Narrative:

Active runway was runway 35R. 3 in the pattern on runway 35L. An small aircraft had landed runway 35R. An light transport X jet was in position and an light transport Y jet was on a 3 mi final. My attention was fully directed to the south end of runway awaiting the small aircraft to clear 35R so that I could issue takeoff clearance to the light transport X. As small aircraft was clearing, I cleared the light transport X for takeoff. Light transport Y was on a 2 mi final. When the light transport X was halfway down the runway on departure roll, I observed an small aircraft X taxiing southbound on runway 35R, opposite direction to the light transport X, approximately 2000' apart. The light transport X rotated approximately 1000' from the small aircraft X T the same time the light transport Y touched down on 35R. The light transport X passed over the small aircraft X approximately 100'. The light transport Y concluded landing roll while the small aircraft X continued southbound on runway 35R. The small aircraft X turned off the runway at A4. The light transport Y turned off at A5, approximately 300' apart. Apparently the small aircraft X had landed no radio on 17L. I never saw him on BRITE radar or in the air visually. It is my opinion that an airport as busy as this (365,000 operations) should have its own approach control as well as stage ii service at the very least. All we have is BRITE radar. A fully staffed approach control position could have tracked the NORDO small aircraft X and alerted us in advance. In an environment in which a lot of training is accomplished, there is a particular problem with incidents due to low time pilots, enhancing the need for radar. Additionally, the experience of flight instructors is increasingly lower, a properly prepared student would be familiar with radio work, or would have landed elsewhere and called on the phone, or would have listened to the ATIS for active runway information, or would have taken not of substantial flow of traffic opposite direction, or would be familiar with pattern entry procedures for NORDO, etc. Also, the FAA is reluctant to file the paperwork and often lets flagrant problems go unheeded as a result. Supplemental information from acn 117566: tower cleared us for takeoff. I 'cleared' final prior to making right turn onto runway. Applied power and started takeoff roll. Immediately after PNF called V1, I spotted an aircraft on our runway heading toward us. I continued takeoff roll and initiated climb at a slightly steeper than normal angle in order to insure clearing other aircraft. Factors: runway is crested in the middle so that we could not see opposite end. Tower apparently did not see aircraft approach and land from opposite direction (no radio). Prevention: better vigilance all around by tower. Better training (other aircraft was piloted by student pilot). Even though we could not see other end of runway, we might have seen aircraft on final to opposite end if we had been looking that way.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT LANDED WITHOUT A CLRNC OPPOSITE DIRECTION TO THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC. PLT DEVIATION. NMAC.

Narrative: ACTIVE RWY WAS RWY 35R. 3 IN THE PATTERN ON RWY 35L. AN SMA HAD LANDED RWY 35R. AN LTT X JET WAS IN POSITION AND AN LTT Y JET WAS ON A 3 MI FINAL. MY ATTN WAS FULLY DIRECTED TO THE SOUTH END OF RWY AWAITING THE SMA TO CLEAR 35R SO THAT I COULD ISSUE TKOF CLRNC TO THE LTT X. AS SMA WAS CLEARING, I CLRED THE LTT X FOR TKOF. LTT Y WAS ON A 2 MI FINAL. WHEN THE LTT X WAS HALFWAY DOWN THE RWY ON DEP ROLL, I OBSERVED AN SMA X TAXIING SBND ON RWY 35R, OPPOSITE DIRECTION TO THE LTT X, APPROX 2000' APART. THE LTT X ROTATED APPROX 1000' FROM THE SMA X T THE SAME TIME THE LTT Y TOUCHED DOWN ON 35R. THE LTT X PASSED OVER THE SMA X APPROX 100'. THE LTT Y CONCLUDED LNDG ROLL WHILE THE SMA X CONTINUED SBND ON RWY 35R. THE SMA X TURNED OFF THE RWY AT A4. THE LTT Y TURNED OFF AT A5, APPROX 300' APART. APPARENTLY THE SMA X HAD LANDED NO RADIO ON 17L. I NEVER SAW HIM ON BRITE RADAR OR IN THE AIR VISUALLY. IT IS MY OPINION THAT AN ARPT AS BUSY AS THIS (365,000 OPS) SHOULD HAVE ITS OWN APCH CTL AS WELL AS STAGE II SERVICE AT THE VERY LEAST. ALL WE HAVE IS BRITE RADAR. A FULLY STAFFED APCH CTL POSITION COULD HAVE TRACKED THE NORDO SMA X AND ALERTED US IN ADVANCE. IN AN ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH A LOT OF TRAINING IS ACCOMPLISHED, THERE IS A PARTICULAR PROBLEM WITH INCIDENTS DUE TO LOW TIME PLTS, ENHANCING THE NEED FOR RADAR. ADDITIONALLY, THE EXPERIENCE OF FLT INSTRUCTORS IS INCREASINGLY LOWER, A PROPERLY PREPARED STUDENT WOULD BE FAMILIAR WITH RADIO WORK, OR WOULD HAVE LANDED ELSEWHERE AND CALLED ON THE PHONE, OR WOULD HAVE LISTENED TO THE ATIS FOR ACTIVE RWY INFO, OR WOULD HAVE TAKEN NOT OF SUBSTANTIAL FLOW OF TFC OPPOSITE DIRECTION, OR WOULD BE FAMILIAR WITH PATTERN ENTRY PROCS FOR NORDO, ETC. ALSO, THE FAA IS RELUCTANT TO FILE THE PAPERWORK AND OFTEN LETS FLAGRANT PROBLEMS GO UNHEEDED AS A RESULT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION FROM ACN 117566: TWR CLRED US FOR TKOF. I 'CLRED' FINAL PRIOR TO MAKING RIGHT TURN ONTO RWY. APPLIED POWER AND STARTED TKOF ROLL. IMMEDIATELY AFTER PNF CALLED V1, I SPOTTED AN ACFT ON OUR RWY HDG TOWARD US. I CONTINUED TKOF ROLL AND INITIATED CLIMB AT A SLIGHTLY STEEPER THAN NORMAL ANGLE IN ORDER TO INSURE CLEARING OTHER ACFT. FACTORS: RWY IS CRESTED IN THE MIDDLE SO THAT WE COULD NOT SEE OPPOSITE END. TWR APPARENTLY DID NOT SEE ACFT APCH AND LAND FROM OPPOSITE DIRECTION (NO RADIO). PREVENTION: BETTER VIGILANCE ALL AROUND BY TWR. BETTER TRAINING (OTHER ACFT WAS PILOTED BY STUDENT PLT). EVEN THOUGH WE COULD NOT SEE OTHER END OF RWY, WE MIGHT HAVE SEEN ACFT ON FINAL TO OPPOSITE END IF WE HAD BEEN LOOKING THAT WAY.

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.