Date: 201902
Local time of day: 0001-0600
Location: DCA.Tower, DC
Flight conditions: VMC
Aircraft: Regional Jet 200 ER/LR (CRJ200)
Operator: Air Carrier
Operating under: Part 121
Flight plan: IFR
Mission: Passenger
Flight phase: Other Go Around
Airspace: Class B DCA
ATC / advisory: TRACON PCT; Tower DCA
Second aircraft: EMB ERJ 170/175 ER/LR
Reporter organization: Air Carrier
Reporter function: Pilot Flying; First Officer
Human factors: Situational Awareness; Distraction; Communication Breakdown; Confusion
Second reporter function: Captain; Pilot Not Flying
Anomaly: ATC Issue All Types; Conflict NMAC; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural FAR; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Inflight Event / Encounter Unstabilized Approach
Detector: Person Flight Crew
When detected: In-flight
Result: Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Flight Crew Became Reoriented; Flight Crew FLC Overrode Automation; Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Contributing factors: Procedure; Airport; Human Factors
Primary problem: Procedure

Narrative: We were flying the Visual Approach with westerly crosswinds. The approach was stable; on speed and flown as briefed. At 50 feet I reduced power to idle. While in the flare the airplane would not touchdown. It felt like a gust of wind may have caused an excessive float. The end of the runway touchdown zone was quickly approaching and I called for a 'Go-Around; Set Thrust; Spoilers Stowed.' The Captain set the thrust; checked spoilers and indicated positive rate. I responded 'Flaps 8; Gear Up.' During the Balked Landing procedure we made contact with the runway and during the initial clean-up Tower said 'Aircraft XXXX contact Departure.' The Captain responded and switched to departure. During that time I noticed on the TCAS there was another aircraft very close to us on our left. I looked out the Captain's side window and saw an E175 maybe 300 to 500 feet away and climbing alongside us. I immediately stopped the climb and began to level off. Departure was instructing us to climb and I told the Captain we are not going to climb due to the aircraft next to us. At that moment the TCAS RA came on and instructed a very high climb rate. We still had the visual on the E-175 and while we were leveling off he was continuing to climb. The RA then switched and instructed us not to climb. Since the E175 was on the Captain's side he took the controls and I took over the radios. Departure was still instructing us to climb. I responded to Departure and told them we were leveling off due to an aircraft being directly above us. At this point another Controller came on the frequency and instructed us to maintain altitude and turn right to a heading. We received instructions for a second approach and it was flown without any issues. On the ground Tower instructed us to call them. The Captain informed me that Tower said there was confusion because of our Balked Landing. They saw us touchdown however; did not notice that we had become airborne again. During this time our flight number had repopulated on the radar scope before the aircraft departing off Runway 15 did and the Controller said 'Aircraft XXXX contact Departure' thinking we were the airplane which departed Runway 15 while we were on short final for Runway 19. Apparently the Departure Controller was also confused by our handoff and that is why they were trying to instruct us to climb. They then asked us if we were going-around and we told them yes. When I heard Tower say 'Aircraft XXXX contact Departure' with no instructions I thought that was odd however; I was busy flying the airplane. Next time I will make sure to confirm a heading and altitude or at least some kind of guidance since no guidance may be confusion.


Second narrative: The Visual Approach began as a very routine; stable approach although we did remark on short final how tight the separation looked between ourselves and the departing aircraft on the intersecting runway as it crossed the intersection. During the flare; my First Officer had difficulty getting the aircraft to settle onto the runway. He later explained that it felt like a gust of wind caused him to float. In hindsight; it could have been a shifting tailwind. The runway would reverse direction before our next flight. Regardless; we neared the end of the landing threshold and my First Officer announced his go around while adding full thrust. While the engines spooled; our main wheels touched down for a couple seconds. Once airborne; things happened very quickly.We began the balked landing callouts and got the thrust; spoilers; positive rate; gear up; flaps 8. Tower said; 'Aircraft XXXX; contact Departure'. I had not transmitted my go-around but the Controller's hesitation and timing of the radio call made it sound like he was watching us begin our climb. The absence of climbout instructions seemed unusual but I was busy; read back the frequency change without question; dialed in the frequency; and contacted Departure expecting that they had a plan for us. I checked in with our altitude; climbing to 3000 feet. Departure didn't seem to be expecting us on frequency and shortly after we received a TCAS TA. I quickly glanced at the MFD; saw the yellow dot a few hundred feet above; found the aircraft extremely close at 2 o'clock high in a climbing (possibly leveling off) right bank merging towards our position. It was the same aircraft that had just taken off the intersecting runway before we touched down. My First Officer reacted by pulling power and immediately pitching forward from a high rate of climb just as the TCAS TA turned to an RA.I glanced at the VSI and saw a tiny green sliver at the very top of the VSI which very much disagreed with what we saw outside. Unsure whether my First Officer had the traffic in sight and afraid that he would follow the RA into the traffic; I took controls; immediately banked right; and continued the forward pitch. Departure instructed us to climb but we had barely managed to level off 300 feet directly below the crossing traffic. The RA changed to descending or level (I don't remember which) shortly after I took controls. My First Officer told ATC there was an aircraft above us and we couldn't climb. Realizing I was off runway heading; I began slowly banking back towards the river as another Controller came on frequency and gave us new vectors and to maintain altitude. Once clear of conflict; we were able to get vectored back for the Visual approach; climb to 3;000 feet; make a PA; and complete the flight without further issues. On the ground; Tower instructed us to call. The Supervisor seemed unsure as to what initiated the scenario. I explained that we had a balked landing to a go-around. He said that it looked to them like a newly departing aircraft. Apparently we had disappeared off their radar during touchdown. When we reappeared; we were confused for another departing aircraft.The lack of positive communication between myself and the Tower controller during a time of high workload led to the unsafe event. I believe the TCAS RA instructions may have lacked information in the quickly changing environment. Maintaining a high rate of climb may have been a safe choice if everything remained constant but the traffic had an increasing right bank; we had reduced flaps; and had already began pitching forward for the TCAS/TA at 250 knots. Considering that the TCAS RA so quickly flipped directions; I believe that; in the end; we were safer to stick with our first instinct rather than trying to chase RA changes. I should have confirmed go around instructions with Tower before blindly taking the frequency change.


Synopsis: CRJ200 flight crew reported an NMAC with a departure from an intersecting runway during a go around; and miscommunication with ATC.