Narrative:

We were advised by norcal approach to contact sjc tower at approximately 12 mi out. We contacted sjc tower and told them we were on the visual for runway 30L, we're going to FBO, and can take runway 30R, if available and the controller came back and said switch to runway 30R, cleared to land. We were approximately 5 mi in trail of an airbus A320 that had been cleared to land on runway 30L. The tower informed the aircraft behind us that his traffic was on short final for runway 30L which was the airbus. I noticed the airbus was on approximately 1/2 mi final which agreed with the controller's observation for the aircraft behind us. We were approximately on a 4 mi final for runway 30R. I looked out and noticed a brasilia jet take off on runway 30R which we were not informed of from the tower. I was watching for and anticipating the airbus to hold short of runway 30R as I was on short final at this point. The airbus then began to cross runway 30R as I was on short final. I asked the copilot to query tower on the airbus crossing in front of us. The frequency was congested and we were finally able to get through and we inquired if the airbus was going to clear the runway in time. The frequency was congested and we did not hear a response from the tower. The airbus proceeded to clear runway 30R and we were able to land safely on runway 30R after the airbus had completely cleared the runway. We cleared runway 30R and were told to contact ground control. Ground control informed us to copy down a phone number for sjc tower and taxi to FBO. I called the tower and spoke to the sjc supervisor. He informed me that I was involved in a situation. I asked him what he meant. He informed me that there was an aircraft on the displaced threshold when I landed. I told him the airbus was well clear of the runway when I landed. The supervisor informed me that wasn't the situation he was talking about, we had overflown an aircraft on the displaced threshold at the end A1. I informed him that the tower controller never informed us of an aircraft that was taxiing into position and hold on runway 30R, nor did they tell us to go around. We never saw the aircraft in position due to the fact that our attention was focused on the airbus crossing and clearing runway 30R and the touchdown zone. If we had seen the aircraft taxi into position, or had been told to go around, we would not have hesitated. The supervisor told me we had nothing to worry about and he thought it was a controller problem. I told him I would call back later because I wanted more information on what he might have found out. I called approximately 2 hours later. He thought it was still a controller problem. I believe the contributing factors were multiple aircraft landing on parallel runways, departing aircraft on our runway, crossing traffic, and frequency congestion. It seems that the controller got busy and forgot that he had cleared us to land on runway 30R when he taxied an aircraft into position on runway 30R. Also, the displaced threshold on runway 30R is approximately 2530 ft from the touchdown point for landing, which is a long distance and our focus was on the touchdown point and the airbus further down the runway crossing runway 30R. In this situation with 2 landing runways, one of which was also a departing runway, crossing traffic, and frequency congestion, all contributed to this event.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C650 CREW LNDG SJC ON RWY 30R WAS UNAWARE OF AN ACFT THAT HAD BEEN PUT INTO POS AND HOLD PRIOR TO THEIR LNDG.

Narrative: WE WERE ADVISED BY NORCAL APCH TO CONTACT SJC TWR AT APPROX 12 MI OUT. WE CONTACTED SJC TWR AND TOLD THEM WE WERE ON THE VISUAL FOR RWY 30L, WE'RE GOING TO FBO, AND CAN TAKE RWY 30R, IF AVAILABLE AND THE CTLR CAME BACK AND SAID SWITCH TO RWY 30R, CLRED TO LAND. WE WERE APPROX 5 MI IN TRAIL OF AN AIRBUS A320 THAT HAD BEEN CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 30L. THE TWR INFORMED THE ACFT BEHIND US THAT HIS TFC WAS ON SHORT FINAL FOR RWY 30L WHICH WAS THE AIRBUS. I NOTICED THE AIRBUS WAS ON APPROX 1/2 MI FINAL WHICH AGREED WITH THE CTLR'S OBSERVATION FOR THE ACFT BEHIND US. WE WERE APPROX ON A 4 MI FINAL FOR RWY 30R. I LOOKED OUT AND NOTICED A BRASILIA JET TAKE OFF ON RWY 30R WHICH WE WERE NOT INFORMED OF FROM THE TWR. I WAS WATCHING FOR AND ANTICIPATING THE AIRBUS TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 30R AS I WAS ON SHORT FINAL AT THIS POINT. THE AIRBUS THEN BEGAN TO CROSS RWY 30R AS I WAS ON SHORT FINAL. I ASKED THE COPLT TO QUERY TWR ON THE AIRBUS XING IN FRONT OF US. THE FREQ WAS CONGESTED AND WE WERE FINALLY ABLE TO GET THROUGH AND WE INQUIRED IF THE AIRBUS WAS GOING TO CLR THE RWY IN TIME. THE FREQ WAS CONGESTED AND WE DID NOT HEAR A RESPONSE FROM THE TWR. THE AIRBUS PROCEEDED TO CLR RWY 30R AND WE WERE ABLE TO LAND SAFELY ON RWY 30R AFTER THE AIRBUS HAD COMPLETELY CLRED THE RWY. WE CLRED RWY 30R AND WERE TOLD TO CONTACT GND CTL. GND CTL INFORMED US TO COPY DOWN A PHONE NUMBER FOR SJC TWR AND TAXI TO FBO. I CALLED THE TWR AND SPOKE TO THE SJC SUPVR. HE INFORMED ME THAT I WAS INVOLVED IN A SIT. I ASKED HIM WHAT HE MEANT. HE INFORMED ME THAT THERE WAS AN ACFT ON THE DISPLACED THRESHOLD WHEN I LANDED. I TOLD HIM THE AIRBUS WAS WELL CLR OF THE RWY WHEN I LANDED. THE SUPVR INFORMED ME THAT WASN'T THE SIT HE WAS TALKING ABOUT, WE HAD OVERFLOWN AN ACFT ON THE DISPLACED THRESHOLD AT THE END A1. I INFORMED HIM THAT THE TWR CTLR NEVER INFORMED US OF AN ACFT THAT WAS TAXIING INTO POS AND HOLD ON RWY 30R, NOR DID THEY TELL US TO GO AROUND. WE NEVER SAW THE ACFT IN POS DUE TO THE FACT THAT OUR ATTN WAS FOCUSED ON THE AIRBUS XING AND CLRING RWY 30R AND THE TOUCHDOWN ZONE. IF WE HAD SEEN THE ACFT TAXI INTO POS, OR HAD BEEN TOLD TO GO AROUND, WE WOULD NOT HAVE HESITATED. THE SUPVR TOLD ME WE HAD NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT AND HE THOUGHT IT WAS A CTLR PROB. I TOLD HIM I WOULD CALL BACK LATER BECAUSE I WANTED MORE INFO ON WHAT HE MIGHT HAVE FOUND OUT. I CALLED APPROX 2 HRS LATER. HE THOUGHT IT WAS STILL A CTLR PROB. I BELIEVE THE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE MULTIPLE ACFT LNDG ON PARALLEL RWYS, DEPARTING ACFT ON OUR RWY, XING TFC, AND FREQ CONGESTION. IT SEEMS THAT THE CTLR GOT BUSY AND FORGOT THAT HE HAD CLRED US TO LAND ON RWY 30R WHEN HE TAXIED AN ACFT INTO POS ON RWY 30R. ALSO, THE DISPLACED THRESHOLD ON RWY 30R IS APPROX 2530 FT FROM THE TOUCHDOWN POINT FOR LNDG, WHICH IS A LONG DISTANCE AND OUR FOCUS WAS ON THE TOUCHDOWN POINT AND THE AIRBUS FURTHER DOWN THE RWY XING RWY 30R. IN THIS SIT WITH 2 LNDG RWYS, ONE OF WHICH WAS ALSO A DEPARTING RWY, XING TFC, AND FREQ CONGESTION, ALL CONTRIBUTED TO THIS EVENT.

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.