Narrative:

Air carrier X #2 for takeoff at intersection Z at the end of runway 8 at sju, behind an airbus. The airbus was cleared for takeoff and we were cleared into position and hold. The airbus rotated about 2/3 of the way down the runway and we waited for our takeoff clearance which we expected would follow shortly but instead the frequency grew quiet. I noticed a large shadow pass overhead and I immediately looked at the TCASII and noticed, to my surprise, a red square, 100 ft above our aircraft symbol and I immediately looked outside just in time to see air carrier Y airbus pass over the top of our aircraft well into the go around process with its landing gear in the process of retracting. I think that it is important to note that during the 4-5 mins that we held in position, there was no transmission whatsoever, neither from the tower nor from the approaching aircraft. I never heard a clearance to land or any other transmission to any other aircraft for that matter. The first communication came from the airbus when he informed the tower that they were going around. After about 5 seconds after this transmission, the tower controller finally issued instructions to the airbus and about 10 seconds later, we were cleared for takeoff. I called the control tower and spoke to the supervisor on duty, who also happened to be on duty when the incident took place and during our conversation he admitted to their mistake stating that the controller had in fact forgotten about us and was taken completely by surprise when the airbus went around. One thing that I found particularly annoying was a statement made by this supervisor that said, 'fortunately, separation was never compromised.' I'm not exactly sure that I know what that means to him. If the fact that the 2 aircraft did not come in contact with one another is sufficient separation, well then, I'll have to agree with him just like I have to admit that 100 ft vertical separation is too close of a shave for comfort. In retrospect, maybe I shouldn't have waited so long for a takeoff clearance especially when 2 aircraft of the same category do not require such a lengthy separation. My calling the tower saying 'flight XXX is ready' might have given the controller a 'wake-up' call and it may have also roused the curiosity of the air carrier Y crew.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR Y HAD NMAC LTSS FROM ACR X HOLDING IN POS ON RWY. SYS ERROR.

Narrative: ACR X #2 FOR TKOF AT INTXN Z AT THE END OF RWY 8 AT SJU, BEHIND AN AIRBUS. THE AIRBUS WAS CLRED FOR TKOF AND WE WERE CLRED INTO POS AND HOLD. THE AIRBUS ROTATED ABOUT 2/3 OF THE WAY DOWN THE RWY AND WE WAITED FOR OUR TKOF CLRNC WHICH WE EXPECTED WOULD FOLLOW SHORTLY BUT INSTEAD THE FREQ GREW QUIET. I NOTICED A LARGE SHADOW PASS OVERHEAD AND I IMMEDIATELY LOOKED AT THE TCASII AND NOTICED, TO MY SURPRISE, A RED SQUARE, 100 FT ABOVE OUR ACFT SYMBOL AND I IMMEDIATELY LOOKED OUTSIDE JUST IN TIME TO SEE ACR Y AIRBUS PASS OVER THE TOP OF OUR ACFT WELL INTO THE GAR PROCESS WITH ITS LNDG GEAR IN THE PROCESS OF RETRACTING. I THINK THAT IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT DURING THE 4-5 MINS THAT WE HELD IN POS, THERE WAS NO XMISSION WHATSOEVER, NEITHER FROM THE TWR NOR FROM THE APCHING ACFT. I NEVER HEARD A CLRNC TO LAND OR ANY OTHER XMISSION TO ANY OTHER ACFT FOR THAT MATTER. THE FIRST COM CAME FROM THE AIRBUS WHEN HE INFORMED THE TWR THAT THEY WERE GOING AROUND. AFTER ABOUT 5 SECONDS AFTER THIS XMISSION, THE TWR CTLR FINALLY ISSUED INSTRUCTIONS TO THE AIRBUS AND ABOUT 10 SECONDS LATER, WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF. I CALLED THE CTL TWR AND SPOKE TO THE SUPVR ON DUTY, WHO ALSO HAPPENED TO BE ON DUTY WHEN THE INCIDENT TOOK PLACE AND DURING OUR CONVERSATION HE ADMITTED TO THEIR MISTAKE STATING THAT THE CTLR HAD IN FACT FORGOTTEN ABOUT US AND WAS TAKEN COMPLETELY BY SURPRISE WHEN THE AIRBUS WENT AROUND. ONE THING THAT I FOUND PARTICULARLY ANNOYING WAS A STATEMENT MADE BY THIS SUPVR THAT SAID, 'FORTUNATELY, SEPARATION WAS NEVER COMPROMISED.' I'M NOT EXACTLY SURE THAT I KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS TO HIM. IF THE FACT THAT THE 2 ACFT DID NOT COME IN CONTACT WITH ONE ANOTHER IS SUFFICIENT SEPARATION, WELL THEN, I'LL HAVE TO AGREE WITH HIM JUST LIKE I HAVE TO ADMIT THAT 100 FT VERT SEPARATION IS TOO CLOSE OF A SHAVE FOR COMFORT. IN RETROSPECT, MAYBE I SHOULDN'T HAVE WAITED SO LONG FOR A TKOF CLRNC ESPECIALLY WHEN 2 ACFT OF THE SAME CATEGORY DO NOT REQUIRE SUCH A LENGTHY SEPARATION. MY CALLING THE TWR SAYING 'FLT XXX IS READY' MIGHT HAVE GIVEN THE CTLR A 'WAKE-UP' CALL AND IT MAY HAVE ALSO ROUSED THE CURIOSITY OF THE ACR Y CREW.

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.