Narrative:

Purpose of flight was scheduled air carrier sjc-lax. Reporter was on a visibility approach for runway 24R following a widebody transport X ahead. We received landing clearance for runway 24R from local controller after passing OM. The widebody transport X landed on runway 24R and rolled out. The last forward high speed was blocked by a widebody transport Y. The widebody transport X rolled to the end of the runway and was turning off runway at 90 degree taxiway at the very end. At approximately 150 ' AGL the local controller told us to go around (at this time the widebody transport X was on the 90 degree taxiway with approximately 20' of tail hanging over hold line onto runway but still moving). The first officer read back 'going around'. I asked the first officer to get a landing clearance as the widebody transport X would be clear by the time we touched down. He was unable to get through because of frequency congestion. All things considered I thought it prudent to continue. At T/D the widebody transport X was clear of the runway. We landed normally and turned off at the first reverse high speed using moderate reverse and light braking. The local controller became upset with us. When we were switched to ground control they had a number to call. Generally speaking, ignoring a clearance is poor SOP. Specifically, in this instance, I felt the 'go around' was too late and at that time unnecessary so I continued. In my opinion, safety was not compromised. I feel the pilots should have some latitude for flexibility. The FARS are quite clear about the PIC deviation from a clearance with good reason. However, blindly playing simple simon sez can lead to trouble. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. Callback was placed to multiple reporter first officer as part of a structured callback on runway incursions. First officer was surprised that captain chose to override the instruction of the tower controller. He said that, upon receiving the go around instruction, the captain asked if the first officer had responded yet, because he was going to land. First officer said that he had already 'rogered' the instruction. First officer thinks that captain was anxious to catch a flight home as this was the last leg of the trip. First officer believes that captain should have complied with controller's instruction to go around, but that, in fact, safety was not compromised because the preceding aircraft had indeed cleared the runway before the medium large transport landed.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF MLG ARRIVING ON A VISUAL TO RWY 24R AT LAX DEFIES TWR CTLR'S INSTRUCTION TO GO AROUND AND LANDS. WDB ACFT THAT HAD LANDED PREVIOUSLY WAS DELAYED IN EXITING THE RWY BUT BARELY CLEARED WHEN THE REPORTER'S ACFT LANDED.

Narrative: PURPOSE OF FLT WAS SCHEDULED AIR CARRIER SJC-LAX. RPTR WAS ON A VIS APCH FOR RWY 24R FOLLOWING A WDB X AHEAD. WE RECEIVED LNDG CLRNC FOR RWY 24R FROM LCL CTLR AFTER PASSING OM. THE WDB X LANDED ON RWY 24R AND ROLLED OUT. THE LAST FORWARD HIGH SPD WAS BLOCKED BY A WDB Y. THE WDB X ROLLED TO THE END OF THE RWY AND WAS TURNING OFF RWY AT 90 DEG TXWY AT THE VERY END. AT APPROX 150 ' AGL THE LCL CTLR TOLD US TO GO AROUND (AT THIS TIME THE WDB X WAS ON THE 90 DEG TXWY WITH APPROX 20' OF TAIL HANGING OVER HOLD LINE ONTO RWY BUT STILL MOVING). THE F/O READ BACK 'GOING AROUND'. I ASKED THE F/O TO GET A LNDG CLRNC AS THE WDB X WOULD BE CLR BY THE TIME WE TOUCHED DOWN. HE WAS UNABLE TO GET THROUGH BECAUSE OF FREQ CONGESTION. ALL THINGS CONSIDERED I THOUGHT IT PRUDENT TO CONTINUE. AT T/D THE WDB X WAS CLR OF THE RWY. WE LANDED NORMALLY AND TURNED OFF AT THE FIRST REVERSE HIGH SPD USING MODERATE REVERSE AND LIGHT BRAKING. THE LCL CTLR BECAME UPSET WITH US. WHEN WE WERE SWITCHED TO GND CTL THEY HAD A NUMBER TO CALL. GENERALLY SPEAKING, IGNORING A CLRNC IS POOR SOP. SPECIFICALLY, IN THIS INSTANCE, I FELT THE 'GO AROUND' WAS TOO LATE AND AT THAT TIME UNNECESSARY SO I CONTINUED. IN MY OPINION, SAFETY WAS NOT COMPROMISED. I FEEL THE PLTS SHOULD HAVE SOME LATITUDE FOR FLEXIBILITY. THE FARS ARE QUITE CLR ABOUT THE PIC DEV FROM A CLRNC WITH GOOD REASON. HOWEVER, BLINDLY PLAYING SIMPLE SIMON SEZ CAN LEAD TO TROUBLE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. CALLBACK WAS PLACED TO MULTIPLE RPTR F/O AS PART OF A STRUCTURED CALLBACK ON RWY INCURSIONS. F/O WAS SURPRISED THAT CAPT CHOSE TO OVERRIDE THE INSTRUCTION OF THE TWR CTLR. HE SAID THAT, UPON RECEIVING THE GO AROUND INSTRUCTION, THE CAPT ASKED IF THE F/O HAD RESPONDED YET, BECAUSE HE WAS GOING TO LAND. F/O SAID THAT HE HAD ALREADY 'ROGERED' THE INSTRUCTION. F/O THINKS THAT CAPT WAS ANXIOUS TO CATCH A FLT HOME AS THIS WAS THE LAST LEG OF THE TRIP. F/O BELIEVES THAT CAPT SHOULD HAVE COMPLIED WITH CTLR'S INSTRUCTION TO GO AROUND, BUT THAT, IN FACT, SAFETY WAS NOT COMPROMISED BECAUSE THE PRECEDING ACFT HAD INDEED CLRED THE RWY BEFORE THE MLG LANDED.

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