Narrative:

I was working local control at jnu ATCT. I put aircraft X (a C150C) into position and hold runway 8; when aircraft Y (a PA32-300) was 2.5 mi final. Traffic ahead of aircraft X exited the runway; and I cleared aircraft X for takeoff. Aircraft X was slow to enter the runway and depart; and I instructed aircraft Y to go around and overfly the parallel water lane approximately 500 ft south of the runway. Aircraft Y acknowledged the go around; and I told him; 'crosswind turn at your discretion; runway 8 cleared to land;' intending for him to enter right traffic for runway 8 and land again. I instructed aircraft X 'fly straight ahead' so he wouldn't turn into the crosswind and conflict with aircraft Y. As I unkeyed the microphone from my transmission to aircraft X; aircraft Y; now about 50 ft AGL; made a radical turn to the north -- cutting less than 200 ft behind aircraft X -- and dove for the runway. I instinctively transmitted 'aircraft Y;' then cut off as I realized he did not appear in control of the airplane. He maneuvered for about 10 seconds before stabilizing the aircraft mere ft over the runway; then responded 'I was cleared to land; right?' I replied; 'that was a crosswind turn to enter the downwind; but you're ok now.' aircraft X was on the upwind climbing out at this point; and it was safer to let aircraft Y land than send him around again. At jnu ATCT; we send aircraft around when a loss of same runway separation is imminent. However; when dealing with air taxi and other familiar pilots; we usually issue the go around; wait until the runway is clear; then issue a landing clearance with a 'long landing.' the pilot usually does not climb on the go around when he or she hears 'cleared to land; long landing approved;' he or she then chops the power and dives for the runway. About 99% of the time; this procedure works; but it promotes the pilot mind set that a go around is merely a delayed landing clearance. When we actually need the aircraft to go around -- apply power and climb back into the pattern -- the pilot expects an imminent landing clearance and flies accordingly. In this case; the following pilot was so fixated on landing that he jeopardized his aircraft by performing a radical low-altitude sidestep maneuver in behind the departing cessna; rather than climbing; re-entering the pattern; and landing safely. I believe I could have been more clear with my instructions to aircraft Y perhaps breaking the phrases 'crosswind turn' and 'cleared to land' into separate; sequential xmissions once I observed the pilot beginning the go around. Nevertheless; had the pilot responded to 'go around' immediately with increased power; a sidestep to the south and a climb out to pattern altitude; I believe this entire scenario would have been avoided. Pilots need to realize that we don't use 'go around' just to cover ourselves on the tapes -- it has the real purpose of keeping aircraft separated. Like wise; controllers need to realize that using 'go around; expect long landing' or similar techniques will someday result in a pilot not giving you the go around; the moment you need it most.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: JNU CTLR DESCRIBED CONFLICT WHEN GAR; LNDG CLRNCS WERE UNCLR AND ACFT MADE UNEXPECTED MANEUVER TO LAND ON RWY 8 BEHIND DEP TFC.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING LCL CTL AT JNU ATCT. I PUT ACFT X (A C150C) INTO POS AND HOLD RWY 8; WHEN ACFT Y (A PA32-300) WAS 2.5 MI FINAL. TFC AHEAD OF ACFT X EXITED THE RWY; AND I CLRED ACFT X FOR TKOF. ACFT X WAS SLOW TO ENTER THE RWY AND DEPART; AND I INSTRUCTED ACFT Y TO GO AROUND AND OVERFLY THE PARALLEL WATER LANE APPROX 500 FT S OF THE RWY. ACFT Y ACKNOWLEDGED THE GAR; AND I TOLD HIM; 'XWIND TURN AT YOUR DISCRETION; RWY 8 CLRED TO LAND;' INTENDING FOR HIM TO ENTER R TFC FOR RWY 8 AND LAND AGAIN. I INSTRUCTED ACFT X 'FLY STRAIGHT AHEAD' SO HE WOULDN'T TURN INTO THE XWIND AND CONFLICT WITH ACFT Y. AS I UNKEYED THE MIKE FROM MY XMISSION TO ACFT X; ACFT Y; NOW ABOUT 50 FT AGL; MADE A RADICAL TURN TO THE N -- CUTTING LESS THAN 200 FT BEHIND ACFT X -- AND DOVE FOR THE RWY. I INSTINCTIVELY XMITTED 'ACFT Y;' THEN CUT OFF AS I REALIZED HE DID NOT APPEAR IN CTL OF THE AIRPLANE. HE MANEUVERED FOR ABOUT 10 SECONDS BEFORE STABILIZING THE ACFT MERE FT OVER THE RWY; THEN RESPONDED 'I WAS CLRED TO LAND; RIGHT?' I REPLIED; 'THAT WAS A XWIND TURN TO ENTER THE DOWNWIND; BUT YOU'RE OK NOW.' ACFT X WAS ON THE UPWIND CLBING OUT AT THIS POINT; AND IT WAS SAFER TO LET ACFT Y LAND THAN SEND HIM AROUND AGAIN. AT JNU ATCT; WE SEND ACFT AROUND WHEN A LOSS OF SAME RWY SEPARATION IS IMMINENT. HOWEVER; WHEN DEALING WITH AIR TAXI AND OTHER FAMILIAR PLTS; WE USUALLY ISSUE THE GAR; WAIT UNTIL THE RWY IS CLR; THEN ISSUE A LNDG CLRNC WITH A 'LONG LNDG.' THE PLT USUALLY DOES NOT CLB ON THE GAR WHEN HE OR SHE HEARS 'CLRED TO LAND; LONG LNDG APPROVED;' HE OR SHE THEN CHOPS THE PWR AND DIVES FOR THE RWY. ABOUT 99% OF THE TIME; THIS PROC WORKS; BUT IT PROMOTES THE PLT MIND SET THAT A GAR IS MERELY A DELAYED LNDG CLRNC. WHEN WE ACTUALLY NEED THE ACFT TO GO AROUND -- APPLY PWR AND CLB BACK INTO THE PATTERN -- THE PLT EXPECTS AN IMMINENT LNDG CLRNC AND FLIES ACCORDINGLY. IN THIS CASE; THE FOLLOWING PLT WAS SO FIXATED ON LNDG THAT HE JEOPARDIZED HIS ACFT BY PERFORMING A RADICAL LOW-ALT SIDESTEP MANEUVER IN BEHIND THE DEPARTING CESSNA; RATHER THAN CLBING; RE-ENTERING THE PATTERN; AND LNDG SAFELY. I BELIEVE I COULD HAVE BEEN MORE CLR WITH MY INSTRUCTIONS TO ACFT Y PERHAPS BREAKING THE PHRASES 'XWIND TURN' AND 'CLRED TO LAND' INTO SEPARATE; SEQUENTIAL XMISSIONS ONCE I OBSERVED THE PLT BEGINNING THE GAR. NEVERTHELESS; HAD THE PLT RESPONDED TO 'GO AROUND' IMMEDIATELY WITH INCREASED PWR; A SIDESTEP TO THE S AND A CLBOUT TO PATTERN ALT; I BELIEVE THIS ENTIRE SCENARIO WOULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED. PLTS NEED TO REALIZE THAT WE DON'T USE 'GAR' JUST TO COVER OURSELVES ON THE TAPES -- IT HAS THE REAL PURPOSE OF KEEPING ACFT SEPARATED. LIKE WISE; CTLRS NEED TO REALIZE THAT USING 'GAR; EXPECT LONG LNDG' OR SIMILAR TECHNIQUES WILL SOMEDAY RESULT IN A PLT NOT GIVING YOU THE GAR; THE MOMENT YOU NEED IT MOST.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.