Captain of a B737-800 was directed to go around by tower and flew straight out due to a lack of inst...

Attributes
ACN	452301
Time
Date	199910
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : atl.airport
State Reference	GA
Altitude	msl single value : 3500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : atl.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-800
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	landing : go around
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tower : atl.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude climbout : initial
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 5500 flight time type : 120
ASRS Report	452301
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment : tcas other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance controller : separated traffic
Miss Distance	horizontal : 1000 vertical : 500
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Approach in atl, temporary runway 28. Captain was flying. The aircraft in front of us could not clear the runway in time, so the tower issued a go around. The captain initiated the go around -- no instructions were given by the tower at the time of the go around. The captain pressed the toga button and climbed straight out. During the climb to 3500 ft, the tower said 'air carrier X, turn right to 180 degrees, maintain 3500 ft.' I replied, and set the heading and altitude in the MCP. The captain continued straight. I told him to turn to 180 degrees. He called for flaps 15 degrees, then flaps 5 degrees. Before I could tell him to turn again, the tower called and said 'aircraft flying straight ahead, maintain runway heading.' no call sign was given. Thinking he was talking to us, I replied 'roger, air carrier X maintaining runway heading.' tower replied 'roger air carrier X.' I then looked to the right and noticed an air carrier Y B737 abeam and slightly below us who had departed the parallel runway (runway 27R). We then got a TCASII RA. Tower then told us to turn to 180 degrees. We turned to the assigned heading. Air carrier Y replied we had received an RA. We were sent to approach and continued back around for an uneventful approach and landing. The captain stated he had thought the 180 was speed (180 KTS). The captain was flying the HUD. I believe he got so wrapped up in flying the HUD that he lost situational awareness for a moment. A lot was going on (flaps coming up, leveling the aircraft, etc) and when tower said 'aircraft flying straight out...' to maintain runway heading, I assumed he was talking to us, and responded -- and tower responded to us. Tower should have used a call sign or even the company, ie, air carrier X or air carrier Y. In my opinion, this was the biggest contributing factor, other than the captain misunderstanding the clearance. Also, if tower had issued the heading and altitude at the time of the go around, instead of later, during the go around, most of the confusion would have been avoided.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF A B737-800 WAS DIRECTED TO GO AROUND BY TWR AND FLEW STRAIGHT OUT DUE TO A LACK OF INSTRUCTIONS OTHERWISE. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE TWR CTLR GAVE A TURN WHICH THE CAPT INTERPED TO MEAN AIRSPD INSTEAD OF HDG.

Narrative: APCH IN ATL, TEMPORARY RWY 28. CAPT WAS FLYING. THE ACFT IN FRONT OF US COULD NOT CLR THE RWY IN TIME, SO THE TWR ISSUED A GAR. THE CAPT INITIATED THE GAR -- NO INSTRUCTIONS WERE GIVEN BY THE TWR AT THE TIME OF THE GAR. THE CAPT PRESSED THE TOGA BUTTON AND CLBED STRAIGHT OUT. DURING THE CLB TO 3500 FT, THE TWR SAID 'ACR X, TURN R TO 180 DEGS, MAINTAIN 3500 FT.' I REPLIED, AND SET THE HDG AND ALT IN THE MCP. THE CAPT CONTINUED STRAIGHT. I TOLD HIM TO TURN TO 180 DEGS. HE CALLED FOR FLAPS 15 DEGS, THEN FLAPS 5 DEGS. BEFORE I COULD TELL HIM TO TURN AGAIN, THE TWR CALLED AND SAID 'ACFT FLYING STRAIGHT AHEAD, MAINTAIN RWY HDG.' NO CALL SIGN WAS GIVEN. THINKING HE WAS TALKING TO US, I REPLIED 'ROGER, ACR X MAINTAINING RWY HDG.' TWR REPLIED 'ROGER ACR X.' I THEN LOOKED TO THE R AND NOTICED AN ACR Y B737 ABEAM AND SLIGHTLY BELOW US WHO HAD DEPARTED THE PARALLEL RWY (RWY 27R). WE THEN GOT A TCASII RA. TWR THEN TOLD US TO TURN TO 180 DEGS. WE TURNED TO THE ASSIGNED HDG. ACR Y REPLIED WE HAD RECEIVED AN RA. WE WERE SENT TO APCH AND CONTINUED BACK AROUND FOR AN UNEVENTFUL APCH AND LNDG. THE CAPT STATED HE HAD THOUGHT THE 180 WAS SPD (180 KTS). THE CAPT WAS FLYING THE HUD. I BELIEVE HE GOT SO WRAPPED UP IN FLYING THE HUD THAT HE LOST SITUATIONAL AWARENESS FOR A MOMENT. A LOT WAS GOING ON (FLAPS COMING UP, LEVELING THE ACFT, ETC) AND WHEN TWR SAID 'ACFT FLYING STRAIGHT OUT...' TO MAINTAIN RWY HDG, I ASSUMED HE WAS TALKING TO US, AND RESPONDED -- AND TWR RESPONDED TO US. TWR SHOULD HAVE USED A CALL SIGN OR EVEN THE COMPANY, IE, ACR X OR ACR Y. IN MY OPINION, THIS WAS THE BIGGEST CONTRIBUTING FACTOR, OTHER THAN THE CAPT MISUNDERSTANDING THE CLRNC. ALSO, IF TWR HAD ISSUED THE HDG AND ALT AT THE TIME OF THE GAR, INSTEAD OF LATER, DURING THE GAR, MOST OF THE CONFUSION WOULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED.

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.

Captain of a B737-800 was directed to go around by tower and flew straight out due to a lack of instructions otherwise. Subsequently, the tower controller gave a turn which the captain interpreted to mean airspeed instead of heading.