Date: 201906
Local time of day: 1201-1800
Location: LGA.Tower, NY
Flight conditions: IMC
Weather elements / visibility: Fog
Aircraft: Commercial Fixed Wing
Operator: Air Carrier
Operating under: Part 121
Flight plan: IFR
Mission: Passenger
Flight phase: Landing; Final Approach
Airspace: Class B LGA
ATC / advisory: Tower LGA
Second aircraft: Commercial Fixed Wing
Reporter organization: Government
Reporter function: Coordinator
Reporter qualification: Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Human factors: Distraction; Situational Awareness; Training / Qualification
Anomaly: ATC Issue All Types; Conflict NMAC; Conflict Ground Conflict; Critical
Detector: Person Air Traffic Control
When detected: In-flight
Result: Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Flight Crew Executed Go Around / Missed Approach
Contributing factors: Airport; Human Factors; Procedure
Primary problem: Human Factors

Narrative: The field was IFR. 600 foot ceiling landing ILS approaches. I was working the Cab Coordinator position. Aircraft X checked in at approximately 6 mile final. Local Control told the aircraft to expect landing clearance on short final for traffic that would depart. I was intrigued by this statement; since the field was IFR; and the 7110.65 dictates the requirement of 2 miles; increasing to 3 for same runway separation in IFR conditions. I would have reminded Local Control that we were IFR; except that I overheard the controller they relieved remind them of the field conditions a few moments earlier. Also; the fog hanging from the approach end of the runway up to the runways intersection was a clear reminder. I keyed up the Local Control frequency to monitor the situation. As I did so; the Supervisor asked me about granting IFR clearance to a helicopter that had called the Tower to activate a flight plan. I explained to him that the field was IFR; we had a number of IFR departures waiting in line and that arrivals were on the ILS so northbound on the river was not an option; and perhaps the helicopter could pick up his IFR with a different Tower to the south; out of our airspace; as there was nothing we could do for him at the moment. The Supervisor suggested stopping departures for the helicopter. I returned to monitoring local control. A moment later; the Supervisor handed me a clearance strip for the helicopter and instructed me to call TRACON to coordinate an IFR departure plan for him. I ceased monitoring Local Control and dialed TRACON on the sequence line. I began discussing the helicopter IFR departure request. A moment later; the Supervisor tapped me on the shoulder to tell me we had a go-around. I looked up to see an Aircraft X over the runway; past a taxiway close to the runway surface. I am not sure if the aircraft ever touched ground; if it was in ground effect; or was a few feet above the runway. The departure; Aircraft Y; was barely off the departure end of the runway. Perhaps there was 3;000 feet between the two planes. I stopped discussing the IFR helicopter request and began coordinating the go-around with TRACON. The Local Controller was slow to respond; seemed dazed and confused and stumbled to find words while doing little to reestablish separation between the two aircraft at a critical time. With some difficulty; I was able to coordinate between Local Control and TRACON a 070 heading and climb to 3000 for Aircraft X. The Local Controller transmitted an instruction to turn right heading 180; without first stating a callsign; then stated the wrong callsign; presumable for Aircraft Y. It wasn't until later; when I replayed the audio; that I realized the full extent of poor judgment; sloppy phraseology and complete lack of control displayed by the local controller. It has been days since this NMAC and I still feel uneasy about the danger that was introduced into the NAS. I believe the training process needs to be held to a higher standard; and that corners are being cut in the training process that are leading to unsafe conditions and putting the flying public at risk.




Synopsis: LGA Tower Cab Coordinator reported the Local Controller allowed a NMAC or Critical Ground conflict between an arrival going around and a departure.