Helicopter
Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Situational Awareness; Other / Unknown
ATC Issue All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
General None Reported / Taken
Procedure; Human Factors
Our local Medevac Helicopter operator called requesting a SVFR inbound. He sounded like it was urgent and we had just had a Medevac return to the field with a cancelled mission; we assumed it might have been associated. Local advised the Medevac that the field was IFR with the ceilings at 800 FT. We had numerous IFR inbounds so we were looking for a hole. I called our TRACON and asked them to slow the inbounds for the SVFR inbound. The reply was; 'I can't; I have a bunch of inbounds'. I restated that it was for a Medevac or I wouldn't be calling; no success. Local and I then observed a possible hole that would be big enough prior to an inbound. The preceding IFR arrival was short final with landing assured and Local cleared the SVFR into our airspace and advised him to maintain max forward airspeed. We had 10 SM below the 800 FT ceiling and knew we would have aircraft in sight very shortly. The Medevac made it to about a 1 mile final when the IFR arrival penetrated our Class D 5 NM northwest of the field. At this point the Medevac was obviously landing assured. We never lost 3 miles and 1;000 FT; but as I understand it we aren't supposed to have them in the airspace at the same time unless we have both in sight. I agreed with and supported Local's decision to expedite the Medevac Helicopter to the airport. As soon as he was down an ambulance sped away from the helicopter. We had a long string of inbounds so the Medevac would have had to wait for at least 20 minutes if we hadn't hit that hole. Medevac's and Lifeguard aircraft are supposed to have priority. I would think that if our TRACON can't slow an aircraft; they should break it off the approach so that we can legally get an SVFR into the field.
Tower Controller described a possible procedural violation when a Medevac Helicopter was cleared to the airport when IFR traffic was on approach.