Narrative:

Medium large transport X landed over an small transport Y flight holding in position on runway 27. I was working the local control position combined with the cabin coordinator position, runway 27 in use. At XA55 PDT an small aircraft just landed and medium large transport X reported on an 8 mi final. I taxied small transport Y into position and hold on runway 27 and I then cleared medium large transport X to land. At XA25:22 PDT I instructed the small aircraft when able turn right between the runway and contact ground control. At XA55:46 PDT san diego TRACON called on a hot line I was monitoring at the cabin coordinator position. I answered and was told, 'cancel call for release san francisco, go 5 mins in trail.' I turned to the ground control position who was doing the traffic management function and advised of this. Shortly after this medium large transport X said, 'you do have that mdt holding.' I thought mdt -- what mdt? I scanned the runway and in the haze saw small transport Y still holding in position. At the same time I saw medium large transport X about to cross over the approach end and over small transport Y (runway 27 has an 1810 ft displaced threshold). It appeared to me that medium large transport X was committed to land and I felt it was better to clear medium large transport X to land rather than cause something else to happen. The main factor that distracted me was the hot line call from san diego TRACON on the san francisco flow information. This happened at a very critical time. I should have been clearing small transport Y for takeoff. The restr visibility with haze did make it difficult to see the approach end of the runway. The hot line should not be used for this type information. There are other ways to pass it. Plus we had already received this information from traffic management at lax center. I later found this out. Supplemental information from acn 191251: during normal approach and landing at san diego and at 300 ft an object was noted at the blast fence at start of takeoff only portion. When asked about this the tower repeated 'cleared to land.' at 200 ft MSL positive sighting of an aircraft holding in position was noted. Aircraft did not obstruct landing zone and a landing was accomplished.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG LANDED OVER THE TOP OF SMT HOLDING IN POS ON THE RWY, CTLR FORGOT ABOUT SMT.

Narrative: MLG X LANDED OVER AN SMT Y FLT HOLDING IN POS ON RWY 27. I WAS WORKING THE LCL CTL POS COMBINED WITH THE CABIN COORDINATOR POS, RWY 27 IN USE. AT XA55 PDT AN SMA JUST LANDED AND MLG X RPTED ON AN 8 MI FINAL. I TAXIED SMT Y INTO POS AND HOLD ON RWY 27 AND I THEN CLRED MLG X TO LAND. AT XA25:22 PDT I INSTRUCTED THE SMA WHEN ABLE TURN R BTWN THE RWY AND CONTACT GND CTL. AT XA55:46 PDT SAN DIEGO TRACON CALLED ON A HOT LINE I WAS MONITORING AT THE CABIN COORDINATOR POS. I ANSWERED AND WAS TOLD, 'CANCEL CALL FOR RELEASE SAN FRANCISCO, GO 5 MINS IN TRAIL.' I TURNED TO THE GND CTL POS WHO WAS DOING THE TFC MGMNT FUNCTION AND ADVISED OF THIS. SHORTLY AFTER THIS MLG X SAID, 'YOU DO HAVE THAT MDT HOLDING.' I THOUGHT MDT -- WHAT MDT? I SCANNED THE RWY AND IN THE HAZE SAW SMT Y STILL HOLDING IN POS. AT THE SAME TIME I SAW MLG X ABOUT TO CROSS OVER THE APCH END AND OVER SMT Y (RWY 27 HAS AN 1810 FT DISPLACED THRESHOLD). IT APPEARED TO ME THAT MLG X WAS COMMITTED TO LAND AND I FELT IT WAS BETTER TO CLR MLG X TO LAND RATHER THAN CAUSE SOMETHING ELSE TO HAPPEN. THE MAIN FACTOR THAT DISTRACTED ME WAS THE HOT LINE CALL FROM SAN DIEGO TRACON ON THE SAN FRANCISCO FLOW INFO. THIS HAPPENED AT A VERY CRITICAL TIME. I SHOULD HAVE BEEN CLRING SMT Y FOR TKOF. THE RESTR VISIBILITY WITH HAZE DID MAKE IT DIFFICULT TO SEE THE APCH END OF THE RWY. THE HOT LINE SHOULD NOT BE USED FOR THIS TYPE INFO. THERE ARE OTHER WAYS TO PASS IT. PLUS WE HAD ALREADY RECEIVED THIS INFO FROM TFC MGMNT AT LAX CENTER. I LATER FOUND THIS OUT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 191251: DURING NORMAL APCH AND LNDG AT SAN DIEGO AND AT 300 FT AN OBJECT WAS NOTED AT THE BLAST FENCE AT START OF TKOF ONLY PORTION. WHEN ASKED ABOUT THIS THE TWR REPEATED 'CLRED TO LAND.' AT 200 FT MSL POSITIVE SIGHTING OF AN ACFT HOLDING IN POS WAS NOTED. ACFT DID NOT OBSTRUCT LNDG ZONE AND A LNDG WAS ACCOMPLISHED.

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.