Approach; Flight Crew Landed in Emergency Condition
Airspace Structure; Human Factors
I was working arrival sectors combined. Aircraft X was inbound from the south being vectored to an ILS Final. Aircraft Y was on right downwind to the ILS Final. Aircraft Y was number one in sequence and was cleared for an ILS Approach. Aircraft X; number two in sequence was vectored in-trail and told to reduce speed to 210 knots for sequence. I noticed Aircraft Y had a ground speed of 110 knots on a nine mile final; so I reduced Aircraft X to 170 knots or less before clearing him for the ILS Approach. With approximately 8 miles between both aircraft on final; I noticed the compression of Aircraft X with an 80 knot overtake and I immediately reduced Aircraft X to final approach speed. The pilot seemed to question the clearance and I asked if he had the preceding heavy aircraft in sight? There was no response from Aircraft X so I instructed the pilot to cancel approach clearance and climb to 4000 feet. Upon hearing this; Aircraft X notified me he was a medical emergency and said he had coordinated ahead. The controller from the preceding sector nor the Front Line Manager in Charge had coordinated with me the fact that Aircraft X was a medical emergency. After realizing the severity of the situation; I immediately took action to make Aircraft X the priority inbound. I probably violated MVA (Minimum Vectoring Altitude) altitudes during the recovery process when I had to breakout multiple aircraft in-trail to get the emergency inbound back to the airport as quickly and as safely as possible. The previous sector should have followed through on coordination; especially if an aircraft inbound is in an emergency status. Supervisors should get some form of acknowledgment from every controller that will work or be in direct communication with the affected aircraft. We should de-combine the sector so priority and full service may be given to emergency aircraft and prevent frequency congestion or overload.
HCF TRACON Controller reported they issued a go around to an aircraft that they did not know was a medical emergency. In order to expedite the aircraft's return the controller vectored aircraft below the Minimum Vectoring Altitude.