Narrative:

On short final as described above, an aircraft on the crossing runway 31 was cleared for takeoff. Since I was flying and in the process of rounding out for touchdown, I looked (glanced) over at where the aircraft for takeoff was. I could not tell, and the thought then was 'surely the cleared for takeoff aircraft cannot reach the intersection of the runways before we do' -- I hope, since our only choice was to go around below 50 ft and fly through the intersection. After slowing on the rollout, the controller was queried. Says he, 'normal procedure, you got a problem, call the tower.' I spoke with the tower supervisor. Got a bunch of mumbo-jumbo about taxiway U and takeoff clearance being issued since aircraft 'in position' couldn't spool up, accelerate, and reach the intersection before the landing aircraft had cleared. This must be done to expedite traffic. All of the above was and is true. I agreed but we were, at best, over the approach lights when clearance was issued for crossing aircraft to take off. The supervisor said, 'if that is true, I will have to discuss it with the controller.' to further clarify, our aircraft touched down, on speed, on the 1000 ft marks, so that speed was not an extraordinary factor. I point this out since the supervisor indicated that takeoff clrncs were issued with aircraft still airborne since they (tower) couldn't control where aircraft landed. Obviously, both tower personnel were quite defensive, as they probably should have been.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF AN MLG ACR ACFT CHALLENGES THE TWR REGARDING THE SAFETY OF RELEASING CLRING ANOTHER ACFT FOR TKOF ON AN INTERSECTING RWY.

Narrative: ON SHORT FINAL AS DESCRIBED ABOVE, AN ACFT ON THE XING RWY 31 WAS CLRED FOR TKOF. SINCE I WAS FLYING AND IN THE PROCESS OF ROUNDING OUT FOR TOUCHDOWN, I LOOKED (GLANCED) OVER AT WHERE THE ACFT FOR TKOF WAS. I COULD NOT TELL, AND THE THOUGHT THEN WAS 'SURELY THE CLRED FOR TKOF ACFT CANNOT REACH THE INTXN OF THE RWYS BEFORE WE DO' -- I HOPE, SINCE OUR ONLY CHOICE WAS TO GAR BELOW 50 FT AND FLY THROUGH THE INTXN. AFTER SLOWING ON THE ROLLOUT, THE CTLR WAS QUERIED. SAYS HE, 'NORMAL PROC, YOU GOT A PROB, CALL THE TWR.' I SPOKE WITH THE TWR SUPVR. GOT A BUNCH OF MUMBO-JUMBO ABOUT TXWY U AND TKOF CLRNC BEING ISSUED SINCE ACFT 'IN POS' COULDN'T SPOOL UP, ACCELERATE, AND REACH THE INTXN BEFORE THE LNDG ACFT HAD CLRED. THIS MUST BE DONE TO EXPEDITE TFC. ALL OF THE ABOVE WAS AND IS TRUE. I AGREED BUT WE WERE, AT BEST, OVER THE APCH LIGHTS WHEN CLRNC WAS ISSUED FOR XING ACFT TO TAKE OFF. THE SUPVR SAID, 'IF THAT IS TRUE, I WILL HAVE TO DISCUSS IT WITH THE CTLR.' TO FURTHER CLARIFY, OUR ACFT TOUCHED DOWN, ON SPD, ON THE 1000 FT MARKS, SO THAT SPD WAS NOT AN EXTRAORDINARY FACTOR. I POINT THIS OUT SINCE THE SUPVR INDICATED THAT TKOF CLRNCS WERE ISSUED WITH ACFT STILL AIRBORNE SINCE THEY (TWR) COULDN'T CTL WHERE ACFT LANDED. OBVIOUSLY, BOTH TWR PERSONNEL WERE QUITE DEFENSIVE, AS THEY PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE BEEN.

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.