B737 landing lga fails to execute ATC go around because of identify confusion.

Attributes
ACN	586332
Time
Date	200306
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lga.airport
State Reference	NY
Altitude	agl single value : 100
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : lga.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-400
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	ils localizer only : 31
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing : roll
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tower : lga.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 125 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	586332
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : returned to original clearance
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Inter Facility Coordination Failure Intra Facility Coordination Failure

Narrative:

We were cleared for the localizer 31 approach to lga. Approach control did not switch us to tower, so at the FAF, we switched over to tower. Tower asked us if we had the B757 ahead (less than 4 mi) in sight. We acknowledged we had the B757 insight and were cleared to land runway 31. I advised the tower that no one had told us we were following a B757! I 'south' turned to the right to increase spacing. At about 100 ft, I heard the tower tell air carrier Z 'go around.' this flight was behind us on approach, and had missed several calls from approach control. With this in mind, I keyed my microphone and said 'who was that for?' when I unkeyed, the microphone, I heard 'go around, helicopter traffic right to left at 200 ft' we were now over the runway (+/- 50 ft AGL) and saw no reason for the go around to be for us, so we landed. During flare, the tower said 'ok air carrier X cleared to land.' the go around must have been for us, but we never heard our full call sign.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 LNDG LGA FAILS TO EXECUTE ATC GAR BECAUSE OF IDENT CONFUSION.

Narrative: WE WERE CLRED FOR THE LOC 31 APCH TO LGA. APCH CTL DID NOT SWITCH US TO TWR, SO AT THE FAF, WE SWITCHED OVER TO TWR. TWR ASKED US IF WE HAD THE B757 AHEAD (LESS THAN 4 MI) IN SIGHT. WE ACKNOWLEDGED WE HAD THE B757 INSIGHT AND WERE CLRED TO LAND RWY 31. I ADVISED THE TWR THAT NO ONE HAD TOLD US WE WERE FOLLOWING A B757! I 'S' TURNED TO THE R TO INCREASE SPACING. AT ABOUT 100 FT, I HEARD THE TWR TELL ACR Z 'GO AROUND.' THIS FLT WAS BEHIND US ON APCH, AND HAD MISSED SEVERAL CALLS FROM APCH CTL. WITH THIS IN MIND, I KEYED MY MIKE AND SAID 'WHO WAS THAT FOR?' WHEN I UNKEYED, THE MIKE, I HEARD 'GO AROUND, HELI TFC R TO L AT 200 FT' WE WERE NOW OVER THE RWY (+/- 50 FT AGL) AND SAW NO REASON FOR THE GAR TO BE FOR US, SO WE LANDED. DURING FLARE, THE TWR SAID 'OK ACR X CLRED TO LAND.' THE GAR MUST HAVE BEEN FOR US, BUT WE NEVER HEARD OUR FULL CALL SIGN.

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.