Narrative:

Clearance was a night visual to runway 27 at mem. Was flown as a CAT 1 ILS. Landing was rejected. During the go around, passing approximately 100 ft AGL, we observed an aircraft on final to runway 18R, passing under our flight path from right to left. We estimated that we passed over the other aircraft with only 200-300 ft of vertical clearance. There was only a few seconds from the time we saw the other aircraft until our horizontal flight paths crossed. Had we climbed less aggressively, the clearance between aircraft would have been less. I can't see anything that we could have done better under the circumstances. The only thing that could have helped would have been better sequencing by ATC. While go around's are not especially common in large transport category operations, it is naive/unwise to assume they will not happen from time, especially when crossing or perpendicular runways are in use. This time it caused a few tense moments in 2 cockpits and a control tower. Next time it could be much worse.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC BTWN AN MD11 ON GAR FROM A REJECTED LNDG AND ANOTHER ACFT ON FINAL FOR A CROSS RWY.

Narrative: CLRNC WAS A NIGHT VISUAL TO RWY 27 AT MEM. WAS FLOWN AS A CAT 1 ILS. LNDG WAS REJECTED. DURING THE GAR, PASSING APPROX 100 FT AGL, WE OBSERVED AN ACFT ON FINAL TO RWY 18R, PASSING UNDER OUR FLT PATH FROM R TO L. WE ESTIMATED THAT WE PASSED OVER THE OTHER ACFT WITH ONLY 200-300 FT OF VERT CLRNC. THERE WAS ONLY A FEW SECONDS FROM THE TIME WE SAW THE OTHER ACFT UNTIL OUR HORIZ FLT PATHS CROSSED. HAD WE CLBED LESS AGGRESSIVELY, THE CLRNC BTWN ACFT WOULD HAVE BEEN LESS. I CAN'T SEE ANYTHING THAT WE COULD HAVE DONE BETTER UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES. THE ONLY THING THAT COULD HAVE HELPED WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER SEQUENCING BY ATC. WHILE GAR'S ARE NOT ESPECIALLY COMMON IN LARGE TRANSPORT CATEGORY OPS, IT IS NAIVE/UNWISE TO ASSUME THEY WILL NOT HAPPEN FROM TIME, ESPECIALLY WHEN XING OR PERPENDICULAR RWYS ARE IN USE. THIS TIME IT CAUSED A FEW TENSE MOMENTS IN 2 COCKPITS AND A CTL TWR. NEXT TIME IT COULD BE MUCH WORSE.

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.