Air carrier on short final made a go around due to departing traffic on a converging runway.

Attributes
ACN	135475
Time
Date	199002
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lga
State Reference	NY
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 50
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : lga
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff
Route In Use	departure other
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	landing : go around landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 13000 flight time type : 9000
ASRS Report	135475
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 75 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 4500
ASRS Report	135636
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground less severe non adherence : published procedure non adherence : required legal separation
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 600 vertical : 200
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

We were cleared into position and hold runway 31 behind a company flight. We remained in takeoff position with brakes set approximately 10 seconds. The lga tower then cleared us for 'an immediate takeoff' which was complied with after the 1.4 pp ck and setting takeoff power. No comment was received from the tower to alert us of 'close-in' traffic landing runway 22. Around 70 KTS or more we overheard another aircraft transmit a comment about 'should we go around.' the tower replied, 'yes, go around.' at that time I looked to the right (the first officer was flying and was commencing to rotate the aircraft at vr) and noticed an air carrier large transport aircraft going around over the threshold of runway 22 and commencing his climb. I told the first officer to look right and watch the other aircraft. By this time we were airborne with the gear coming up. The tower, at a loss for words, said, 'air carrier X keep low' or 'air carrier X stay low'. Shortly thereafter the other aircraft flew over and slightly behind us. The first officer stated he saw air carrier (?) at 2:30 O'clock position starting his go around rotation. The first officer lowered the aircraft pitch to 5 degree and when clear climbed out. Speed at that time was 175 KTS and maybe 100' altitude at most. No other comments were made from the tower after takeoff. FAA inspector was on-board observing on the jump seat. Tower is trying too hard to move traffic on highly congested runways and cutting it too close for comfort.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR ON SHORT FINAL MADE A GO AROUND DUE TO DEPARTING TRAFFIC ON A CONVERGING RWY.

Narrative: WE WERE CLRED INTO POSITION AND HOLD RWY 31 BEHIND A COMPANY FLT. WE REMAINED IN TKOF POSITION WITH BRAKES SET APPROX 10 SECONDS. THE LGA TWR THEN CLRED US FOR 'AN IMMEDIATE TKOF' WHICH WAS COMPLIED WITH AFTER THE 1.4 PP CK AND SETTING TKOF POWER. NO COMMENT WAS RECEIVED FROM THE TWR TO ALERT US OF 'CLOSE-IN' TFC LNDG RWY 22. AROUND 70 KTS OR MORE WE OVERHEARD ANOTHER ACFT XMIT A COMMENT ABOUT 'SHOULD WE GO AROUND.' THE TWR REPLIED, 'YES, GO AROUND.' AT THAT TIME I LOOKED TO THE RIGHT (THE F/O WAS FLYING AND WAS COMMENCING TO ROTATE THE ACFT AT VR) AND NOTICED AN ACR LGT ACFT GOING AROUND OVER THE THRESHOLD OF RWY 22 AND COMMENCING HIS CLIMB. I TOLD THE F/O TO LOOK RIGHT AND WATCH THE OTHER ACFT. BY THIS TIME WE WERE AIRBORNE WITH THE GEAR COMING UP. THE TWR, AT A LOSS FOR WORDS, SAID, 'ACR X KEEP LOW' OR 'ACR X STAY LOW'. SHORTLY THEREAFTER THE OTHER ACFT FLEW OVER AND SLIGHTLY BEHIND US. THE F/O STATED HE SAW ACR (?) AT 2:30 O'CLOCK POSITION STARTING HIS GO AROUND ROTATION. THE F/O LOWERED THE ACFT PITCH TO 5 DEG AND WHEN CLEAR CLIMBED OUT. SPEED AT THAT TIME WAS 175 KTS AND MAYBE 100' ALT AT MOST. NO OTHER COMMENTS WERE MADE FROM THE TWR AFTER TKOF. FAA INSPECTOR WAS ON-BOARD OBSERVING ON THE JUMP SEAT. TWR IS TRYING TOO HARD TO MOVE TFC ON HIGHLY CONGESTED RWYS AND CUTTING IT TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.