Narrative:

I was the PIC of flight X on oct/tue/04, from las to ord. During the arrival the flight was sped up and slowed down to fit us into the traffic flow for landing on runway 4R at ord. We were assigned a number of speeds slowing to approximately 150 KTS to the marker. We switched over to chicago tower on our own after not receiving a handoff from approach control. As we had slowed to approximately 140 KTS or so (vref was about 136 KTS) tower told us to pick up the speed as an aircraft was gaining on us from behind and the tower was apparently concerned about this aircraft. We were instructed to increase to best rate (a confusing term to me regarding our speed). We increased to 150 KTS and slowed to reference before landing. We made taxiway S-4 as requested and were instructed to cross runway 9R and again the term give me your best rate was used. As we approached runway 9R northbound to cross the runway I noticed that there was an aircraft on the runway with its lights on and it was evident that the aircraft was moving. There was never any mention as to what other aircraft were going to be a factor during our taxi. I slowed considerably so as to be able to stop our aircraft before reaching the intersection of runway 9R and taxiway south. I was then told that the tower controller was not worried about that aircraft, but the aircraft on landing on final behind him. I stated that it was the aircraft on the runway that concerned me (due to the fact that I had no idea if that aircraft was slowing or accelerating for takeoff). After crossing, the conversation continued regarding the taxi instructions and I informed the controller that I would use the telephone to continue the discussion. The conversation on the phone did not appear to get my point about the verbiage and the concerns I had about the runway crossing. I also feel that before an aircraft is sent across a known hot spot at an active runway more information should be given to one or both aircraft. I believe that the air traffic controller was trying to expedite our aircraft across the runway to help us out, however if it is that busy and we are unsure of the outcome, safety demands that the PIC take whatever action he deems prudent given the information at hand. The fact that this aircraft was on a lahso clearance is irrelevant if we don't ave any information to that effect. Also due to the increased emphasis on airport hotspots from the FAA (this is clearly HS13 on the airport diagram) any pilot that questions a clearance should not be dismissed out right or not given a clear and concise explanation, no matter how busy it is.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320 CAPT EXPRESSED CONCERN REGARDING RWY XING CLRNC ISSUED BY THE ORD GND CTLR AFTER OBSERVING ACFT ON THE RWY.

Narrative: I WAS THE PIC OF FLT X ON OCT/TUE/04, FROM LAS TO ORD. DURING THE ARR THE FLT WAS SPED UP AND SLOWED DOWN TO FIT US INTO THE TFC FLOW FOR LNDG ON RWY 4R AT ORD. WE WERE ASSIGNED A NUMBER OF SPDS SLOWING TO APPROX 150 KTS TO THE MARKER. WE SWITCHED OVER TO CHICAGO TWR ON OUR OWN AFTER NOT RECEIVING A HDOF FROM APCH CTL. AS WE HAD SLOWED TO APPROX 140 KTS OR SO (VREF WAS ABOUT 136 KTS) TWR TOLD US TO PICK UP THE SPD AS AN ACFT WAS GAINING ON US FROM BEHIND AND THE TWR WAS APPARENTLY CONCERNED ABOUT THIS ACFT. WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO INCREASE TO BEST RATE (A CONFUSING TERM TO ME REGARDING OUR SPD). WE INCREASED TO 150 KTS AND SLOWED TO REF BEFORE LNDG. WE MADE TXWY S-4 AS REQUESTED AND WERE INSTRUCTED TO CROSS RWY 9R AND AGAIN THE TERM GIVE ME YOUR BEST RATE WAS USED. AS WE APCHED RWY 9R NBOUND TO CROSS THE RWY I NOTICED THAT THERE WAS AN ACFT ON THE RWY WITH ITS LIGHTS ON AND IT WAS EVIDENT THAT THE ACFT WAS MOVING. THERE WAS NEVER ANY MENTION AS TO WHAT OTHER ACFT WERE GOING TO BE A FACTOR DURING OUR TAXI. I SLOWED CONSIDERABLY SO AS TO BE ABLE TO STOP OUR ACFT BEFORE REACHING THE INTXN OF RWY 9R AND TXWY S. I WAS THEN TOLD THAT THE TWR CTLR WAS NOT WORRIED ABOUT THAT ACFT, BUT THE ACFT ON LNDG ON FINAL BEHIND HIM. I STATED THAT IT WAS THE ACFT ON THE RWY THAT CONCERNED ME (DUE TO THE FACT THAT I HAD NO IDEA IF THAT ACFT WAS SLOWING OR ACCELERATING FOR TKOF). AFTER XING, THE CONVERSATION CONTINUED REGARDING THE TAXI INSTRUCTIONS AND I INFORMED THE CTLR THAT I WOULD USE THE TELEPHONE TO CONTINUE THE DISCUSSION. THE CONVERSATION ON THE PHONE DID NOT APPEAR TO GET MY POINT ABOUT THE VERBIAGE AND THE CONCERNS I HAD ABOUT THE RWY XING. I ALSO FEEL THAT BEFORE AN ACFT IS SENT ACROSS A KNOWN HOT SPOT AT AN ACTIVE RWY MORE INFO SHOULD BE GIVEN TO ONE OR BOTH ACFT. I BELIEVE THAT THE AIR TFC CTLR WAS TRYING TO EXPEDITE OUR ACFT ACROSS THE RWY TO HELP US OUT, HOWEVER IF IT IS THAT BUSY AND WE ARE UNSURE OF THE OUTCOME, SAFETY DEMANDS THAT THE PIC TAKE WHATEVER ACTION HE DEEMS PRUDENT GIVEN THE INFO AT HAND. THE FACT THAT THIS ACFT WAS ON A LAHSO CLRNC IS IRRELEVANT IF WE DON'T AVE ANY INFO TO THAT EFFECT. ALSO DUE TO THE INCREASED EMPHASIS ON ARPT HOTSPOTS FROM THE FAA (THIS IS CLRLY HS13 ON THE ARPT DIAGRAM) ANY PLT THAT QUESTIONS A CLRNC SHOULD NOT BE DISMISSED OUT RIGHT OR NOT GIVEN A CLR AND CONCISE EXPLANATION, NO MATTER HOW BUSY IT IS.

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.