Narrative:

I observed a go around incident at the memphis international airport. Memphis was in a 'south confign;' landing on runways 18L; 18R; and runway 27. Converging runway display aid (crda) procedures were in use. The wind was out of the southeast; 160 degrees at 7 KTS; a quartering tailwind. An SF340 checked in on approach to runway 27. There was another aircraft on approach to runway 18L; but I do not recall the type or call sign. This aircraft was #1 in the converging runway display aid sequence; with the next runway 27 arrival to cross the runway 27 threshold after this aircraft flew over the runway 27 centerline while on approach to land on runway 18L. Air carrier X; a crj; was following the SF340 to runway 27. I looked out the window and saw the SF340 roll past taxiway C. Air carrier X was on short final to runway 27. I yelled out; 'he's not gonna make it!' meaning that the SF340 would never clear the end of runway 27 at taxiway north. The supervisor in charge of the tower told local control to send air carrier X around. Local issued go around instructions. The air carrier X was over or past the numbers of runway 27; and the SF340 was still on runway 27 when these instructions were issued. Air carrier X stayed very low. I estimate 10-20 ft off of runway 27; and flew down the entire length of the runway at this low altitude. Local then issued go around instructions to air carrier Y; an embraer jet; on approach to runway 18R; and this aircraft started an immediate climb out after abandoning the approach. It appeared that air carrier X flew through the runway 18R centerline just prior to air carrier Y overflying the departure centerline of runway 29. The FAA says that converging runway display aid is a safe procedure and operation for use at mem; but I disagree. When you combine a quartering tailwind such as we had today; mixed aircraft types with different approach speeds; multiple runways; multiple flight paths; different go around and climb out performance characteristics; training on nearly every position in the tower and TRACON; and inexperienced controllers working complex sectors and operations -- an accident is going to happen!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MEM TWR CTLR DESCRIBED CONFLICT EVENT BETWEEN GAR ON RWY 27 FOLLOWED BY A GAR ON RWY 18R; CITING CRDA AS CONTRIBUTORY.

Narrative: I OBSERVED A GAR INCIDENT AT THE MEMPHIS INTL ARPT. MEMPHIS WAS IN A 'S CONFIGN;' LNDG ON RWYS 18L; 18R; AND RWY 27. CONVERGING RWY DISPLAY AID (CRDA) PROCS WERE IN USE. THE WIND WAS OUT OF THE SE; 160 DEGS AT 7 KTS; A QUARTERING TAILWIND. AN SF340 CHKED IN ON APCH TO RWY 27. THERE WAS ANOTHER ACFT ON APCH TO RWY 18L; BUT I DO NOT RECALL THE TYPE OR CALL SIGN. THIS ACFT WAS #1 IN THE CONVERGING RWY DISPLAY AID SEQUENCE; WITH THE NEXT RWY 27 ARR TO CROSS THE RWY 27 THRESHOLD AFTER THIS ACFT FLEW OVER THE RWY 27 CTRLINE WHILE ON APCH TO LAND ON RWY 18L. ACR X; A CRJ; WAS FOLLOWING THE SF340 TO RWY 27. I LOOKED OUT THE WINDOW AND SAW THE SF340 ROLL PAST TXWY C. ACR X WAS ON SHORT FINAL TO RWY 27. I YELLED OUT; 'HE'S NOT GONNA MAKE IT!' MEANING THAT THE SF340 WOULD NEVER CLR THE END OF RWY 27 AT TXWY N. THE SUPVR IN CHARGE OF THE TWR TOLD LCL CTL TO SEND ACR X AROUND. LCL ISSUED GAR INSTRUCTIONS. THE ACR X WAS OVER OR PAST THE NUMBERS OF RWY 27; AND THE SF340 WAS STILL ON RWY 27 WHEN THESE INSTRUCTIONS WERE ISSUED. ACR X STAYED VERY LOW. I ESTIMATE 10-20 FT OFF OF RWY 27; AND FLEW DOWN THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF THE RWY AT THIS LOW ALT. LCL THEN ISSUED GAR INSTRUCTIONS TO ACR Y; AN EMBRAER JET; ON APCH TO RWY 18R; AND THIS ACFT STARTED AN IMMEDIATE CLBOUT AFTER ABANDONING THE APCH. IT APPEARED THAT ACR X FLEW THROUGH THE RWY 18R CTRLINE JUST PRIOR TO ACR Y OVERFLYING THE DEP CTRLINE OF RWY 29. THE FAA SAYS THAT CONVERGING RWY DISPLAY AID IS A SAFE PROC AND OP FOR USE AT MEM; BUT I DISAGREE. WHEN YOU COMBINE A QUARTERING TAILWIND SUCH AS WE HAD TODAY; MIXED ACFT TYPES WITH DIFFERENT APCH SPDS; MULTIPLE RWYS; MULTIPLE FLT PATHS; DIFFERENT GAR AND CLBOUT PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS; TRAINING ON NEARLY EVERY POS IN THE TWR AND TRACON; AND INEXPERIENCED CTLRS WORKING COMPLEX SECTORS AND OPS -- AN ACCIDENT IS GOING TO HAPPEN!

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.