Confusion in the tower about which runway an medium large transport is cleared to land on.

Attributes
ACN	118728
Time
Date	198908
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : iah
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 100 agl bound upper : 100
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : iah tower : lax
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 181 flight time total : 9122 flight time type : 660
ASRS Report	118728
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Deviation

Narrative:

Approach control vectored us for an approach to runway 14L at iah, then for a side-step to 14R. As 14R is much shorter, we were going to ask for a circle to runway 8. Switched over to tower and he immediately cleared us to land on 14L. As this was our desired runway, we proceeded with a normal approach. We no longer had a need to ask for the circle to runway 8. Aircraft in front of us circled to runway 8 and an large transport was cleared for takeoff in front of us on 14L. We were a little close, but not close enough to really be concerned. As the large transport lifted off, the controller started to clear another aircraft into position when he suddenly said 'hold short, that aircraft is landing on the wrong runway!' as the runway was clear and we had been cleared to land, we completed the landing on 14L. On ground, we discussed the situation with the tower supervisor and he said he would play the tapes. In checking with the tower supervisor the next day, he said we had in fact been cleared to land on runway 14L.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CONFUSION IN THE TWR ABOUT WHICH RWY AN MLG IS CLEARED TO LAND ON.

Narrative: APCH CTL VECTORED US FOR AN APCH TO RWY 14L AT IAH, THEN FOR A SIDE-STEP TO 14R. AS 14R IS MUCH SHORTER, WE WERE GOING TO ASK FOR A CIRCLE TO RWY 8. SWITCHED OVER TO TWR AND HE IMMEDIATELY CLRED US TO LAND ON 14L. AS THIS WAS OUR DESIRED RWY, WE PROCEEDED WITH A NORMAL APCH. WE NO LONGER HAD A NEED TO ASK FOR THE CIRCLE TO RWY 8. ACFT IN FRONT OF US CIRCLED TO RWY 8 AND AN LGT WAS CLRED FOR TKOF IN FRONT OF US ON 14L. WE WERE A LITTLE CLOSE, BUT NOT CLOSE ENOUGH TO REALLY BE CONCERNED. AS THE LGT LIFTED OFF, THE CTLR STARTED TO CLEAR ANOTHER ACFT INTO POSITION WHEN HE SUDDENLY SAID 'HOLD SHORT, THAT ACFT IS LNDG ON THE WRONG RWY!' AS THE RWY WAS CLEAR AND WE HAD BEEN CLRED TO LAND, WE COMPLETED THE LNDG ON 14L. ON GND, WE DISCUSSED THE SITUATION WITH THE TWR SUPVR AND HE SAID HE WOULD PLAY THE TAPES. IN CHECKING WITH THE TWR SUPVR THE NEXT DAY, HE SAID WE HAD IN FACT BEEN CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 14L.

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.