B737 crew turned off onto a runway without tower clearance.

Attributes
ACN	622374
Time
Date	200312
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : oma.airport
State Reference	NE
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : gpt.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	landing : roll
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tower : oma.tower
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Phase	ground : position and hold
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 191.15 flight time total : 11000 flight time type : 3500
ASRS Report	622374
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 21000 flight time type : 10000
ASRS Report	622375
Events
Anomaly	incursion : runway inflight encounter : weather non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far non adherence : company policies
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued advisory
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Weather
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

First officer landing following NDB/VNAV approach for runway 14R oma, night, 3000 ft overcast, recent rain. Touchdown was uneventful, after which crew overheard tower clear other traffic onto runway, position and hold. Landing pilot tried to slow aircraft. In time to make last taxiway prior to intersection west, runway 18 (taxiway C), unable. Remaining taxiway turnoffs looked distant. Still decelerating, first officer asked captain, 'do we want to try to turn onto this runway?' captain then took control of aircraft, slowed sufficiently to turn off, and exited landing runway onto runway 18. Tower called and stated, 'for future reference, please obtain clearance prior to turning onto an active runway.' first officer acknowledged, expressed appreciation for guidance, confirmed clearance to taxi to ramp/gate. Supplemental information from acn 622375: we acknowledged my mistake and thanked him. My thought process after a long day was to get off the runway as quickly as possible since we were almost stopped, and someone was waiting to take off.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 CREW TURNED OFF ONTO A RWY WITHOUT TWR CLRNC.

Narrative: FO LNDG FOLLOWING NDB/VNAV APCH FOR RWY 14R OMA, NIGHT, 3000 FT OVCST, RECENT RAIN. TOUCHDOWN WAS UNEVENTFUL, AFTER WHICH CREW OVERHEARD TWR CLR OTHER TFC ONTO RWY, POS AND HOLD. LNDG PLT TRIED TO SLOW ACFT. IN TIME TO MAKE LAST TXWY PRIOR TO INTXN W, RWY 18 (TXWY C), UNABLE. REMAINING TXWY TURNOFFS LOOKED DISTANT. STILL DECELERATING, FO ASKED CAPT, 'DO WE WANT TO TRY TO TURN ONTO THIS RWY?' CAPT THEN TOOK CTL OF ACFT, SLOWED SUFFICIENTLY TO TURN OFF, AND EXITED LNDG RWY ONTO RWY 18. TWR CALLED AND STATED, 'FOR FUTURE REF, PLEASE OBTAIN CLRNC PRIOR TO TURNING ONTO AN ACTIVE RWY.' FO ACKNOWLEDGED, EXPRESSED APPRECIATION FOR GUIDANCE, CONFIRMED CLRNC TO TAXI TO RAMP/GATE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 622375: WE ACKNOWLEDGED MY MISTAKE AND THANKED HIM. MY THOUGHT PROCESS AFTER A LONG DAY WAS TO GET OFF THE RWY AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE SINCE WE WERE ALMOST STOPPED, AND SOMEONE WAS WAITING TO TAKE OFF.

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.