Air carrier captain observed an ATC operation he considered to be unsafe.

Attributes
ACN	94268
Time
Date	198809
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dca
State Reference	DC
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 100
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : dca
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 220 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	94268
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

I was on taxiway J waiting to cross runway 33. Large transport Y was taking off on runway 36 while medium large transport Z was landing on runway 33. As large transport Y broke ground, medium large transport Z landed on runway 33. It was extremely too close and dangerous. I talked with dca tower supervisor and manager. Both stated it was a legal operation. My comment was it might be legal, but it certainly was not safe. If all factors hadn't gone perfectly, a disaster certainly could have happened. This needs to be looked into and quickly before someone makes a slight misjudgment creating an accident. Some of the factors dca tower doesn't take into account: weight and acceleration of takeoff aircraft or landing speed of aircraft, or landing aircraft decides to go around and by habit starts towards river where takeoff aircraft is, or abort of takeoff, or instructions from tower 'stepped on' (blocked) while issuing last minute go around/or abort instructions. I feel legality fine, common sense though dictates better judgement. This needs to occur in the thinking chain of the dca tower!

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR CAPT OBSERVED AN ATC OPERATION HE CONSIDERED TO BE UNSAFE.

Narrative: I WAS ON TXWY J WAITING TO CROSS RWY 33. LGT Y WAS TAKING OFF ON RWY 36 WHILE MLG Z WAS LNDG ON RWY 33. AS LGT Y BROKE GND, MLG Z LANDED ON RWY 33. IT WAS EXTREMELY TOO CLOSE AND DANGEROUS. I TALKED WITH DCA TWR SUPVR AND MGR. BOTH STATED IT WAS A LEGAL OPERATION. MY COMMENT WAS IT MIGHT BE LEGAL, BUT IT CERTAINLY WAS NOT SAFE. IF ALL FACTORS HADN'T GONE PERFECTLY, A DISASTER CERTAINLY COULD HAVE HAPPENED. THIS NEEDS TO BE LOOKED INTO AND QUICKLY BEFORE SOMEONE MAKES A SLIGHT MISJUDGMENT CREATING AN ACCIDENT. SOME OF THE FACTORS DCA TWR DOESN'T TAKE INTO ACCOUNT: WT AND ACCELERATION OF TKOF ACFT OR LNDG SPD OF ACFT, OR LNDG ACFT DECIDES TO GO AROUND AND BY HABIT STARTS TOWARDS RIVER WHERE TKOF ACFT IS, OR ABORT OF TKOF, OR INSTRUCTIONS FROM TWR 'STEPPED ON' (BLOCKED) WHILE ISSUING LAST MINUTE GO AROUND/OR ABORT INSTRUCTIONS. I FEEL LEGALITY FINE, COMMON SENSE THOUGH DICTATES BETTER JUDGEMENT. THIS NEEDS TO OCCUR IN THE THINKING CHAIN OF THE DCA TWR!

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.