Narrative:

Runway 04L/22R was undergoing a long term upgrade to its surface and building new taxiways. In an effort to maximize arrivals and departures; ewr has been using runway 29 as the primary arrival runway. IFR arrivals were given the bridge visual runway 29 approach with some electing the ILS runway 04R. The wind was from the northwest and with a steady velocity above 20 KTS and gusting since the day before to 40. The previous several arrivals and the next several as well were compressing from the south for the bridge visual. There was also an air carrier which was NORDO which I believe may have prompted the arrival controller to push his planes to me and get them away from the NORDO air carrier. Departure holes were getting smaller; but I had been able to get the runway 04R with more than good room before the next arrival for runway 29. Several aircraft were arriving; mainly runway 29 and departing runway 04L. I generally cleared the runway 29 arrivals on initial contact; about 8 to 12 miles south southwest so approximately 5 or more arrivals were checking in; cleared to land and patterns being adjusted; (make short approach or widen out); to accommodate departures from runway 04R or arrivals for runway 04R. I instructed aircraft X to line up and wait on runway 04R. I asked them to be ready to go and said I'd call them in about 20 seconds or so. As the previous arrival went through the intersection; I cleared aircraft X for takeoff. I lined up the next departure for runway 04R. I looked at the rest of the landing pattern to make my next adjustment and realized aircraft X did not start to move at all. I looked at the next arrival; the asde X and the wind to see if it would work. Aircraft X rolled and I thought the heavy head wind would slow aircraft Y enough. It wasn't. The asde X alarm sounded 'converging' and I sent aircraft Y around. I tried to give traffic to aircraft X and I think he said he saw aircraft Y and would level out. I think I instructed aircraft X to resume the EWR1 departure and contact new york departure. I believe I then was calling aircraft Y by the wrong call sign; and tried to turn him away from teb arrivals. I use his proper call sign and turn him and switched him as too.I think that this approach is a good one but not when arrivals are pushed in closely together. So better spacing for all of arrivals which can help take into account of the different paths the pilots fly to the runway; (29); and the ILS 04R with the same runway 29 arrivals. With the winds; an up and down runway 29 may have been the better plan.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: Situation where crossing runways and a packed final leads to a Controller anticipating movement of departure traffic to be faster then actual speed; causing a go-around of arrival on crossing runway.

Narrative: Runway 04L/22R was undergoing a long term upgrade to its surface and building new taxiways. In an effort to maximize arrivals and departures; EWR has been using Runway 29 as the primary arrival runway. IFR arrivals were given the BRIDGE Visual Runway 29 Approach with some electing the ILS Runway 04R. The wind was from the northwest and with a steady velocity above 20 KTS and gusting since the day before to 40. The previous several arrivals and the next several as well were compressing from the south for the Bridge Visual. There was also an Air Carrier which was NORDO which I believe may have prompted the Arrival Controller to push his planes to me and get them away from the NORDO Air Carrier. Departure holes were getting smaller; but I had been able to get the Runway 04R with more than good room before the next arrival for Runway 29. Several aircraft were arriving; mainly Runway 29 and departing Runway 04L. I generally cleared the Runway 29 arrivals on initial contact; about 8 to 12 miles south southwest so approximately 5 or more arrivals were checking in; cleared to land and patterns being adjusted; (make short approach or widen out); to accommodate departures from Runway 04R or arrivals for Runway 04R. I instructed Aircraft X to line up and wait on Runway 04R. I asked them to be ready to go and said I'd call them in about 20 seconds or so. As the previous arrival went through the intersection; I cleared Aircraft X for takeoff. I lined up the next departure for Runway 04R. I looked at the rest of the landing pattern to make my next adjustment and realized Aircraft X did not start to move at all. I looked at the next arrival; the ASDE X and the wind to see if it would work. Aircraft X rolled and I thought the heavy head wind would slow Aircraft Y enough. It wasn't. The ASDE X alarm sounded 'Converging' and I sent Aircraft Y around. I tried to give traffic to Aircraft X and I think he said he saw Aircraft Y and would level out. I think I instructed Aircraft X to resume the EWR1 Departure and contact New York Departure. I believe I then was calling Aircraft Y by the wrong call sign; and tried to turn him away from TEB arrivals. I use his proper call sign and turn him and switched him as too.I think that this approach is a good one but not when arrivals are pushed in closely together. So better spacing for all of arrivals which can help take into account of the different paths the pilots fly to the Runway; (29); and the ILS 04R with the same Runway 29 arrivals. With the winds; an up and down Runway 29 may have been the better plan.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site 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.