Narrative:

I was cleared to taxi to runway 18L at kmem. I proceeded to runway 18L via taxiway Y. Reaching the ILS hold line. I called the tower on 119.7 and told them I was ready for departure. The reply was 'aircraft number, taxi into position and hold.' I replied, 'position and hold aircraft number.' the surface visibility was approximately 1 mile in light snow and mist for runway 18L. Approximately 15 seconds after taxiing into position and holding, A310 heavy flew overhead at approximately 150 ft that had gone missed. After the incident, the tower kept me in position, switched controllers, and soon cleared me for departure. No mention of the incident came from the tower, nor were any requests made to call the tower. The true cause of the problem was high volumes of traffic, light snow, mist, low visibility and night. The tower was handling a large volume of IFR traffic with one controller handling 3 runways, possibly 4. And the tower is approximately 1 mile from the runway so their visibility was limited as well. Solution might be to subdivide the tower responsibilities and frequencies for arriving and departing traffic. Assign a separate frequency for 2 of the 3 runways on high volume nights/days. I have approximately 500 hours of time flying out of memphis international and never had a problem with controllers nor incursions. The conditions this night were appropriate for this incident to occur. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter was established in position on runway 18L for only 15 to 20 seconds when he heard the engines of the A310 spool up for the go around while they simultaneously announced they were executing a go around due to traffic on the runway. It was only at that time that the reporter was aware of another aircraft on the same frequency. After the A310's notification of the go around, the reporter recognized a change of controller as the new controller issued his takeoff clearance. No other communication was exchanged with the pilot

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AFTER CLRED INTO POS AND HOLD BY MEM LC, AC50 PLT OBSERVES A310 EXECUTE A GAR DIRECTLY OVER HIS ACFT.

Narrative: I WAS CLRED TO TAXI TO RWY 18L AT KMEM. I PROCEEDED TO RWY 18L VIA TXWY Y. REACHING THE ILS HOLD LINE. I CALLED THE TWR ON 119.7 AND TOLD THEM I WAS READY FOR DEP. THE REPLY WAS 'ACFT NUMBER, TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD.' I REPLIED, 'POS AND HOLD ACFT NUMBER.' THE SURFACE VISIBILITY WAS APPROX 1 MILE IN LIGHT SNOW AND MIST FOR RWY 18L. APPROX 15 SECONDS AFTER TAXIING INTO POS AND HOLDING, A310 HEAVY FLEW OVERHEAD AT APPROX 150 FT THAT HAD GONE MISSED. AFTER THE INCIDENT, THE TWR KEPT ME IN POS, SWITCHED CTLRS, AND SOON CLRED ME FOR DEP. NO MENTION OF THE INCIDENT CAME FROM THE TWR, NOR WERE ANY REQUESTS MADE TO CALL THE TWR. THE TRUE CAUSE OF THE PROB WAS HIGH VOLUMES OF TFC, LIGHT SNOW, MIST, LOW VISIBILITY AND NIGHT. THE TWR WAS HANDLING A LARGE VOLUME OF IFR TFC WITH ONE CTLR HANDLING 3 RWYS, POSSIBLY 4. AND THE TWR IS APPROX 1 MILE FROM THE RWY SO THEIR VISIBILITY WAS LIMITED AS WELL. SOLUTION MIGHT BE TO SUBDIVIDE THE TWR RESPONSIBILITIES AND FREQUENCIES FOR ARRIVING AND DEPARTING TFC. ASSIGN A SEPARATE FREQ FOR 2 OF THE 3 RWYS ON HIGH VOLUME NIGHTS/DAYS. I HAVE APPROX 500 HRS OF TIME FLYING OUT OF MEMPHIS INTERNATIONAL AND NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH CTLRS NOR INCURSIONS. THE CONDITIONS THIS NIGHT WERE APPROPRIATE FOR THIS INCIDENT TO OCCUR. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR WAS ESTABLISHED IN POS ON RWY 18L FOR ONLY 15 TO 20 SECONDS WHEN HE HEARD THE ENGINES OF THE A310 SPOOL UP FOR THE GAR WHILE THEY SIMULTANEOUSLY ANNOUNCED THEY WERE EXECUTING A GAR DUE TO TFC ON THE RWY. IT WAS ONLY AT THAT TIME THAT THE RPTR WAS AWARE OF ANOTHER ACFT ON THE SAME FREQ. AFTER THE A310'S NOTIFICATION OF THE GAR, THE RPTR RECOGNIZED A CHANGE OF CTLR AS THE NEW CTLR ISSUED HIS TKOF CLRNC. NO OTHER COM WAS EXCHANGED WITH THE PLT

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.