Narrative:

Departed olv on instrument training flight to mkl. Filed instrument flight plan while en route. Received instrument clearance 20 NM southwest of mkl. Received vectors for spacing which flew us through the localizer and were told to expect ILS runway 2 at mkl, circle-to-land. 6 mi from mercy LOM, we received this clearance: 'fly heading 360 degrees to intercept, maintain 2500 ft until established, cleared for the ILS runway 2 at mkl.' this clearance contained no circle-to-land amendment and was read back to center with no correction. We then received missed approach instructions: fly runway heading, climb/maintain 2500 ft. This clearance ensures that we were cleared to published decision ht, at which time I agreed with my student that we were not expected to circle. Upon crossing mercy LOM, we still had not been given a frequency change to mkl tower. Upon prompting the center controller, we were then told to contact tower. After tuning the tower frequency, it was clear that tower had just cleared an aircraft for takeoff on runway 20 (opposing runway). We informed tower that we were on short final with departing aircraft insight. Tower told departing aircraft to break right. Departing aircraft complied and acknowledged that he had the aircraft in sight on approach. It appears that the tower controller thought that we were outside of the mercy LOM at the time he cleared the other aircraft for departure on runway 20. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated the departing aircraft was a C210, VFR, below his altitude, and had just lifted off when he was approximately 1 mi from the airport on a missed approach. He said he was instructing a private pilot with approximately 180 hours. He said mkl is a contract tower without radar. He talked to the ZME controller after landing and was told that the center controller coordination with the tower and gave mkl an accurate time estimated over the LOM. He reported the incident to an FAA office and was later told that they had listened to the tower tapes and had recommended remedial training be given to the controller involved.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT IN C182 ON INST APCH TO MKL WERE TURNED OVER LATE BY ZME TO TWR AND CONFLICTED WITH DEPARTING OPPOSITE DIRECTION TFC.

Narrative: DEPARTED OLV ON INST TRAINING FLT TO MKL. FILED INST FLT PLAN WHILE ENRTE. RECEIVED INST CLRNC 20 NM SW OF MKL. RECEIVED VECTORS FOR SPACING WHICH FLEW US THROUGH THE LOC AND WERE TOLD TO EXPECT ILS RWY 2 AT MKL, CIRCLE-TO-LAND. 6 MI FROM MERCY LOM, WE RECEIVED THIS CLRNC: 'FLY HDG 360 DEGS TO INTERCEPT, MAINTAIN 2500 FT UNTIL ESTABLISHED, CLRED FOR THE ILS RWY 2 AT MKL.' THIS CLRNC CONTAINED NO CIRCLE-TO-LAND AMENDMENT AND WAS READ BACK TO CTR WITH NO CORRECTION. WE THEN RECEIVED MISSED APCH INSTRUCTIONS: FLY RWY HDG, CLB/MAINTAIN 2500 FT. THIS CLRNC ENSURES THAT WE WERE CLRED TO PUBLISHED DECISION HT, AT WHICH TIME I AGREED WITH MY STUDENT THAT WE WERE NOT EXPECTED TO CIRCLE. UPON XING MERCY LOM, WE STILL HAD NOT BEEN GIVEN A FREQ CHANGE TO MKL TWR. UPON PROMPTING THE CTR CTLR, WE WERE THEN TOLD TO CONTACT TWR. AFTER TUNING THE TWR FREQ, IT WAS CLR THAT TWR HAD JUST CLRED AN ACFT FOR TKOF ON RWY 20 (OPPOSING RWY). WE INFORMED TWR THAT WE WERE ON SHORT FINAL WITH DEPARTING ACFT INSIGHT. TWR TOLD DEPARTING ACFT TO BREAK R. DEPARTING ACFT COMPLIED AND ACKNOWLEDGED THAT HE HAD THE ACFT IN SIGHT ON APCH. IT APPEARS THAT THE TWR CTLR THOUGHT THAT WE WERE OUTSIDE OF THE MERCY LOM AT THE TIME HE CLRED THE OTHER ACFT FOR DEP ON RWY 20. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THE DEPARTING ACFT WAS A C210, VFR, BELOW HIS ALT, AND HAD JUST LIFTED OFF WHEN HE WAS APPROX 1 MI FROM THE ARPT ON A MISSED APCH. HE SAID HE WAS INSTRUCTING A PVT PLT WITH APPROX 180 HRS. HE SAID MKL IS A CONTRACT TWR WITHOUT RADAR. HE TALKED TO THE ZME CTLR AFTER LNDG AND WAS TOLD THAT THE CTR CTLR COORD WITH THE TWR AND GAVE MKL AN ACCURATE TIME ESTIMATED OVER THE LOM. HE RPTED THE INCIDENT TO AN FAA OFFICE AND WAS LATER TOLD THAT THEY HAD LISTENED TO THE TWR TAPES AND HAD RECOMMENDED REMEDIAL TRAINING BE GIVEN TO THE CTLR INVOLVED.

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.