Narrative:

The following event occurred while I was the controller in charge at sjc international airport on mar/xa/00. We were working traffic on runway 12R. Although we had some rain and high winds early the WX was clear with 10 KTS of wind at the time of the incident. Local control issued a takeoff clearance to air carrier X while a challenger, aircraft Y, was rolling out on runway 12R. The air carrier X had 1 turn to make and about 300 ft of taxiing left while the challenger aircraft Y had 700 ft of runway left to taxi. Also, air carrier Z was just inside 3 mi final. When aircraft X made the turn onto the runway, he came to a complete stop as I believe he saw challenger, aircraft Y, just starting his exit turn. As soon as air carrier X started his power up it was obvious that separation was not going to exist between air carrier X and air carrier Z. When air carrier Z had about 1000 ft left to the threshold he initiated a go around. If he had landed a loss of separation would've occurred. The local controller showed poor judgement twice in this incident. First, he should have never cleared air carrier X with the spacing available. 3 fully certified controllers witnessed the incident and all agree. Secondly the controller should've sent air carrier Z around on his own much earlier. By waiting the local controller allowed the aircraft to come a lot closer to one another than was necessary.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CTLR-IN-CHARGE AT SJC WITNESSED A B737 ON SHORT FINAL GO AROUND BECAUSE A B737 WAS DELAYED SLIGHTLY ON TKOF.

Narrative: THE FOLLOWING EVENT OCCURRED WHILE I WAS THE CTLR IN CHARGE AT SJC INTL ARPT ON MAR/XA/00. WE WERE WORKING TFC ON RWY 12R. ALTHOUGH WE HAD SOME RAIN AND HIGH WINDS EARLY THE WX WAS CLR WITH 10 KTS OF WIND AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. LCL CTL ISSUED A TKOF CLRNC TO ACR X WHILE A CHALLENGER, ACFT Y, WAS ROLLING OUT ON RWY 12R. THE ACR X HAD 1 TURN TO MAKE AND ABOUT 300 FT OF TAXIING LEFT WHILE THE CHALLENGER ACFT Y HAD 700 FT OF RWY LEFT TO TAXI. ALSO, ACR Z WAS JUST INSIDE 3 MI FINAL. WHEN ACFT X MADE THE TURN ONTO THE RWY, HE CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP AS I BELIEVE HE SAW CHALLENGER, ACFT Y, JUST STARTING HIS EXIT TURN. AS SOON AS ACR X STARTED HIS PWR UP IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT SEPARATION WAS NOT GOING TO EXIST BTWN ACR X AND ACR Z. WHEN ACR Z HAD ABOUT 1000 FT LEFT TO THE THRESHOLD HE INITIATED A GAR. IF HE HAD LANDED A LOSS OF SEPARATION WOULD'VE OCCURRED. THE LCL CTLR SHOWED POOR JUDGEMENT TWICE IN THIS INCIDENT. FIRST, HE SHOULD HAVE NEVER CLRED ACR X WITH THE SPACING AVAILABLE. 3 FULLY CERTIFIED CTLRS WITNESSED THE INCIDENT AND ALL AGREE. SECONDLY THE CTLR SHOULD'VE SENT ACR Z AROUND ON HIS OWN MUCH EARLIER. BY WAITING THE LCL CTLR ALLOWED THE ACFT TO COME A LOT CLOSER TO ONE ANOTHER THAN WAS NECESSARY.

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.