Narrative:

Had just completed a customs/fuel stop at fll after an 8 hour international flight from brazil. Was deadheading aircraft back to homebase. Had arrived 1 hour earlier in marginal WX conditions with thunderstorms. Storms passed through the area during our ground time, though low ceilings and reduced visibility due to light rain and mist/fog prevailed. Taxied to runway 9L and was #3 behind airline equipment. The runway was wet. I can only guess at the 'big picture.' due to the WX, the inbounds had probably been stacked up when I reached the end of runway 9L. Miami approach was forcing the arrs upon the local controller at the rate of approximately 1 per min on the ILS. Local was doing a great job of controling the position. As every aircraft hit the OM, the controller had to slow them down by at least 10 KTS. Every other aircraft made (if not out right complained or whined, communication etiquette was so unprofessional that hectic evening) comments that miami approach was making them keep 170 KTS to the marker. Local was having to slow every arrival as they checked in at the marker. It was obvious that local was trying to make the best of poor ATC handling further up the chain, however, even with arrs telling the controller outright, to coordinate with approach on arrival's speeds, it was apparent that nothing was done. The tension on everyone was unbelievable. One arrival was sent around due to an aircraft not vacating the runway quickly enough. As we taxied up to the #1 position, I told my copilot to be ready to go, with no delays on the line up checks. About this time, a change in the local controller's position occurred. When the new controller came on, the controller advised us to be ready to go. We acknowledged ok. And then, there was about a 3 min break in the arriving traffic. Nothing happened. No takeoff clearance. We were spring loaded to go and then nothing happened. Finally, out of the clouds pops another air carrier on final. As I watched him get closer, I realized that we weren't going to be released. I relaxed, my copilot relaxed. Big mistake. Tower cleared us for an immediate takeoff. You can't even begin to imagine our total surprise. Both crew and engines weren't spooled up to go. As we were turning the corner for a rolling takeoff, tower comes back and asked if we were rolling! As soon as we replied affirmative, the controller sent the arriving aircraft around. The controller wasn't happy, the arrival wasn't happy and I wasn't happy. I do not think that there was any loss of separation at any time. My thoughts in retrospect. Approach was forcing arrs upon local without consideration of the very marginal conditions of bad WX and wet runway. Approach needs to consider what bad WX and 1 wet arrival/departure runway does to everyone and not just see how many targets they can stuff into a 'gate.' there are downstream consequences. Local did not or would not coordinate with approach to slow down the arrs. There was no room for error that evening on anyone's part. I think local had a mindset that they were not going to cry 'uncle' and they were going to get everyone on regardless of what approach was throwing at them. Local should have coordinated arrs better with approach. The new controller attempted to immediately continue the fast paced tempo of the previous controller. He failed as evidenced by the wasted 3 mins of slack time and then launching us in the face of close in traffic. Having relaxed due to the wasted spacing lull and seeing the arriving aircraft closing in, I was taken by complete surprise at the takeoff clearance. I wanted to help the 'system.' I should have rejected the clearance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: G5 FLT CREW IS ISSUED IMMEDIATE TKOF, MINIMALLY SPACED ARR TFC EXECUTES GAR.

Narrative: HAD JUST COMPLETED A CUSTOMS/FUEL STOP AT FLL AFTER AN 8 HR INTL FLT FROM BRAZIL. WAS DEADHEADING ACFT BACK TO HOMEBASE. HAD ARRIVED 1 HR EARLIER IN MARGINAL WX CONDITIONS WITH TSTMS. STORMS PASSED THROUGH THE AREA DURING OUR GND TIME, THOUGH LOW CEILINGS AND REDUCED VISIBILITY DUE TO LIGHT RAIN AND MIST/FOG PREVAILED. TAXIED TO RWY 9L AND WAS #3 BEHIND AIRLINE EQUIP. THE RWY WAS WET. I CAN ONLY GUESS AT THE 'BIG PICTURE.' DUE TO THE WX, THE INBOUNDS HAD PROBABLY BEEN STACKED UP WHEN I REACHED THE END OF RWY 9L. MIAMI APCH WAS FORCING THE ARRS UPON THE LCL CTLR AT THE RATE OF APPROX 1 PER MIN ON THE ILS. LCL WAS DOING A GREAT JOB OF CTLING THE POS. AS EVERY ACFT HIT THE OM, THE CTLR HAD TO SLOW THEM DOWN BY AT LEAST 10 KTS. EVERY OTHER ACFT MADE (IF NOT OUT RIGHT COMPLAINED OR WHINED, COM ETIQUETTE WAS SO UNPROFESSIONAL THAT HECTIC EVENING) COMMENTS THAT MIAMI APCH WAS MAKING THEM KEEP 170 KTS TO THE MARKER. LCL WAS HAVING TO SLOW EVERY ARR AS THEY CHKED IN AT THE MARKER. IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT LCL WAS TRYING TO MAKE THE BEST OF POOR ATC HANDLING FURTHER UP THE CHAIN, HOWEVER, EVEN WITH ARRS TELLING THE CTLR OUTRIGHT, TO COORDINATE WITH APCH ON ARR'S SPDS, IT WAS APPARENT THAT NOTHING WAS DONE. THE TENSION ON EVERYONE WAS UNBELIEVABLE. ONE ARR WAS SENT AROUND DUE TO AN ACFT NOT VACATING THE RWY QUICKLY ENOUGH. AS WE TAXIED UP TO THE #1 POS, I TOLD MY COPLT TO BE READY TO GO, WITH NO DELAYS ON THE LINE UP CHKS. ABOUT THIS TIME, A CHANGE IN THE LCL CTLR'S POS OCCURRED. WHEN THE NEW CTLR CAME ON, THE CTLR ADVISED US TO BE READY TO GO. WE ACKNOWLEDGED OK. AND THEN, THERE WAS ABOUT A 3 MIN BREAK IN THE ARRIVING TFC. NOTHING HAPPENED. NO TKOF CLRNC. WE WERE SPRING LOADED TO GO AND THEN NOTHING HAPPENED. FINALLY, OUT OF THE CLOUDS POPS ANOTHER ACR ON FINAL. AS I WATCHED HIM GET CLOSER, I REALIZED THAT WE WEREN'T GOING TO BE RELEASED. I RELAXED, MY COPLT RELAXED. BIG MISTAKE. TWR CLRED US FOR AN IMMEDIATE TKOF. YOU CAN'T EVEN BEGIN TO IMAGINE OUR TOTAL SURPRISE. BOTH CREW AND ENGS WEREN'T SPOOLED UP TO GO. AS WE WERE TURNING THE CORNER FOR A ROLLING TKOF, TWR COMES BACK AND ASKED IF WE WERE ROLLING! AS SOON AS WE REPLIED AFFIRMATIVE, THE CTLR SENT THE ARRIVING ACFT AROUND. THE CTLR WASN'T HAPPY, THE ARR WASN'T HAPPY AND I WASN'T HAPPY. I DO NOT THINK THAT THERE WAS ANY LOSS OF SEPARATION AT ANY TIME. MY THOUGHTS IN RETROSPECT. APCH WAS FORCING ARRS UPON LCL WITHOUT CONSIDERATION OF THE VERY MARGINAL CONDITIONS OF BAD WX AND WET RWY. APCH NEEDS TO CONSIDER WHAT BAD WX AND 1 WET ARR/DEP RWY DOES TO EVERYONE AND NOT JUST SEE HOW MANY TARGETS THEY CAN STUFF INTO A 'GATE.' THERE ARE DOWNSTREAM CONSEQUENCES. LCL DID NOT OR WOULD NOT COORDINATE WITH APCH TO SLOW DOWN THE ARRS. THERE WAS NO ROOM FOR ERROR THAT EVENING ON ANYONE'S PART. I THINK LCL HAD A MINDSET THAT THEY WERE NOT GOING TO CRY 'UNCLE' AND THEY WERE GOING TO GET EVERYONE ON REGARDLESS OF WHAT APCH WAS THROWING AT THEM. LCL SHOULD HAVE COORDINATED ARRS BETTER WITH APCH. THE NEW CTLR ATTEMPTED TO IMMEDIATELY CONTINUE THE FAST PACED TEMPO OF THE PREVIOUS CTLR. HE FAILED AS EVIDENCED BY THE WASTED 3 MINS OF SLACK TIME AND THEN LAUNCHING US IN THE FACE OF CLOSE IN TFC. HAVING RELAXED DUE TO THE WASTED SPACING LULL AND SEEING THE ARRIVING ACFT CLOSING IN, I WAS TAKEN BY COMPLETE SURPRISE AT THE TKOF CLRNC. I WANTED TO HELP THE 'SYS.' I SHOULD HAVE REJECTED THE CLRNC.

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.