Narrative:

Strong gusty winds from wsw forced cvg to use a single runway 27 instead of the parallel runway 18L/C/right. There were about 25-30 aircraft lined up for departure and inbounds were in holding due to an overloaded final. I was the tower controller at the time of the event. Due to the volume; minimum spacing was being used on final. An arrival spacing of 3 mi allowed 1 departure out and 4 mi allowed 2 departures; ground speeds on final were about 110 KTS. In a 4 mi space a non-involved aircraft departed and aircraft #2 was then cleared for takeoff; runway 27; turn left heading 210 degrees; in front of aircraft #1; now on a 2.5 mi final. Aircraft #2 was slow to start his takeoff roll so aircraft #1 started a go around on his own on about a 1 mi final. Tower issued a climb to 4000 ft and a right turn to heading 300 degrees to avoid conflict with departure aircraft. Aircraft #1 cleaned up the aircraft; and accelerated but; did not start a climb or turn. Aircraft #1 was again issued a climb and turn further right to 330 degrees. Because of the acceleration aircraft #1 was now over top of and very slightly ahead of aircraft #2 at about 1200 ft AGL as aircraft #2 was lifting off. Aircraft #1 then started a left turn (published missed approach); aircraft #1 was then told turn right now; heading 330 degrees; they read back right heading 030 degrees; but at least they started a right turn and the conflict was resolved. Aircraft #2 also started a left turn to remove the conflict at about the same time when he was climbing out of about 800 ft AGL. Looking back now; I should have noticed sooner that aircraft #2 was not starting his roll quick enough and aborted him and sent aircraft #1 around without conflicting traffic. My attention was diverted with the previous arrival still on my frequency and the earlier departure still on my frequency. However; had aircraft #2 rolled as expected or aircraft #1 turned right after either the first or second time issued; the conflict would not have occurred. I realize a go around is a very heavy workload time which is why only a 30 degree turn was issued to start. The go around aircraft knew the other aircraft was on departure roll on the runway under him; that is why he initiated the go around. Why he chose to ignore both my instructions and the conflicting aircraft under him I do not know. I believe there may have been a breakdown in crew communications between the PF and the PNF who was talking on the radio.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CVG LCL CTLR DESCRIBED CONFLICT DURING SINGLE RWY OPS WHEN ARR ACFT ELECTED TO GO AROUND AND FAILING TO COMPLY WITH CLRNC; CONFLICTED WITH DEP.

Narrative: STRONG GUSTY WINDS FROM WSW FORCED CVG TO USE A SINGLE RWY 27 INSTEAD OF THE PARALLEL RWY 18L/C/R. THERE WERE ABOUT 25-30 ACFT LINED UP FOR DEP AND INBOUNDS WERE IN HOLDING DUE TO AN OVERLOADED FINAL. I WAS THE TWR CTLR AT THE TIME OF THE EVENT. DUE TO THE VOLUME; MINIMUM SPACING WAS BEING USED ON FINAL. AN ARR SPACING OF 3 MI ALLOWED 1 DEP OUT AND 4 MI ALLOWED 2 DEPS; GND SPDS ON FINAL WERE ABOUT 110 KTS. IN A 4 MI SPACE A NON-INVOLVED ACFT DEPARTED AND ACFT #2 WAS THEN CLRED FOR TKOF; RWY 27; TURN L HDG 210 DEGS; IN FRONT OF ACFT #1; NOW ON A 2.5 MI FINAL. ACFT #2 WAS SLOW TO START HIS TKOF ROLL SO ACFT #1 STARTED A GAR ON HIS OWN ON ABOUT A 1 MI FINAL. TWR ISSUED A CLB TO 4000 FT AND A R TURN TO HDG 300 DEGS TO AVOID CONFLICT WITH DEP ACFT. ACFT #1 CLEANED UP THE ACFT; AND ACCELERATED BUT; DID NOT START A CLB OR TURN. ACFT #1 WAS AGAIN ISSUED A CLB AND TURN FURTHER R TO 330 DEGS. BECAUSE OF THE ACCELERATION ACFT #1 WAS NOW OVER TOP OF AND VERY SLIGHTLY AHEAD OF ACFT #2 AT ABOUT 1200 FT AGL AS ACFT #2 WAS LIFTING OFF. ACFT #1 THEN STARTED A L TURN (PUBLISHED MISSED APCH); ACFT #1 WAS THEN TOLD TURN R NOW; HDG 330 DEGS; THEY READ BACK R HDG 030 DEGS; BUT AT LEAST THEY STARTED A R TURN AND THE CONFLICT WAS RESOLVED. ACFT #2 ALSO STARTED A L TURN TO REMOVE THE CONFLICT AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME WHEN HE WAS CLBING OUT OF ABOUT 800 FT AGL. LOOKING BACK NOW; I SHOULD HAVE NOTICED SOONER THAT ACFT #2 WAS NOT STARTING HIS ROLL QUICK ENOUGH AND ABORTED HIM AND SENT ACFT #1 AROUND WITHOUT CONFLICTING TFC. MY ATTN WAS DIVERTED WITH THE PREVIOUS ARR STILL ON MY FREQ AND THE EARLIER DEP STILL ON MY FREQ. HOWEVER; HAD ACFT #2 ROLLED AS EXPECTED OR ACFT #1 TURNED R AFTER EITHER THE FIRST OR SECOND TIME ISSUED; THE CONFLICT WOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED. I REALIZE A GAR IS A VERY HVY WORKLOAD TIME WHICH IS WHY ONLY A 30 DEG TURN WAS ISSUED TO START. THE GAR ACFT KNEW THE OTHER ACFT WAS ON DEP ROLL ON THE RWY UNDER HIM; THAT IS WHY HE INITIATED THE GAR. WHY HE CHOSE TO IGNORE BOTH MY INSTRUCTIONS AND THE CONFLICTING ACFT UNDER HIM I DO NOT KNOW. I BELIEVE THERE MAY HAVE BEEN A BREAKDOWN IN CREW COMS BTWN THE PF AND THE PNF WHO WAS TALKING ON THE RADIO.

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.