Small Aircraft
Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Air Traffic Control Time Certified In Pos 1 (yrs) 2.5
Communication Breakdown; Confusion; Distraction
Airspace Violation All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Procedure
Recently there have been major changes to our SVFR procedures in Alaska. Our new local procedures were briefed once several months ago. Clarification has been requested on the new procedures multiple times. I was working LHD Class D segment under SVFR conditions with visibility of 4 miles and overcast at 600 feet. LHD has a red and green light to indicate aircraft on Elmendorf final which enters the north portion of the LHD segment. Red means call for release and green means auto release. The lights have no indication of change from red to green or green to red other than luckily seeing the lights change when it occurs. The Local position at ANC has a beeping sound and a button has to be manually pushed in order to change the light and accept red or green. LHD has no coordination in place even after the new procedures. I unfortunately did not see the change in light from green to red and cleared a SVFR Aircraft X for departure of LHD to the east. Once the aircraft was airborne he asked to depart northbound instead. At this time I saw Aircraft Y on final at EDF at 1;700 feet. Aircraft X was at 200 feet which was no loss of separation but I instructed Aircraft X to make a right 360. I then coordinated with the TRACON North hand off position that the aircraft was making a 360 and requested a release north bound which was approved. Aircraft X then proceeded northbound. If you are scanning out the window or coordinating it is very easy to not see the light change. When the field is VFR the green or red light is not a factor other than giving traffic and there are no IFR operations off LHD. So only with these new procedures are we now concerned whether it is green or red referencing departures. Coordination needs to be in place to advise when releases are canceled in SVFR conditions.
ANC Controller describes a release system with red and green lights that doesn't indicate with some type of aural alarm as to what color the light has changed to. By having the alarm the controller would know of the change.