Narrative:

The most recent change to the definition of 'clear of runway' in the pilot controller glossary has created a safety problem at the billings airport. Due to inadequate distance between our main runway 27R/9L and our parallel taxiway, aircraft are unable to exit the runway and continue movement across the runway hold short lines without entering the parallel taxiway. The present 'clear of runway' definition has caused us to send several aircraft around on short final. Sending aircraft around in a critical phase of flight to comply with a procedure that in no way affects safety is inappropriate. The taxiing aircraft position is irrelevant. A problem only exists if we issue a restriction to the taxiing aircraft's movement across the hold lines. We can have vehicles in closer proximity to the runway and have no problem. We can look out the window and see that the aircraft is past the runway edge and no factor yet. To comply with the new definition we must send the next aircraft around if we have told the first aircraft to hold short of the parallel taxiway. The definition of 'clear of runway' needs to be changed to: a pilot or controller may consider an aircraft which is exiting or crossing a runway, to be clear of the runway when all parts of the aircraft are beyond the runway edge and there is no ATC restriction to its continued movement beyond the applicable holding position marking or can be visually determined by ATC or other pilots that all parts of the aircraft are beyond the runway edge.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TWR CTLR COMPLAINS ABOUT NEW CRITERIA PERTAINING TO DEFINITION OF CLR OF RWY.

Narrative: THE MOST RECENT CHANGE TO THE DEFINITION OF 'CLR OF RWY' IN THE PLT CTLR GLOSSARY HAS CREATED A SAFETY PROB AT THE BILLINGS ARPT. DUE TO INADEQUATE DISTANCE BTWN OUR MAIN RWY 27R/9L AND OUR PARALLEL TXWY, ACFT ARE UNABLE TO EXIT THE RWY AND CONTINUE MOVEMENT ACROSS THE RWY HOLD SHORT LINES WITHOUT ENTERING THE PARALLEL TXWY. THE PRESENT 'CLR OF RWY' DEFINITION HAS CAUSED US TO SEND SEVERAL ACFT AROUND ON SHORT FINAL. SENDING ACFT AROUND IN A CRITICAL PHASE OF FLT TO COMPLY WITH A PROC THAT IN NO WAY AFFECTS SAFETY IS INAPPROPRIATE. THE TAXIING ACFT POS IS IRRELEVANT. A PROB ONLY EXISTS IF WE ISSUE A RESTRICTION TO THE TAXIING ACFT'S MOVEMENT ACROSS THE HOLD LINES. WE CAN HAVE VEHICLES IN CLOSER PROX TO THE RWY AND HAVE NO PROB. WE CAN LOOK OUT THE WINDOW AND SEE THAT THE ACFT IS PAST THE RWY EDGE AND NO FACTOR YET. TO COMPLY WITH THE NEW DEFINITION WE MUST SEND THE NEXT ACFT AROUND IF WE HAVE TOLD THE FIRST ACFT TO HOLD SHORT OF THE PARALLEL TXWY. THE DEFINITION OF 'CLR OF RWY' NEEDS TO BE CHANGED TO: A PLT OR CTLR MAY CONSIDER AN ACFT WHICH IS EXITING OR XING A RWY, TO BE CLR OF THE RWY WHEN ALL PARTS OF THE ACFT ARE BEYOND THE RWY EDGE AND THERE IS NO ATC RESTRICTION TO ITS CONTINUED MOVEMENT BEYOND THE APPLICABLE HOLDING POS MARKING OR CAN BE VISUALLY DETERMINED BY ATC OR OTHER PLTS THAT ALL PARTS OF THE ACFT ARE BEYOND THE RWY EDGE.

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.