Narrative:

Approaching dfw on a flight from sjt, we were cleared for a visual approach to runway 35C at dfw airport. At about 20 mi final we were told to contact dfw tower. We contacted tower and were cleared to land on runway 35L. First officer acknowledged clearance and we both understood that we were cleared to land on runway 35L. This clearance is normally only given when there are no departures from runway 35L. (There was no departure push occurring at this time.) when we were on about a 1 mi final, an aircraft crossed runway 35L about 2500 ft north of the threshold. We both commented that we thought the crossing was too close and we did not hear a clearance for the other aircraft to cross our runway. We landed without incident. After landing, we were told to 'cross runway 35L and contact ground.' this made me think that the controller may have forgotten that he cleared us to land on runway 35L and instead thought we were on runway 35C. Several things could have tipped us off that there may be a loss of situational awareness: 1) we were cleared to land on runway 35L while still about 15 mi final. 2 other aircraft landed on runway 35C before our landing. 2) there was very little communication on tower. I believe the tower controller was also working another frequency. 3) we should have verified landing clearance -- we had ample opportunity. 4) the controller did not give a localizer frequency for runway 35L (not uncommon in VMC).

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR CLRED TO LAND ON RWY NOT NORMALLY USED AT DFW AND THE CTLR SEEMS TO NOT BE AWARE OF IT.

Narrative: APCHING DFW ON A FLT FROM SJT, WE WERE CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 35C AT DFW ARPT. AT ABOUT 20 MI FINAL WE WERE TOLD TO CONTACT DFW TWR. WE CONTACTED TWR AND WERE CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 35L. FO ACKNOWLEDGED CLRNC AND WE BOTH UNDERSTOOD THAT WE WERE CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 35L. THIS CLRNC IS NORMALLY ONLY GIVEN WHEN THERE ARE NO DEPS FROM RWY 35L. (THERE WAS NO DEP PUSH OCCURRING AT THIS TIME.) WHEN WE WERE ON ABOUT A 1 MI FINAL, AN ACFT CROSSED RWY 35L ABOUT 2500 FT N OF THE THRESHOLD. WE BOTH COMMENTED THAT WE THOUGHT THE XING WAS TOO CLOSE AND WE DID NOT HEAR A CLRNC FOR THE OTHER ACFT TO CROSS OUR RWY. WE LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. AFTER LNDG, WE WERE TOLD TO 'CROSS RWY 35L AND CONTACT GND.' THIS MADE ME THINK THAT THE CTLR MAY HAVE FORGOTTEN THAT HE CLRED US TO LAND ON RWY 35L AND INSTEAD THOUGHT WE WERE ON RWY 35C. SEVERAL THINGS COULD HAVE TIPPED US OFF THAT THERE MAY BE A LOSS OF SITUATIONAL AWARENESS: 1) WE WERE CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 35L WHILE STILL ABOUT 15 MI FINAL. 2 OTHER ACFT LANDED ON RWY 35C BEFORE OUR LNDG. 2) THERE WAS VERY LITTLE COM ON TWR. I BELIEVE THE TWR CTLR WAS ALSO WORKING ANOTHER FREQ. 3) WE SHOULD HAVE VERIFIED LNDG CLRNC -- WE HAD AMPLE OPPORTUNITY. 4) THE CTLR DID NOT GIVE A LOC FREQ FOR RWY 35L (NOT UNCOMMON IN VMC).

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.