Narrative:

Lga tower this morning committed an unsafe operation. When lga is landing runway 22 and departing runway 31; the approach control has to make a heavy or B757 gap on the final when the tower has a B757 or heavy aircraft depart runway 31. The approach control has to make this gap for the wake turbulence generated by the B757/heavy departing runway 31 and rotating before the intersection. The approach control made the gap for the tower as requested; but the tower missed the gap with their timing of the departure sequence line-up. So; the tower sent a B737 around for a missed approach to make their own gap. The B737 then had to fly an additional 40-50 mi at 180 KTS for re-sequence. I understand the tower wants to keep their departures rolling; but this is ridiculous sending an aircraft around because they don't want to coordination for another gap. Sometimes the tower will make a gap by circling the arrival to runway 31. I feel this is unsafe as well because the tower springs this 'new' plan with the aircraft crew landing runway 22 on about a 5 mi final to runway 22. The last min procedure of coordinating gaps for the B757-heavy departures off of runway 31 is unsafe. This procedure needs to be redeveloped and rethought. There is no room for a last minute plan in a safe environment.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: N90 CTLR DESCRIBED LGA LNDG/SPACING PROCS FOR HVY ACFT THAT RESULTED IN TWR ISSUING GAR; ADDING CONCERN REGARDING TWR CIRCLING PROCS.

Narrative: LGA TWR THIS MORNING COMMITTED AN UNSAFE OP. WHEN LGA IS LNDG RWY 22 AND DEPARTING RWY 31; THE APCH CTL HAS TO MAKE A HVY OR B757 GAP ON THE FINAL WHEN THE TWR HAS A B757 OR HVY ACFT DEPART RWY 31. THE APCH CTL HAS TO MAKE THIS GAP FOR THE WAKE TURB GENERATED BY THE B757/HVY DEPARTING RWY 31 AND ROTATING BEFORE THE INTXN. THE APCH CTL MADE THE GAP FOR THE TWR AS REQUESTED; BUT THE TWR MISSED THE GAP WITH THEIR TIMING OF THE DEP SEQUENCE LINE-UP. SO; THE TWR SENT A B737 AROUND FOR A MISSED APCH TO MAKE THEIR OWN GAP. THE B737 THEN HAD TO FLY AN ADDITIONAL 40-50 MI AT 180 KTS FOR RE-SEQUENCE. I UNDERSTAND THE TWR WANTS TO KEEP THEIR DEPS ROLLING; BUT THIS IS RIDICULOUS SENDING AN ACFT AROUND BECAUSE THEY DON'T WANT TO COORD FOR ANOTHER GAP. SOMETIMES THE TWR WILL MAKE A GAP BY CIRCLING THE ARR TO RWY 31. I FEEL THIS IS UNSAFE AS WELL BECAUSE THE TWR SPRINGS THIS 'NEW' PLAN WITH THE ACFT CREW LNDG RWY 22 ON ABOUT A 5 MI FINAL TO RWY 22. THE LAST MIN PROC OF COORDINATING GAPS FOR THE B757-HVY DEPS OFF OF RWY 31 IS UNSAFE. THIS PROC NEEDS TO BE REDEVELOPED AND RETHOUGHT. THERE IS NO ROOM FOR A LAST MINUTE PLAN IN A SAFE ENVIRONMENT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.