Narrative:

We were arriving in the lga terminal area and after extensive vectoring were cleared for the express visual to runway 31. As is usual, lga was extremely busy and cross runway operations were in effect. The WX and visibility were good and was not a factor in my opinion. The first officer was the PF and as we crossed over the white water tanks and turned to the 085 degree heading, we were instructed to contact tower. When I checked on with tower, we were asked if we had the preceding regional jet in sight. Both the first officer and I saw the rj and I advised the tower of that fact. We were then told to 'follow the rj, square the turn to final and continue.' the first officer continued the approach and, as instructed, squared off the turn from base to final. We were stabilized at 1000 ft AGL and I announced '1000 ft stabilized' as per company procedures. At approximately the same time we turned final then tower instructed another air carrier jet to taxi in position and hold on runway 4. After aircraft Y read back their clearance, the tower then told us that s-turns were approved and to continue. The first officer began shallow s-turns and at that time, I verbally reviewed the go around procedures with the first officer, as I believed a rejected landing was a real possibility. While we were approximately 1 - 1 1/5 mi out, the tower cleared the aircraft Y for an immediate takeoff on runway 4. As we passed over the approach lights, I queried the tower as to what they wanted us to do. As we passed over the threshold, we had not yet received our landing clearance. Almost simultaneously, the aircraft announced 'one hundred' and the tower cleared us to land. I do not remember seeing aircraft Y ever cross the runway intersection and because of that fact, coupled with the fact that we were still not completely wings level (from our s-turns) I commanded the first officer to go around. I announced our go around to the tower and asked for instructions. He told us to climb and maintain 3000 ft and fly heading 270 degrees and switch to departure. When we checked on with new york departure, the controller asked for our intentions. I found this odd and told him I wanted to return to lga for landing. He then said, 'well, I ask because tower said that you initiated the go around.' I responded that I initiated the go around because there was an aircraft taking off on the crossing runway. I found this somewhat strange, almost as if the tower was covering up his actions for clearing the other jet for takeoff. As we were completing checklists and being vectored, the first officer allowed the aircraft to climb approximately 500 ft above our assigned altitude. When I called his attention to this, he quickly returned to the assigned altitude. We were then cleared for the express visual once again and landed without further incident. In summary, I believe the tower controller was rushed and improperly cleared the aircraft Y for takeoff. Also, aircraft Y did expedite his takeoff roll for reasons that are unclr to me. Finally, I believe it is improper for a transport category jet to be asked to do s-turns at altitudes that are below the company's prescribed minimum stabilized approach altitude (in this case 1000 ft AGL) and ultimately this is why I decided that the go around was the safest course of action.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CRITICAL GND CONFLICT SENSED BY THE PIC OF A LNDG B737 WHEN LCL CTLR CLRS ANOTHER ACR FOR TKOF ON A XING RWY AT LGA, NY.

Narrative: WE WERE ARRIVING IN THE LGA TERMINAL AREA AND AFTER EXTENSIVE VECTORING WERE CLRED FOR THE EXPRESS VISUAL TO RWY 31. AS IS USUAL, LGA WAS EXTREMELY BUSY AND CROSS RWY OPS WERE IN EFFECT. THE WX AND VISIBILITY WERE GOOD AND WAS NOT A FACTOR IN MY OPINION. THE FO WAS THE PF AND AS WE CROSSED OVER THE WHITE WATER TANKS AND TURNED TO THE 085 DEG HDG, WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO CONTACT TWR. WHEN I CHKED ON WITH TWR, WE WERE ASKED IF WE HAD THE PRECEDING REGIONAL JET IN SIGHT. BOTH THE FO AND I SAW THE RJ AND I ADVISED THE TWR OF THAT FACT. WE WERE THEN TOLD TO 'FOLLOW THE RJ, SQUARE THE TURN TO FINAL AND CONTINUE.' THE FO CONTINUED THE APCH AND, AS INSTRUCTED, SQUARED OFF THE TURN FROM BASE TO FINAL. WE WERE STABILIZED AT 1000 FT AGL AND I ANNOUNCED '1000 FT STABILIZED' AS PER COMPANY PROCS. AT APPROX THE SAME TIME WE TURNED FINAL THEN TWR INSTRUCTED ANOTHER ACR JET TO TAXI IN POS AND HOLD ON RWY 4. AFTER ACFT Y READ BACK THEIR CLRNC, THE TWR THEN TOLD US THAT S-TURNS WERE APPROVED AND TO CONTINUE. THE FO BEGAN SHALLOW S-TURNS AND AT THAT TIME, I VERBALLY REVIEWED THE GAR PROCS WITH THE FO, AS I BELIEVED A REJECTED LNDG WAS A REAL POSSIBILITY. WHILE WE WERE APPROX 1 - 1 1/5 MI OUT, THE TWR CLRED THE ACFT Y FOR AN IMMEDIATE TKOF ON RWY 4. AS WE PASSED OVER THE APCH LIGHTS, I QUERIED THE TWR AS TO WHAT THEY WANTED US TO DO. AS WE PASSED OVER THE THRESHOLD, WE HAD NOT YET RECEIVED OUR LNDG CLRNC. ALMOST SIMULTANEOUSLY, THE ACFT ANNOUNCED 'ONE HUNDRED' AND THE TWR CLRED US TO LAND. I DO NOT REMEMBER SEEING ACFT Y EVER CROSS THE RWY INTXN AND BECAUSE OF THAT FACT, COUPLED WITH THE FACT THAT WE WERE STILL NOT COMPLETELY WINGS LEVEL (FROM OUR S-TURNS) I COMMANDED THE FO TO GO AROUND. I ANNOUNCED OUR GAR TO THE TWR AND ASKED FOR INSTRUCTIONS. HE TOLD US TO CLB AND MAINTAIN 3000 FT AND FLY HDG 270 DEGS AND SWITCH TO DEP. WHEN WE CHKED ON WITH NEW YORK DEP, THE CTLR ASKED FOR OUR INTENTIONS. I FOUND THIS ODD AND TOLD HIM I WANTED TO RETURN TO LGA FOR LNDG. HE THEN SAID, 'WELL, I ASK BECAUSE TWR SAID THAT YOU INITIATED THE GAR.' I RESPONDED THAT I INITIATED THE GAR BECAUSE THERE WAS AN ACFT TAKING OFF ON THE XING RWY. I FOUND THIS SOMEWHAT STRANGE, ALMOST AS IF THE TWR WAS COVERING UP HIS ACTIONS FOR CLRING THE OTHER JET FOR TKOF. AS WE WERE COMPLETING CHKLISTS AND BEING VECTORED, THE FO ALLOWED THE ACFT TO CLB APPROX 500 FT ABOVE OUR ASSIGNED ALT. WHEN I CALLED HIS ATTN TO THIS, HE QUICKLY RETURNED TO THE ASSIGNED ALT. WE WERE THEN CLRED FOR THE EXPRESS VISUAL ONCE AGAIN AND LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. IN SUMMARY, I BELIEVE THE TWR CTLR WAS RUSHED AND IMPROPERLY CLRED THE ACFT Y FOR TKOF. ALSO, ACFT Y DID EXPEDITE HIS TKOF ROLL FOR REASONS THAT ARE UNCLR TO ME. FINALLY, I BELIEVE IT IS IMPROPER FOR A TRANSPORT CATEGORY JET TO BE ASKED TO DO S-TURNS AT ALTS THAT ARE BELOW THE COMPANY'S PRESCRIBED MINIMUM STABILIZED APCH ALT (IN THIS CASE 1000 FT AGL) AND ULTIMATELY THIS IS WHY I DECIDED THAT THE GAR WAS THE SAFEST COURSE OF ACTION.

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.