Narrative:

Ground control cleared us to cross 4L and contact tower on other side. We acknowledged the clearance and initiated the taxi. We did not observe a landing aircraft which was on left turn to final until our aircraft was on the runway. Possibly due to the angle of the approaching aircraft and our vantage point. First officer called attention to approaching aircraft, at same time as captain observed same. As the aircraft completed its turn to final, captain applied additional power to further expedite crossing. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: other aircraft was an small transport on approach to runway 4L and was on a close pattern. Reporter thinks the small transport flew a much tighter base and final than ground controller had expected. At a later date he was on a harbor cruise and saw an small transport do the same thing with a very tight pattern. The small transport did not go around, in fact, large transport got on tower frequency in time to hear local controller tell small transport ok to land that the runway was clear so small transport and tower were all aware of situation and ready to take alternate action.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LGT CLEARED ACROSS ACTIVE WITH ACR SMT ON CLOSE IN CIRCLING APCH WITH LESS THAN GOOD SEPARATION.

Narrative: GND CTL CLRED US TO CROSS 4L AND CONTACT TWR ON OTHER SIDE. WE ACKNOWLEDGED THE CLRNC AND INITIATED THE TAXI. WE DID NOT OBSERVE A LNDG ACFT WHICH WAS ON L TURN TO FINAL UNTIL OUR ACFT WAS ON THE RWY. POSSIBLY DUE TO THE ANGLE OF THE APCHING ACFT AND OUR VANTAGE POINT. F/O CALLED ATTN TO APCHING ACFT, AT SAME TIME AS CAPT OBSERVED SAME. AS THE ACFT COMPLETED ITS TURN TO FINAL, CAPT APPLIED ADDITIONAL PWR TO FURTHER EXPEDITE XING. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: OTHER ACFT WAS AN SMT ON APCH TO RWY 4L AND WAS ON A CLOSE PATTERN. RPTR THINKS THE SMT FLEW A MUCH TIGHTER BASE AND FINAL THAN GND CTLR HAD EXPECTED. AT A LATER DATE HE WAS ON A HARBOR CRUISE AND SAW AN SMT DO THE SAME THING WITH A VERY TIGHT PATTERN. THE SMT DID NOT GO AROUND, IN FACT, LGT GOT ON TWR FREQ IN TIME TO HEAR LCL CTLR TELL SMT OK TO LAND THAT THE RWY WAS CLR SO SMT AND TWR WERE ALL AWARE OF SITUATION AND READY TO TAKE ALTERNATE ACTION.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.