Date: 202012
Local time of day: 1801-2400
Location: ZZZ.Tower, US
Flight conditions: Marginal
Aircraft: A319
Operator: Air Carrier
Operating under: Part 121
Flight plan: IFR
Mission: Passenger
Flight phase: Final Approach
Airspace: Class B ZZZ
ATC / advisory: Tower ZZZ
Second aircraft: Regional Jet 900 (CRJ900)
Reporter organization: Government
Reporter function: Flight Data / Clearance Delivery; Handoff / Assist
Reporter qualification: Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Human factors: Situational Awareness; Workload; Time Pressure
Anomaly: ATC Issue All Types; Conflict Airborne Conflict; Deviation - Altitude Undershoot; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Detector: Automation Air Traffic Control; Person Air Traffic Control
Result: Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Flight Crew Executed Go Around / Missed Approach
Contributing factors: Environment - Non Weather Related; Human Factors; Procedure
Primary problem: Procedure

Narrative: Aircraft X was vectored to their final approach course approximately 3 to 4 miles in trail of a preceding Aircraft Y. We were VFR conditions but had low ceilings hovering around 1;000 feet. Aircraft weren't coming out of the clouds until a 1 to 2 mile final. When Aircraft X joined the approach they has an absurdly high overtake speed with the Aircraft Y in front of them of 80 plus knots. There was no way separation was ever going to be maintained. When the realization set in of what was happening Local Control issued instructions to cancel the approach and to climb to 3000 feet and to turn 20 degrees to the left.  I began coordination with Departure Control for a handoff with vectors to bring the aircraft back around for another approach. In the meantime Aircraft X advised Local Control that they were minimum fuel and were continuing the approach. Local Control advised me of this; so I canceled the coordination; and redirected my attention to an aircraft awaiting clearance. Then Local Control advised me that Aircraft X was indeed going around with the 20 degree left turn; and 3000 foot altitude assignment. Traffic was light; so I instructed Local Control to climb Aircraft X to 6000 feet and issue a turn to get them into the dispersal area as per our joint agreement. I again initiated coordination with Departure Control for the handoff; with Aircraft X climbing to 6000 feet and on a 100 or 105 heading.Then I came back to the aircraft on Clearance Delivery and had them read back their clearance. During the read back; Departure was trying to call me and say that Aircraft X needed to climb immediately for an aircraft that was departing southeast bound off a satellite airport. I responded that the altitude had been issued and would find out why Aircraft X stopped their climb at 3000 feet. I relayed the information to Local Control as I was receiving it.  Local Control told me that Aircraft X would not accept the climb due to their minimum fuel situation; which I relayed back to Departure. Departure Control requested we ship Aircraft X to them; so that they could maintain separation with the traffic departing the satellite airport which I relayed to Local. Local was able to get Aircraft X to climb to 4;000 feet before shipping them. There was a loss of lateral separation on final approach; but there may have been altitude separation; although I am not sure about that. The problem is that we are struggling with spacing issues on final and even have a collaborative work group established with Approach to resolve these problems. Approach is continually handing Tower these overtakes;  and less than coordinated arrival spacing for departure gaps; but Tower is always held accountable for the consequences of each event. This is the standard here at  even though the separation problem originates with the Approach Controller. Even our local management tends to initially stand behind Approach and their actions while pointing their fingers at the Tower controllers trying to tell us that what we did was incorrect; even though we are only trying our best to prevent an separation error from occurring or getting worse.  Standardize spacing requirements here at 3 miles or required and coordinated arrival spacing distances and never transfer communications of aircraft on final until there is less than a 30 knot overtake speed. In other words; follow the guidance in the 7110.65 and ensure separation before transferring communications to another controller. And on top of this; performance management to ensure controllers are being held accountable to the basic standards.




Synopsis: A Tower Controller reported they coordinated a go around for an aircraft with Departure Control but the aircraft did not climb to the assigned altitude resulting in a loss of prescribed separation.