Narrative:

Local west and local east were combined during heavy arrival and departure traffic (runway 9). (WX X 2 1/2 r-f.) air carrier X taxied into position and hold as assigned. Air carrier Y landing same runway reported outer marker for landing, he was subsequently cleared to land. Due to confusion on the frequency and in the tower I momentarily forgot about air carrier X in position. Aircraft landing on parallel runway failed to report clear of runway, diverting my attention even more. Air carrier Y, on final for runway 9 broke out of WX at 200' and initiated a go around. Recommend during inclement WX and heavy traffic local west and local east should be decombined. Also, a coordinator could alleviate a lot of confusion. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: iad tower does not have asde radar. At the time of the incident he could not see the ends of the runway and was using PIREPS to insure a clear runway. Personnel were available to decombine positions but the supervisor didn't feel it was necessary. The controller had asked to have positions decombined. Supplemental information from acn 132563: there were 2 planes ahead of air carrier X. An light transport was told to taxi into position and hold, runway 9. An aircraft was cleared to land on runway 9. After about 30 seconds the light transport called the tower to verify that they were on the runway. The tower replied tersely that he was aware of it. After another 30 seconds or so the light transport called again for verification and got another sharp reply. Then they were cleared for takeoff. We also heard aircraft cleared to land on runway 9. After about a minute in position we called to verify we were on the runway in position and were told 'roger'. About 30 seconds later an large transport (air carrier Y) came directly over us with full power initiating a go around. Supplemental information from acn 133084: air carrier Y was cleared to land on ILS approach runway 09 at iah. Runway became visible at 400' AGL. We executed a missed approach at 150' AGL when the crew determined an aircraft was on the runway in position for takeoff.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR Y EXECUTED MISSED APCH DUE TO ACR X HOLDING IN POSITION SAME RWY. OPERATIONAL DEVIATION.

Narrative: LCL W AND LCL E WERE COMBINED DURING HEAVY ARR AND DEP TFC (RWY 9). (WX X 2 1/2 R-F.) ACR X TAXIED INTO POSITION AND HOLD AS ASSIGNED. ACR Y LNDG SAME RWY REPORTED OUTER MARKER FOR LNDG, HE WAS SUBSEQUENTLY CLRED TO LAND. DUE TO CONFUSION ON THE FREQ AND IN THE TWR I MOMENTARILY FORGOT ABOUT ACR X IN POSITION. ACFT LNDG ON PARALLEL RWY FAILED TO REPORT CLEAR OF RWY, DIVERTING MY ATTN EVEN MORE. ACR Y, ON FINAL FOR RWY 9 BROKE OUT OF WX AT 200' AND INITIATED A GO AROUND. RECOMMEND DURING INCLEMENT WX AND HEAVY TFC LCL W AND LCL E SHOULD BE DECOMBINED. ALSO, A COORDINATOR COULD ALLEVIATE A LOT OF CONFUSION. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: IAD TWR DOES NOT HAVE ASDE RADAR. AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT HE COULD NOT SEE THE ENDS OF THE RWY AND WAS USING PIREPS TO INSURE A CLEAR RWY. PERSONNEL WERE AVAILABLE TO DECOMBINE POSITIONS BUT THE SUPVR DIDN'T FEEL IT WAS NECESSARY. THE CTLR HAD ASKED TO HAVE POSITIONS DECOMBINED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION FROM ACN 132563: THERE WERE 2 PLANES AHEAD OF ACR X. AN LTT WAS TOLD TO TAXI INTO POSITION AND HOLD, RWY 9. AN ACFT WAS CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 9. AFTER ABOUT 30 SECONDS THE LTT CALLED THE TWR TO VERIFY THAT THEY WERE ON THE RWY. THE TWR REPLIED TERSELY THAT HE WAS AWARE OF IT. AFTER ANOTHER 30 SECONDS OR SO THE LTT CALLED AGAIN FOR VERIFICATION AND GOT ANOTHER SHARP REPLY. THEN THEY WERE CLRED FOR TKOF. WE ALSO HEARD ACFT CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 9. AFTER ABOUT A MINUTE IN POSITION WE CALLED TO VERIFY WE WERE ON THE RWY IN POSITION AND WERE TOLD 'ROGER'. ABOUT 30 SECONDS LATER AN LGT (ACR Y) CAME DIRECTLY OVER US WITH FULL POWER INITIATING A GO AROUND. SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION FROM ACN 133084: ACR Y WAS CLRED TO LAND ON ILS APCH RWY 09 AT IAH. RWY BECAME VISIBLE AT 400' AGL. WE EXECUTED A MISSED APCH AT 150' AGL WHEN THE CREW DETERMINED AN ACFT WAS ON THE RWY IN POSITION FOR TKOF.

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.