Narrative:

Dark, high overcast night. Visual approach to runway 27 in houston. Runway 15L was closed and they were departing and arriving runway 27 --very unusual for iah. We were cleared to land. There was a company aircraft down the runway and tower was prodding him to exit the high speed. Problem was, there was also an aircraft on the runway threshold, beginning takeoff roll, and we were short final at 300 ft. There was no way it would fit. Neither myself nor the first officer remember hearing the tower clear anyone into position, or clear them for takeoff. When we confirmed our landing clearance, the controller seemed a bit confused and said 'cancel your takeoff clearance.' then he said 'cancel your approach clearance,' and gave us a left turn to a southerly heading. He never did say 'go around,' which was what we were expecting. We executed the go around and began the turn, amid all the confusion. I (the captain) was flying, and the first officer was quite busy grabbing gear, flaps, heading knob, heading select, listening both to my callouts and the tower instructions. I'm not sure if we were assigned 2000 ft or not. It could be that we weren't assigned it, or that the radio call came right as I called for more flap retraction. We were accelerating and climbing rapidly. The first officer asked the controller what altitude he wanted, as we were going through 2500 ft, and he said 'well, I wanted 2000 ft.' we stopped at 2600 ft, and went back down. I really don't think the controller knew there was an aircraft on the takeoff roll in front of us. This, and the ambiguous clrncs issued to us contributed to a confused state and high workload on the part of the controller, and to both of us on the flight crew.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR ON SHORT FINAL ISSUED INSTRUCTIONS TO TURN L AND S BECAUSE OF AN ACFT EXITING THE RWY AND AN ACFT IN POS DEPARTING.

Narrative: DARK, HIGH OVCST NIGHT. VISUAL APCH TO RWY 27 IN HOUSTON. RWY 15L WAS CLOSED AND THEY WERE DEPARTING AND ARRIVING RWY 27 --VERY UNUSUAL FOR IAH. WE WERE CLRED TO LAND. THERE WAS A COMPANY ACFT DOWN THE RWY AND TWR WAS PRODDING HIM TO EXIT THE HIGH SPD. PROB WAS, THERE WAS ALSO AN ACFT ON THE RWY THRESHOLD, BEGINNING TKOF ROLL, AND WE WERE SHORT FINAL AT 300 FT. THERE WAS NO WAY IT WOULD FIT. NEITHER MYSELF NOR THE FO REMEMBER HEARING THE TWR CLR ANYONE INTO POS, OR CLR THEM FOR TKOF. WHEN WE CONFIRMED OUR LNDG CLRNC, THE CTLR SEEMED A BIT CONFUSED AND SAID 'CANCEL YOUR TKOF CLRNC.' THEN HE SAID 'CANCEL YOUR APCH CLRNC,' AND GAVE US A L TURN TO A SOUTHERLY HDG. HE NEVER DID SAY 'GO AROUND,' WHICH WAS WHAT WE WERE EXPECTING. WE EXECUTED THE GAR AND BEGAN THE TURN, AMID ALL THE CONFUSION. I (THE CAPT) WAS FLYING, AND THE FO WAS QUITE BUSY GRABBING GEAR, FLAPS, HDG KNOB, HDG SELECT, LISTENING BOTH TO MY CALLOUTS AND THE TWR INSTRUCTIONS. I'M NOT SURE IF WE WERE ASSIGNED 2000 FT OR NOT. IT COULD BE THAT WE WEREN'T ASSIGNED IT, OR THAT THE RADIO CALL CAME RIGHT AS I CALLED FOR MORE FLAP RETRACTION. WE WERE ACCELERATING AND CLBING RAPIDLY. THE FO ASKED THE CTLR WHAT ALT HE WANTED, AS WE WERE GOING THROUGH 2500 FT, AND HE SAID 'WELL, I WANTED 2000 FT.' WE STOPPED AT 2600 FT, AND WENT BACK DOWN. I REALLY DON'T THINK THE CTLR KNEW THERE WAS AN ACFT ON THE TKOF ROLL IN FRONT OF US. THIS, AND THE AMBIGUOUS CLRNCS ISSUED TO US CONTRIBUTED TO A CONFUSED STATE AND HIGH WORKLOAD ON THE PART OF THE CTLR, AND TO BOTH OF US ON THE FLC.

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.