Narrative:

I was the first officer on airlines flight from msp to lax. It was a clear, calm semi moonlit night. We were cleared from the ILS runway 25L approach off the civit intersection arrival. We were cleared to land on runway 25L at the OM. The airplane landing ahead of us was a merlin metropolitan, although we couldn't see it landing because of darkness and it's small size. At 1/2 mi final, the captain asked me if the metropolitan had cleared the runway yet. I didn't know, and at the same time, we began to see the metropolitan turning off the runway at taxiway 36. However, the aircraft ahead of the metropolitan-9 767 was stopped on taxiway 36 between runway 25L and runway 25R. So the metropolitan, having missed the earlier turnoff that they customarily make, couldn't turn off at runway 36. The tower told him to proceed on the runway to taxiway 42, and turn off there. We saw the metropolitan turn back onto the runway and start down for runway 42. At that point, we initiated a go around approximately from 100 ft AGL. In retrospect, it was very apparent to us that the tower controller was going to let us land with the metropolitan still taxiing down the runway, and just didn't realize what was going on. Clearly, it was our call to the tower inquiring about whether or not the runway was clear that clued them into what was happening. A fatal mishap on runway 24L at lax occurred several yrs ago under very similar circumstances. Have they learned anything?

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LGT MAKES GAR AS METRO TAXIES BACK ONTO RWY AFTER TRYING TO TURNOFF.

Narrative: I WAS THE FO ON AIRLINES FLT FROM MSP TO LAX. IT WAS A CLR, CALM SEMI MOONLIT NIGHT. WE WERE CLRED FROM THE ILS RWY 25L APCH OFF THE CIVIT INTXN ARR. WE WERE CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 25L AT THE OM. THE AIRPLANE LNDG AHEAD OF US WAS A MERLIN METRO, ALTHOUGH WE COULDN'T SEE IT LNDG BECAUSE OF DARKNESS AND IT'S SMALL SIZE. AT 1/2 MI FINAL, THE CAPT ASKED ME IF THE METRO HAD CLRED THE RWY YET. I DIDN'T KNOW, AND AT THE SAME TIME, WE BEGAN TO SEE THE METRO TURNING OFF THE RWY AT TXWY 36. HOWEVER, THE ACFT AHEAD OF THE METRO-9 767 WAS STOPPED ON TXWY 36 BTWN RWY 25L AND RWY 25R. SO THE METRO, HAVING MISSED THE EARLIER TURNOFF THAT THEY CUSTOMARILY MAKE, COULDN'T TURN OFF AT RWY 36. THE TWR TOLD HIM TO PROCEED ON THE RWY TO TXWY 42, AND TURN OFF THERE. WE SAW THE METRO TURN BACK ONTO THE RWY AND START DOWN FOR RWY 42. AT THAT POINT, WE INITIATED A GAR APPROX FROM 100 FT AGL. IN RETROSPECT, IT WAS VERY APPARENT TO US THAT THE TWR CTLR WAS GOING TO LET US LAND WITH THE METRO STILL TAXIING DOWN THE RWY, AND JUST DIDN'T REALIZE WHAT WAS GOING ON. CLRLY, IT WAS OUR CALL TO THE TWR INQUIRING ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THE RWY WAS CLR THAT CLUED THEM INTO WHAT WAS HAPPENING. A FATAL MISHAP ON RWY 24L AT LAX OCCURRED SEVERAL YRS AGO UNDER VERY SIMILAR CIRCUMSTANCES. HAVE THEY LEARNED ANYTHING?

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.