Narrative:

See diagram on reverse side for clarity. I was cleared to land on runway 16 at ric. Was about 6 mi out. A jetliner was holding for me, was told to go onto runway 20, and turn around 180 degrees and hold for me to land. Those 2 runways come together at their ends near FBO. Another jet had a clearance to leave before the liner. He pulled up and was told to hold short, tower announced 'a cessna on 2 mi final.' I had an airline transport pilot in the left seat flying (has over 25000 hours) but I was PIC because he has no medical. I was legally the one flying the plane. Anyhow, a third jet pulled up and rolled out onto the runway with no clearance from anyone. He just bopped on out. The ATP next to me was flying the instrument GS/localizer so was busy scanning only inside the cockpit. I was doing the VFR scans as well as cockpit scans. Just by luck, I caught motion under me and pushed the nose over to see what was moving, it was a third jet. I firewalled the engine to get speed to maintain control and if possible climb. I had 3 choices: 1) hit the third jet by landing on him or rear ending him, 2) hitting the jetliner broad side by turning right or 3) aiming to land if I had to on the taxiway for the military or if I had climb power to try to get over the trees and miss the subdivision. I took the taxiway route, powered, swerved, nosed down to stabilize the plane, and yelled on the radio all while at the same time making all these decisions. On the radio I yelled very excitedly, 'richmond tower man on the runway, a jet abort abort.' the jet continued to roll out as I collected speed right beside him. He passed by me as I cleared the trees, the tower reiterated the jet was told to hold short. I said nothing weighing out more options. The tower announced that the (third jet) was told to hold short. The tower asked me if I could land on runway 25, which from a fairly high altitude, I cut power and pulled a classic simulated obstructed field tailwind landing in a very steep approach. No problem. No damage to anyone but the consequences could have been extremely serious. All this conversation on the radios is on tower tape, ATC tape, and the flight recorder of the jetliner. Was too close. We were slowing down from an approach speed of 120 KTS to landing stall with a nose high attitude, was extremely lucky to have seen the third jet at all. I called the tower supervisor after wheel chock, he was very glad to hear from me. The controller thought for some time that she had given bogus instructions that had caused it all, but I affirmed that she did nothing wrong. Lesson here: even though you are in highly controled space, whether on the ground or in the air, take nothing for granted, fly first, navigation next, communicate last. Keep your eyes out at all times.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF A CESSNA 172 TOOK EVASIVE ACTION ON SHORT FINAL TO LAND AFTER ANOTHER ACFT PULLED OUT ON RWY AND TOOK OFF WITHOUT TWR APPROVAL.

Narrative: SEE DIAGRAM ON REVERSE SIDE FOR CLARITY. I WAS CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 16 AT RIC. WAS ABOUT 6 MI OUT. A JETLINER WAS HOLDING FOR ME, WAS TOLD TO GO ONTO RWY 20, AND TURN AROUND 180 DEGS AND HOLD FOR ME TO LAND. THOSE 2 RWYS COME TOGETHER AT THEIR ENDS NEAR FBO. ANOTHER JET HAD A CLRNC TO LEAVE BEFORE THE LINER. HE PULLED UP AND WAS TOLD TO HOLD SHORT, TWR ANNOUNCED 'A CESSNA ON 2 MI FINAL.' I HAD AN AIRLINE TRANSPORT PLT IN THE L SEAT FLYING (HAS OVER 25000 HRS) BUT I WAS PIC BECAUSE HE HAS NO MEDICAL. I WAS LEGALLY THE ONE FLYING THE PLANE. ANYHOW, A THIRD JET PULLED UP AND ROLLED OUT ONTO THE RWY WITH NO CLRNC FROM ANYONE. HE JUST BOPPED ON OUT. THE ATP NEXT TO ME WAS FLYING THE INST GS/LOC SO WAS BUSY SCANNING ONLY INSIDE THE COCKPIT. I WAS DOING THE VFR SCANS AS WELL AS COCKPIT SCANS. JUST BY LUCK, I CAUGHT MOTION UNDER ME AND PUSHED THE NOSE OVER TO SEE WHAT WAS MOVING, IT WAS A THIRD JET. I FIREWALLED THE ENG TO GET SPD TO MAINTAIN CTL AND IF POSSIBLE CLB. I HAD 3 CHOICES: 1) HIT THE THIRD JET BY LNDG ON HIM OR REAR ENDING HIM, 2) HITTING THE JETLINER BROAD SIDE BY TURNING R OR 3) AIMING TO LAND IF I HAD TO ON THE TXWY FOR THE MIL OR IF I HAD CLB PWR TO TRY TO GET OVER THE TREES AND MISS THE SUBDIVISION. I TOOK THE TXWY RTE, POWERED, SWERVED, NOSED DOWN TO STABILIZE THE PLANE, AND YELLED ON THE RADIO ALL WHILE AT THE SAME TIME MAKING ALL THESE DECISIONS. ON THE RADIO I YELLED VERY EXCITEDLY, 'RICHMOND TWR MAN ON THE RWY, A JET ABORT ABORT.' THE JET CONTINUED TO ROLL OUT AS I COLLECTED SPD RIGHT BESIDE HIM. HE PASSED BY ME AS I CLRED THE TREES, THE TWR REITERATED THE JET WAS TOLD TO HOLD SHORT. I SAID NOTHING WEIGHING OUT MORE OPTIONS. THE TWR ANNOUNCED THAT THE (THIRD JET) WAS TOLD TO HOLD SHORT. THE TWR ASKED ME IF I COULD LAND ON RWY 25, WHICH FROM A FAIRLY HIGH ALT, I CUT PWR AND PULLED A CLASSIC SIMULATED OBSTRUCTED FIELD TAILWIND LNDG IN A VERY STEEP APCH. NO PROB. NO DAMAGE TO ANYONE BUT THE CONSEQUENCES COULD HAVE BEEN EXTREMELY SERIOUS. ALL THIS CONVERSATION ON THE RADIOS IS ON TWR TAPE, ATC TAPE, AND THE FLT RECORDER OF THE JETLINER. WAS TOO CLOSE. WE WERE SLOWING DOWN FROM AN APCH SPD OF 120 KTS TO LNDG STALL WITH A NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE, WAS EXTREMELY LUCKY TO HAVE SEEN THE THIRD JET AT ALL. I CALLED THE TWR SUPVR AFTER WHEEL CHOCK, HE WAS VERY GLAD TO HEAR FROM ME. THE CTLR THOUGHT FOR SOME TIME THAT SHE HAD GIVEN BOGUS INSTRUCTIONS THAT HAD CAUSED IT ALL, BUT I AFFIRMED THAT SHE DID NOTHING WRONG. LESSON HERE: EVEN THOUGH YOU ARE IN HIGHLY CTLED SPACE, WHETHER ON THE GND OR IN THE AIR, TAKE NOTHING FOR GRANTED, FLY FIRST, NAV NEXT, COMMUNICATE LAST. KEEP YOUR EYES OUT AT ALL TIMES.

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.