Narrative:

On very short final; lda alpha approach to runway 22 at lga (runway 13/31 closed; day VFR; clear 10 mi visibility; some haze); tower taxied an aircraft (air carrier Y) into position and hold on runway 22 and forgot he was there. At 300 ft on final; tower cleared us to land on runway 22. I advised him that he still had an aircraft still sitting in position. Tower then told the air carrier Y aircraft to take off. At 150 ft he finally told us to go around; which we had already initiated on our own. My copilot did a textbook go around as we turned northwest as instructed and leveled at 3000 ft. All checklists were accomplished and a PA made to the passenger. If it hadn't been a clear day and we weren't able to see the aircraft taxi into position; we would have never noticed him because the colors of the aircraft blended in perfectly with the runway markings. I used to be an fpl controller at las TRACON; and procedure there was to hold the IFR strip of the aircraft in your hand; as long as you had someone in position on a runway. If the WX had been at minimums with low visibility; this report would have been written by other witnesses.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757 ON SHORT FINAL FOR LGA INITIATES GAR BECAUSE OF MINIMAL SPACING WITH PRECEDING DEP ACFT.

Narrative: ON VERY SHORT FINAL; LDA ALPHA APCH TO RWY 22 AT LGA (RWY 13/31 CLOSED; DAY VFR; CLR 10 MI VISIBILITY; SOME HAZE); TWR TAXIED AN ACFT (ACR Y) INTO POS AND HOLD ON RWY 22 AND FORGOT HE WAS THERE. AT 300 FT ON FINAL; TWR CLRED US TO LAND ON RWY 22. I ADVISED HIM THAT HE STILL HAD AN ACFT STILL SITTING IN POS. TWR THEN TOLD THE ACR Y ACFT TO TAKE OFF. AT 150 FT HE FINALLY TOLD US TO GO AROUND; WHICH WE HAD ALREADY INITIATED ON OUR OWN. MY COPLT DID A TEXTBOOK GAR AS WE TURNED NW AS INSTRUCTED AND LEVELED AT 3000 FT. ALL CHKLISTS WERE ACCOMPLISHED AND A PA MADE TO THE PAX. IF IT HADN'T BEEN A CLR DAY AND WE WEREN'T ABLE TO SEE THE ACFT TAXI INTO POS; WE WOULD HAVE NEVER NOTICED HIM BECAUSE THE COLORS OF THE ACFT BLENDED IN PERFECTLY WITH THE RWY MARKINGS. I USED TO BE AN FPL CTLR AT LAS TRACON; AND PROC THERE WAS TO HOLD THE IFR STRIP OF THE ACFT IN YOUR HAND; AS LONG AS YOU HAD SOMEONE IN POS ON A RWY. IF THE WX HAD BEEN AT MINIMUMS WITH LOW VISIBILITY; THIS RPT WOULD HAVE BEEN WRITTEN BY OTHER WITNESSES.

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