Narrative:

X on visual to runway 36 in dca, we were 3 mi intrail of an executive jet landing on runway 33. Tower cleared air carrier Y aircraft for takeoff after the traffic landed on runway 33. I believe he was told to 'keep the power up, you'll go right out.' at 400 ft AGL when it was obvious that we would touchdown prior to Y's takeoff had been completed, we initiated go around and informed tower. Tower's response was blocked. We turned left to 340 degrees to parallel river and avoid restr area. Tower then called back and called 'right turn 050 degrees' in an emphatic manner. After initial turn to right, tower, in a tone bordering on panic, alerted us to traffic to the right, very close. This was the departing aircraft from runway 36, climbing through approximately 500 ft and about 1/2 mi past the departure end of runway 36. Our right turn took us above and behind him as he turned left to head up river as per standard departure for runway 36. We kept him in sight and passed about 1000-2000 ft above and behind, crossed over the river and climbed to 2000 ft heading 180 degrees. This potentially disastrous situation was averted due to good WX. Had we been IMC it could have been closer. It seems to be standard practive at dca to keep tight intervals due to traffic requirements. However, to use nonstandard terminology in hopes of expediting departures or delaying arrs gives the controller a false sense that he is helping spacing when he is not. Calls such as 'keep the power up, you'll go right out, 'be read to go', 'square your turn to final' are heard frequently. Pilots will operate their aircraft according to normal procedures from their manuals and company procedures, despite calls such as those mentioned. To decrease spacing and rely on these frivolous instructions to bail them out is not safe. We were told to 'south-turn' at 700 ft. How do you 'square the turn to final' on the river visual to runway 18? Supplemental information from acn 293748: this go around resulted in a dangerous situation with the aircraft taking off and a near flight by prohibited area P-56, the white house. The first officer was flying as we began a visual approach to runway 36 to follow an executive jet 3 mi ahead landing on runway 33. 2 mi ahead of him was a commercial jet landing on runway 36. We were told by dca tower a runway 36 departure would occur after the executive jet landed. The departing flight was a company shuttle, as we were. We saw it would be close. At 400 ft altitude I ordered a go around. The company flight was 1000 ft down the runway on takeoff. I called the tower saying we were going around and I believe the tower at the same time told us to go around, but he was partially blocked. The aircraft taking off was 1/2 - 1 mi ahead and climbing under us. I ordered a left turn and kept the other aircraft visual. I asked the tower what heading they wanted and again blocked their transmission. The tower then repeated 'turn right to 050 degrees, you are very close to the other aircraft.' at this point our heading was 340 degrees. We maintained visual separation and immediately turned right to 050 degrees. I believe we were south of P-56 (over the jefferson monument) as we turned, but it was close.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR X GAR BECAUSE OF OCCUPIED RWY HAD CONFLICT WITH Y.

Narrative: X ON VISUAL TO RWY 36 IN DCA, WE WERE 3 MI INTRAIL OF AN EXECUTIVE JET LNDG ON RWY 33. TWR CLRED ACR Y ACFT FOR TKOF AFTER THE TFC LANDED ON RWY 33. I BELIEVE HE WAS TOLD TO 'KEEP THE PWR UP, YOU'LL GO RIGHT OUT.' AT 400 FT AGL WHEN IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT WE WOULD TOUCHDOWN PRIOR TO Y'S TKOF HAD BEEN COMPLETED, WE INITIATED GAR AND INFORMED TWR. TWR'S RESPONSE WAS BLOCKED. WE TURNED L TO 340 DEGS TO PARALLEL RIVER AND AVOID RESTR AREA. TWR THEN CALLED BACK AND CALLED 'R TURN 050 DEGS' IN AN EMPHATIC MANNER. AFTER INITIAL TURN TO R, TWR, IN A TONE BORDERING ON PANIC, ALERTED US TO TFC TO THE R, VERY CLOSE. THIS WAS THE DEPARTING ACFT FROM RWY 36, CLBING THROUGH APPROX 500 FT AND ABOUT 1/2 MI PAST THE DEP END OF RWY 36. OUR R TURN TOOK US ABOVE AND BEHIND HIM AS HE TURNED L TO HEAD UP RIVER AS PER STANDARD DEP FOR RWY 36. WE KEPT HIM IN SIGHT AND PASSED ABOUT 1000-2000 FT ABOVE AND BEHIND, CROSSED OVER THE RIVER AND CLBED TO 2000 FT HDG 180 DEGS. THIS POTENTIALLY DISASTROUS SIT WAS AVERTED DUE TO GOOD WX. HAD WE BEEN IMC IT COULD HAVE BEEN CLOSER. IT SEEMS TO BE STANDARD PRACTIVE AT DCA TO KEEP TIGHT INTERVALS DUE TO TFC REQUIREMENTS. HOWEVER, TO USE NONSTANDARD TERMINOLOGY IN HOPES OF EXPEDITING DEPS OR DELAYING ARRS GIVES THE CTLR A FALSE SENSE THAT HE IS HELPING SPACING WHEN HE IS NOT. CALLS SUCH AS 'KEEP THE PWR UP, YOU'LL GO RIGHT OUT, 'BE READ TO GO', 'SQUARE YOUR TURN TO FINAL' ARE HEARD FREQUENTLY. PLTS WILL OPERATE THEIR ACFT ACCORDING TO NORMAL PROCS FROM THEIR MANUALS AND COMPANY PROCS, DESPITE CALLS SUCH AS THOSE MENTIONED. TO DECREASE SPACING AND RELY ON THESE FRIVOLOUS INSTRUCTIONS TO BAIL THEM OUT IS NOT SAFE. WE WERE TOLD TO 'S-TURN' AT 700 FT. HOW DO YOU 'SQUARE THE TURN TO FINAL' ON THE RIVER VISUAL TO RWY 18? SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 293748: THIS GAR RESULTED IN A DANGEROUS SIT WITH THE ACFT TAKING OFF AND A NEAR FLT BY PROHIBITED AREA P-56, THE WHITE HOUSE. THE FO WAS FLYING AS WE BEGAN A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 36 TO FOLLOW AN EXECUTIVE JET 3 MI AHEAD LNDG ON RWY 33. 2 MI AHEAD OF HIM WAS A COMMERCIAL JET LNDG ON RWY 36. WE WERE TOLD BY DCA TWR A RWY 36 DEP WOULD OCCUR AFTER THE EXECUTIVE JET LANDED. THE DEPARTING FLT WAS A COMPANY SHUTTLE, AS WE WERE. WE SAW IT WOULD BE CLOSE. AT 400 FT ALT I ORDERED A GAR. THE COMPANY FLT WAS 1000 FT DOWN THE RWY ON TKOF. I CALLED THE TWR SAYING WE WERE GOING AROUND AND I BELIEVE THE TWR AT THE SAME TIME TOLD US TO GAR, BUT HE WAS PARTIALLY BLOCKED. THE ACFT TAKING OFF WAS 1/2 - 1 MI AHEAD AND CLBING UNDER US. I ORDERED A L TURN AND KEPT THE OTHER ACFT VISUAL. I ASKED THE TWR WHAT HDG THEY WANTED AND AGAIN BLOCKED THEIR XMISSION. THE TWR THEN REPEATED 'TURN R TO 050 DEGS, YOU ARE VERY CLOSE TO THE OTHER ACFT.' AT THIS POINT OUR HDG WAS 340 DEGS. WE MAINTAINED VISUAL SEPARATION AND IMMEDIATELY TURNED R TO 050 DEGS. I BELIEVE WE WERE S OF P-56 (OVER THE JEFFERSON MONUMENT) AS WE TURNED, BUT IT WAS CLOSE.

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.