Less than standard separation on go around in IMC at iah.

Attributes
ACN	107769
Time
Date	198903
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : iah
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 200 agl bound upper : 2000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : iah
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing : go around
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Recip Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : second officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
ASRS Report	107769
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe inflight encounter : weather non adherence : required legal separation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

While shooting the ILS to runway 27 iah, we lost visual contact with the runway due to a rain shower on short final. Flight elected to go miss and advised the tower, iah local controller instructed flight to make a hard left turn to 170 degree and climb to 2000'. ATC instructions were blocked by other transmission on tower frequency. Due to the 150,000 pound landing weight of the large transport, maximum performance was less than expected by ATC. At the time of ATC instructions the aircraft was configured gear up flaps 25 accelerating to flap 15 degree min speed. The turn and climb was at maximum performance. The entire miss was in IMC. The hard left turn was for traffic departing runway 14L, later we learned that the other aircraft was an small transport. The whole situation was due to visibility dropping after ATC cleared the small transport for takeoff and clearing us for the approach.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION ON GO AROUND IN IMC AT IAH.

Narrative: WHILE SHOOTING THE ILS TO RWY 27 IAH, WE LOST VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE RWY DUE TO A RAIN SHOWER ON SHORT FINAL. FLT ELECTED TO GO MISS AND ADVISED THE TWR, IAH LCL CTLR INSTRUCTED FLT TO MAKE A HARD LEFT TURN TO 170 DEG AND CLIMB TO 2000'. ATC INSTRUCTIONS WERE BLOCKED BY OTHER XMISSION ON TWR FREQ. DUE TO THE 150,000 LB LNDG WEIGHT OF THE LGT, MAX PERFORMANCE WAS LESS THAN EXPECTED BY ATC. AT THE TIME OF ATC INSTRUCTIONS THE ACFT WAS CONFIGURED GEAR UP FLAPS 25 ACCELERATING TO FLAP 15 DEG MIN SPEED. THE TURN AND CLIMB WAS AT MAX PERFORMANCE. THE ENTIRE MISS WAS IN IMC. THE HARD LEFT TURN WAS FOR TFC DEPARTING RWY 14L, LATER WE LEARNED THAT THE OTHER ACFT WAS AN SMT. THE WHOLE SITUATION WAS DUE TO VISIBILITY DROPPING AFTER ATC CLRED THE SMT FOR TKOF AND CLEARING US FOR THE APCH.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.