Narrative:

Tower cleared us into 'position and hold' on runway 1R; after a preceding rj had taken off. As we were passing the 'hold short' line; tower asked us to hold position; and then cleared air carrier Y (also a widebody transport) to land on runway 1R. Estimate air carrier Y as approximately 2.5 NM from touchdown when clearance to land was issued. I immediately called tower and advised that our aircraft; pursuant to tower clearance; had already encroached on the runway past the hold short by about 20 ft. Tower asked if we could expeditiously taxi onto runway 1R; then taxi clear onto taxiway K8 to enable the approaching air carrier Y aircraft to land. I declined; as in my opinion; it would have been too close by the time we used (excessive) thrust to get moving again; possibly threatening any smaller aircraft behind us with jet blast damage; turned onto the runway; taxied the several hundred ft to enable us to be in a position to make the left turnoff onto K8; then to make the turn and actually clear the runway. Tower then rescinded air carrier Y's landing clearance and issued go around instructions. The controller who issued the conflicting instructions to us was unable to see whether we were beyond the hold short line; and hence issued the landing clearance to air carrier Y. Concerns: 1) controller should respect the differing sizes and relative mobility of different sizes of aircraft. It is considerably more difficult to maneuver a B777 than an rj. 2) controller should not have issued landing clearance to air carrier Y after we had been cleared into position and hold. 3) the error was compounded by the subsequent request to put more metal into possible conflict with the approaching air carrier Y heavy jet by asking us to take the runway and 'hurry up' to clear it on K8 in order to remedy the impending traffic conflict.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B777 DEP FROM IAD DESCRIBED GAR EVENT WHEN CTLR ERRED IN SPACING JUDGEMENT ISSUING DEP CLRNC AND THEN RESCINDING CLRNC.

Narrative: TWR CLRED US INTO 'POS AND HOLD' ON RWY 1R; AFTER A PRECEDING RJ HAD TAKEN OFF. AS WE WERE PASSING THE 'HOLD SHORT' LINE; TWR ASKED US TO HOLD POS; AND THEN CLRED ACR Y (ALSO A WDB) TO LAND ON RWY 1R. ESTIMATE ACR Y AS APPROX 2.5 NM FROM TOUCHDOWN WHEN CLRNC TO LAND WAS ISSUED. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED TWR AND ADVISED THAT OUR ACFT; PURSUANT TO TWR CLRNC; HAD ALREADY ENCROACHED ON THE RWY PAST THE HOLD SHORT BY ABOUT 20 FT. TWR ASKED IF WE COULD EXPEDITIOUSLY TAXI ONTO RWY 1R; THEN TAXI CLR ONTO TXWY K8 TO ENABLE THE APCHING ACR Y ACFT TO LAND. I DECLINED; AS IN MY OPINION; IT WOULD HAVE BEEN TOO CLOSE BY THE TIME WE USED (EXCESSIVE) THRUST TO GET MOVING AGAIN; POSSIBLY THREATENING ANY SMALLER ACFT BEHIND US WITH JET BLAST DAMAGE; TURNED ONTO THE RWY; TAXIED THE SEVERAL HUNDRED FT TO ENABLE US TO BE IN A POS TO MAKE THE L TURNOFF ONTO K8; THEN TO MAKE THE TURN AND ACTUALLY CLR THE RWY. TWR THEN RESCINDED ACR Y'S LNDG CLRNC AND ISSUED GAR INSTRUCTIONS. THE CTLR WHO ISSUED THE CONFLICTING INSTRUCTIONS TO US WAS UNABLE TO SEE WHETHER WE WERE BEYOND THE HOLD SHORT LINE; AND HENCE ISSUED THE LNDG CLRNC TO ACR Y. CONCERNS: 1) CTLR SHOULD RESPECT THE DIFFERING SIZES AND RELATIVE MOBILITY OF DIFFERENT SIZES OF ACFT. IT IS CONSIDERABLY MORE DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER A B777 THAN AN RJ. 2) CTLR SHOULD NOT HAVE ISSUED LNDG CLRNC TO ACR Y AFTER WE HAD BEEN CLRED INTO POS AND HOLD. 3) THE ERROR WAS COMPOUNDED BY THE SUBSEQUENT REQUEST TO PUT MORE METAL INTO POSSIBLE CONFLICT WITH THE APCHING ACR Y HVY JET BY ASKING US TO TAKE THE RWY AND 'HURRY UP' TO CLR IT ON K8 IN ORDER TO REMEDY THE IMPENDING TFC CONFLICT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.