Narrative:

Low overcast 10 broken - 15 overcast. Circling approachs to runway 24 anc. Tower distracted by aircraft which evidently had taken a missed and wanted a downwind. My B737 sandwiched between two B747's. Air carrier Y, B747 landed runway 24L in front of me another air carrier Z, B747 waited for takeoff on runway 24L. At 1 1/2 miles I was switched from runway 24R to runway 24L. After a few seconds I saw the air carrier Y, B747 was not moving and it's tail was overhanging runway. I queried tower about this once, possibly twice, with no response. I then told tower I needed runway 24R. Tower responded emphatically I was to stay with the left runway. At this point I lost my cool and said that they were going to have to move the B747, ending the transmission with the word D#?!$! At this point tower finally ordered air carrier Y, B747 to clear taxiway and cross 24R. In retrospect it looked like controller was overloaded and forgot air carrier Y, B747, or confused it with air carrier Z, B747 awaiting takeoff on runway 24L. My final response, however, did not help situation and was unprofessional. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: callback revealed that this was a peak arrival time that included many B747's. Traffic was heavy and circling approachs were required because of the wind conditions. This is not the usual traffic flow for the airport and the controller seemed, to the reporter, to be handling a heavier than normal workload. The reporter felt that the controller had lost situational awareness as to the B747 positioned between the runways. He was not pleased with his own use of an expletive to get the controller's attention focused on the situation since he considers that unprofessional conduct.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B747 HOLDING BETWEEN PARALLEL RWYS AFTER LANDING HAS TAIL PROTRUDING INTO THE LNDG RWY. ARR ACFT HAS DIFFICULTY GETTING ATC TWR TO RECOGNIZE THE SIT.

Narrative: LOW OVERCAST 10 BKN - 15 OVCST. CIRCLING APCHS TO RWY 24 ANC. TWR DISTRACTED BY ACFT WHICH EVIDENTLY HAD TAKEN A MISSED AND WANTED A DOWNWIND. MY B737 SANDWICHED BETWEEN TWO B747'S. ACR Y, B747 LANDED RWY 24L IN FRONT OF ME ANOTHER ACR Z, B747 WAITED FOR TKOF ON RWY 24L. AT 1 1/2 MILES I WAS SWITCHED FROM RWY 24R TO RWY 24L. AFTER A FEW SECONDS I SAW THE ACR Y, B747 WAS NOT MOVING AND IT'S TAIL WAS OVERHANGING RWY. I QUERIED TWR ABOUT THIS ONCE, POSSIBLY TWICE, WITH NO RESPONSE. I THEN TOLD TWR I NEEDED RWY 24R. TWR RESPONDED EMPHATICALLY I WAS TO STAY WITH THE L RWY. AT THIS POINT I LOST MY COOL AND SAID THAT THEY WERE GOING TO HAVE TO MOVE THE B747, ENDING THE TRANSMISSION WITH THE WORD D#?!$! AT THIS POINT TWR FINALLY ORDERED ACR Y, B747 TO CLR TAXIWAY AND CROSS 24R. IN RETROSPECT IT LOOKED LIKE CTLR WAS OVERLOADED AND FORGOT ACR Y, B747, OR CONFUSED IT WITH ACR Z, B747 AWAITING TAKEOFF ON RWY 24L. MY FINAL RESPONSE, HOWEVER, DID NOT HELP SIT AND WAS UNPROFESSIONAL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: CALLBACK REVEALED THAT THIS WAS A PEAK ARR TIME THAT INCLUDED MANY B747'S. TFC WAS HEAVY AND CIRCLING APCHS WERE REQUIRED BECAUSE OF THE WIND CONDITIONS. THIS IS NOT THE USUAL TFC FLOW FOR THE AIRPORT AND THE CTLR SEEMED, TO THE RPTR, TO BE HANDLING A HEAVIER THAN NORMAL WORKLOAD. THE RPTR FELT THAT THE CTLR HAD LOST SITUATIONAL AWARENESS AS TO THE B747 POSITIONED BETWEEN THE RWYS. HE WAS NOT PLEASED WITH HIS OWN USE OF AN EXPLETIVE TO GET THE CONTROLLER'S ATTENTION FOCUSED ON THE SIT SINCE HE CONSIDERS THAT UNPROFESSIONAL CONDUCT.

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.