Narrative:

Air carrier X on approach to runway 5R at mex, in nighttime conditions with light to moderate rain falling, it was necessary to execute a go around. The go around was caused by the preceding aircraft not clearing the runway prior to our touchdown. As the first officer established the aircraft in a climb, an aircraft was lifting off of runway 5L. We received a 070 degree heading from the mex tower controller. I acknowledged the clearance and asked for an altitude to climb to. We received no response from the tower controller. I made 2 more requests for an altitude with no response from the tower. I told the first officer to climb to 12000 ft. Finally, tower gave us a change of frequencys to departure control, but again no altitude. My main concern at this point was the high terrain to the east of the airport. We established contact with the departure controller (I believe the controller was the final controller for arrs). This controller did not know who we were, or where we were. After I told him our position he gave us another frequency to call. By this time, I had told the first officer to turn right, back to the mex VOR. We executed this turn on our own to avoid the mountains to the east of the airport which were obscured by the darkness, clouds and rain. When we established contact on this new frequency, the controller was also surprised to hear from us, and did not know where we were. At this time, we were approximately on the 080 degree radial, at approximately 8 mi. At approximately 6 mi east of the mex VOR, we received a squawk, and were cleared to runway 5R by the mex 2 transition. We landed successfully from this approach. The main area of concern was the controller's apparent lack of an action plan during a runway 5R go around with an aircraft simultaneously departing runway 5L. By using a clearance with heading only, an unsuspecting crew could conceivably fly the 070 degree heading directly into high terrain while waiting for the controllers to radar identify the aircraft and issue a valid clearance. This situation could lead to a CFIT accident. Finally, the published missed approach for runway 5R was unavailable to us due to the airspace being occupied by the aircraft departing runway 5L.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR X CFTT AFTER GAR DUE TO OCCUPIED RWY.

Narrative: ACR X ON APCH TO RWY 5R AT MEX, IN NIGHTTIME CONDITIONS WITH LIGHT TO MODERATE RAIN FALLING, IT WAS NECESSARY TO EXECUTE A GAR. THE GAR WAS CAUSED BY THE PRECEDING ACFT NOT CLRING THE RWY PRIOR TO OUR TOUCHDOWN. AS THE FO ESTABLISHED THE ACFT IN A CLB, AN ACFT WAS LIFTING OFF OF RWY 5L. WE RECEIVED A 070 DEG HDG FROM THE MEX TWR CTLR. I ACKNOWLEDGED THE CLRNC AND ASKED FOR AN ALT TO CLB TO. WE RECEIVED NO RESPONSE FROM THE TWR CTLR. I MADE 2 MORE REQUESTS FOR AN ALT WITH NO RESPONSE FROM THE TWR. I TOLD THE FO TO CLB TO 12000 FT. FINALLY, TWR GAVE US A CHANGE OF FREQS TO DEP CTL, BUT AGAIN NO ALT. MY MAIN CONCERN AT THIS POINT WAS THE HIGH TERRAIN TO THE E OF THE ARPT. WE ESTABLISHED CONTACT WITH THE DEP CTLR (I BELIEVE THE CTLR WAS THE FINAL CTLR FOR ARRS). THIS CTLR DID NOT KNOW WHO WE WERE, OR WHERE WE WERE. AFTER I TOLD HIM OUR POS HE GAVE US ANOTHER FREQ TO CALL. BY THIS TIME, I HAD TOLD THE FO TO TURN R, BACK TO THE MEX VOR. WE EXECUTED THIS TURN ON OUR OWN TO AVOID THE MOUNTAINS TO THE E OF THE ARPT WHICH WERE OBSCURED BY THE DARKNESS, CLOUDS AND RAIN. WHEN WE ESTABLISHED CONTACT ON THIS NEW FREQ, THE CTLR WAS ALSO SURPRISED TO HEAR FROM US, AND DID NOT KNOW WHERE WE WERE. AT THIS TIME, WE WERE APPROX ON THE 080 DEG RADIAL, AT APPROX 8 MI. AT APPROX 6 MI E OF THE MEX VOR, WE RECEIVED A SQUAWK, AND WERE CLRED TO RWY 5R BY THE MEX 2 TRANSITION. WE LANDED SUCCESSFULLY FROM THIS APCH. THE MAIN AREA OF CONCERN WAS THE CTLR'S APPARENT LACK OF AN ACTION PLAN DURING A RWY 5R GAR WITH AN ACFT SIMULTANEOUSLY DEPARTING RWY 5L. BY USING A CLRNC WITH HDG ONLY, AN UNSUSPECTING CREW COULD CONCEIVABLY FLY THE 070 DEG HDG DIRECTLY INTO HIGH TERRAIN WHILE WAITING FOR THE CTLRS TO RADAR IDENT THE ACFT AND ISSUE A VALID CLRNC. THIS SIT COULD LEAD TO A CFIT ACCIDENT. FINALLY, THE PUBLISHED MISSED APCH FOR RWY 5R WAS UNAVAILABLE TO US DUE TO THE AIRSPACE BEING OCCUPIED BY THE ACFT DEPARTING RWY 5L.

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.