Narrative:

We had a ground hold at the end of our runway 15 due to flow control restrictions. At XB45Z we were told to taxi into position and hold on runway 15. As we were taxiing onto the runway, I observed the arrs on runway 18 coming down the river. I also observed a commuter aircraft at approximately 1 1/2 mi pointing in the direction of runway 15. This is not unusual due to the arrival procedures at this airport, but I made a mental note of it. Shortly after an aircraft landed on runway 18, I heard the tower clear an light transport Y commuter to land on runway 18, then corrected himself and cleared him to land on runway 15. At this point I became concerned because I had not yet received my takeoff clearance, and the aircraft I noticed earlier would be getting close. At the end of that thought, the tower said, casually that this could not work out, instructed us to exit the runway and return to the hold position. My first officer began to vacate the runway in the casual manner the controller intimated, and being situationally aware, I instructed him 'let's get the hell off the runway.' as we turned, I observed the light transport Y commuter within what I estimate to be 1/4 of a mi final. We had not crossed the hold line as the commuter disappeared behind my aircraft. This event poses some questions: 1) why did the local controller position on so tight a spacing? 2) why did the controller instruct me to vacate the runway in a casual manner when the 2 aircraft were so close? 3) why didn't the tower send light transport Y around? 4) why didn't the light transport Y pilot take the initiative, and go around? It is my belief that the light transport Y pilot elected to compromise safety for getting on the blocks 'on time.' it is my belief that the local controller was oversaturated at an airport that has procedures designed to work only if everything goes right. Supplemental information from acn 195516: we were cleared into position and hold on runway 15. After a period of approximately 2-3 mins, the tower controller cleared an light transport Y commuter aircraft to land on the same runway (runway 15) as we were holding on. After another 1-2 min time period the tower controller finally realized his error and asked us to vacate the runway. We then turned our aircraft and exited the end of the runway. At that very moment the commuter aircraft was crossing the runway threshold narrowly missing our aircraft by a mere 50 ft.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CORP LTT UNHAPPY WITH PROX OF LNDG LTT AS HE CLRED THE RWY.

Narrative: WE HAD A GND HOLD AT THE END OF OUR RWY 15 DUE TO FLOW CTL RESTRICTIONS. AT XB45Z WE WERE TOLD TO TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD ON RWY 15. AS WE WERE TAXIING ONTO THE RWY, I OBSERVED THE ARRS ON RWY 18 COMING DOWN THE RIVER. I ALSO OBSERVED A COMMUTER ACFT AT APPROX 1 1/2 MI POINTING IN THE DIRECTION OF RWY 15. THIS IS NOT UNUSUAL DUE TO THE ARR PROCS AT THIS ARPT, BUT I MADE A MENTAL NOTE OF IT. SHORTLY AFTER AN ACFT LANDED ON RWY 18, I HEARD THE TWR CLR AN LTT Y COMMUTER TO LAND ON RWY 18, THEN CORRECTED HIMSELF AND CLRED HIM TO LAND ON RWY 15. AT THIS POINT I BECAME CONCERNED BECAUSE I HAD NOT YET RECEIVED MY TKOF CLRNC, AND THE ACFT I NOTICED EARLIER WOULD BE GETTING CLOSE. AT THE END OF THAT THOUGHT, THE TWR SAID, CASUALLY THAT THIS COULD NOT WORK OUT, INSTRUCTED US TO EXIT THE RWY AND RETURN TO THE HOLD POS. MY FO BEGAN TO VACATE THE RWY IN THE CASUAL MANNER THE CTLR INTIMATED, AND BEING SITUATIONALLY AWARE, I INSTRUCTED HIM 'LET'S GET THE HELL OFF THE RWY.' AS WE TURNED, I OBSERVED THE LTT Y COMMUTER WITHIN WHAT I ESTIMATE TO BE 1/4 OF A MI FINAL. WE HAD NOT CROSSED THE HOLD LINE AS THE COMMUTER DISAPPEARED BEHIND MY ACFT. THIS EVENT POSES SOME QUESTIONS: 1) WHY DID THE LCL CTLR POS ON SO TIGHT A SPACING? 2) WHY DID THE CTLR INSTRUCT ME TO VACATE THE RWY IN A CASUAL MANNER WHEN THE 2 ACFT WERE SO CLOSE? 3) WHY DIDN'T THE TWR SEND LTT Y AROUND? 4) WHY DIDN'T THE LTT Y PLT TAKE THE INITIATIVE, AND GAR? IT IS MY BELIEF THAT THE LTT Y PLT ELECTED TO COMPROMISE SAFETY FOR GETTING ON THE BLOCKS 'ON TIME.' IT IS MY BELIEF THAT THE LCL CTLR WAS OVERSATURATED AT AN ARPT THAT HAS PROCS DESIGNED TO WORK ONLY IF EVERYTHING GOES RIGHT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 195516: WE WERE CLRED INTO POS AND HOLD ON RWY 15. AFTER A PERIOD OF APPROX 2-3 MINS, THE TWR CTLR CLRED AN LTT Y COMMUTER ACFT TO LAND ON THE SAME RWY (RWY 15) AS WE WERE HOLDING ON. AFTER ANOTHER 1-2 MIN TIME PERIOD THE TWR CTLR FINALLY REALIZED HIS ERROR AND ASKED US TO VACATE THE RWY. WE THEN TURNED OUR ACFT AND EXITED THE END OF THE RWY. AT THAT VERY MOMENT THE COMMUTER ACFT WAS XING THE RWY THRESHOLD NARROWLY MISSING OUR ACFT BY A MERE 50 FT.

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.