Narrative:

A very common event for decades is to combine sectors/positions in ATC facilities in the evenings. This occurs at centers, approach controls and towers. I have always thought this unsafe and unfair to the person left. The busier/more complex the sector/airport, the worse it is. Last night after landing on the fairly short runway 27, we cleared at intersection 'west,' leaving us to cross two runway 22's and turn right on 'K.' this would lead us around the entire terminal area to our gate. One voice, a very busy voice, had cleared us to land while he read clearances and gave taxi instructions to many other operators. As we cleared at 'west,' he called 'air carrier X, turn right west, proceed to your gate, remain this frequency.' we crossed both runway 22's with all lights on, lowered speed brakes, raised flaps, turned off autobrakes, and were rolling approximately 18 KTS. Co-pilot calls 'clear right' for each runway 22. I look, call 'clear left,' twice. Co-pilot calls 'traffic.' I look down runway 22L, again call clear left. He calls 'traffic' again. I look ahead, clear. I look at him, he's pointing left. A black B757 was being rapidly towed up 'kilo' and would intercept 'west' at a 45 degree angle. B757 has rotating beacon on, but no tug lights, no taxi lights. A black airplane and we're each doing about 20 mph. I jam on the brakes and he goes by apparently oblivious to our near collision. I called tower after he had given 3 more clearances and asked if we were to follow the towed B757. He said 'sorry about that, he was way back there when I gave you taxi clearance, yes, follow him.' I did not tell tower how close it had been as I'm sure that he had no one there to assist him anyway. These 'early-goes' have got to be stopped. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter advised that only union representative was advised of incident. Due to reporter's background as former controller, the reporter assumes that no other controller was in the tower at the time of the incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757 TAXIING ON TXWY W AT BOS RECEIVES CLRNC TO GATE. FLC INITIATES HARD BRAKING TO AVOID ANOTHER ACFT UNDER TOW ON INTERSECTING TXWY K. TWR APOLOGIZES.

Narrative: A VERY COMMON EVENT FOR DECADES IS TO COMBINE SECTORS/POSITIONS IN ATC FACILITIES IN THE EVENINGS. THIS OCCURS AT CENTERS, APCH CTLS AND TWRS. I HAVE ALWAYS THOUGHT THIS UNSAFE AND UNFAIR TO THE PERSON LEFT. THE BUSIER/MORE COMPLEX THE SECTOR/ARPT, THE WORSE IT IS. LAST NIGHT AFTER LNDG ON THE FAIRLY SHORT RWY 27, WE CLRED AT INTXN 'W,' LEAVING US TO CROSS TWO RWY 22'S AND TURN RIGHT ON 'K.' THIS WOULD LEAD US AROUND THE ENTIRE TERMINAL AREA TO OUR GATE. ONE VOICE, A VERY BUSY VOICE, HAD CLRED US TO LAND WHILE HE READ CLEARANCES AND GAVE TAXI INSTRUCTIONS TO MANY OTHER OPERATORS. AS WE CLEARED AT 'W,' HE CALLED 'ACR X, TURN R W, PROCEED TO YOUR GATE, REMAIN THIS FREQ.' WE CROSSED BOTH RWY 22'S WITH ALL LIGHTS ON, LOWERED SPEED BRAKES, RAISED FLAPS, TURNED OFF AUTOBRAKES, AND WERE ROLLING APPROX 18 KTS. CO-PLT CALLS 'CLEAR R' FOR EACH RWY 22. I LOOK, CALL 'CLEAR LEFT,' TWICE. CO-PLT CALLS 'TFC.' I LOOK DOWN RWY 22L, AGAIN CALL CLEAR LEFT. HE CALLS 'TFC' AGAIN. I LOOK AHEAD, CLEAR. I LOOK AT HIM, HE'S POINTING LEFT. A BLACK B757 WAS BEING RAPIDLY TOWED UP 'KILO' AND WOULD INTERCEPT 'W' AT A 45 DEG ANGLE. B757 HAS ROTATING BEACON ON, BUT NO TUG LIGHTS, NO TAXI LIGHTS. A BLACK AIRPLANE AND WE'RE EACH DOING ABOUT 20 MPH. I JAM ON THE BRAKES AND HE GOES BY APPARENTLY OBLIVIOUS TO OUR NEAR COLLISION. I CALLED TWR AFTER HE HAD GIVEN 3 MORE CLEARANCES AND ASKED IF WE WERE TO FOLLOW THE TOWED B757. HE SAID 'SORRY ABOUT THAT, HE WAS WAY BACK THERE WHEN I GAVE YOU TAXI CLRNC, YES, FOLLOW HIM.' I DID NOT TELL TWR HOW CLOSE IT HAD BEEN AS I'M SURE THAT HE HAD NO ONE THERE TO ASSIST HIM ANYWAY. THESE 'EARLY-GOES' HAVE GOT TO BE STOPPED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR ADVISED THAT ONLY UNION REPRESENTATIVE WAS ADVISED OF INCIDENT. DUE TO RPTR'S BACKGROUND AS FORMER CTLR, THE RPTR ASSUMES THAT NO OTHER CTLR WAS IN THE TWR AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT.

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.