Air carrier Y aborted takeoff had less than standard separation from air carrier X. System error.

Attributes
ACN	207400
Time
Date	199204
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : bos
State Reference	MA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zse
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	ground : holding ground other : taxi
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	climbout : takeoff other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
ASRS Report	207400
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground less severe non adherence : published procedure non adherence : required legal separation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : rejected takeoff
Consequence	faa : investigated
Miss Distance	horizontal : 5000 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

Air carrier X was instructed to taxi into position and hold runway 22R and was advised aircraft would be crossing downfield. Air carrier Y was instructed to cross runway 22R as shown at the departure end. I observed air carrier Y to be across the runway and stopped. I cleared air carrier X for takeoff. Air carrier X aborted takeoff saying air carrier Y's tail was hanging over the runway 10-15 ft. It appeared to me and the controllers, other than the supervisor that from our angle which was a lot closer than air carrier X, that the tail was not overhanging the runway. If air carrier Y was in fact overhanging the runway, he would or should have said something. This would have alerted us that we were at a bad angle of sight and we could have taken further action as necessary to get him clear, which we were doing anyway. It seems pilot's have an increasing tendency to stop on runways or get themselves into a situation and not advise ATC when they know they are in a potentially hazardous position.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR Y ABORTED TKOF HAD LTSS FROM ACR X. SYS ERROR.

Narrative: ACR X WAS INSTRUCTED TO TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD RWY 22R AND WAS ADVISED ACFT WOULD BE XING DOWNFIELD. ACR Y WAS INSTRUCTED TO CROSS RWY 22R AS SHOWN AT THE DEP END. I OBSERVED ACR Y TO BE ACROSS THE RWY AND STOPPED. I CLRED ACR X FOR TKOF. ACR X ABORTED TKOF SAYING ACR Y'S TAIL WAS HANGING OVER THE RWY 10-15 FT. IT APPEARED TO ME AND THE CTLRS, OTHER THAN THE SUPERVISOR THAT FROM OUR ANGLE WHICH WAS A LOT CLOSER THAN ACR X, THAT THE TAIL WAS NOT OVERHANGING THE RWY. IF ACR Y WAS IN FACT OVERHANGING THE RWY, HE WOULD OR SHOULD HAVE SAID SOMETHING. THIS WOULD HAVE ALERTED US THAT WE WERE AT A BAD ANGLE OF SIGHT AND WE COULD HAVE TAKEN FURTHER ACTION AS NECESSARY TO GET HIM CLR, WHICH WE WERE DOING ANYWAY. IT SEEMS PLT'S HAVE AN INCREASING TENDENCY TO STOP ON RWYS OR GET THEMSELVES INTO A SITUATION AND NOT ADVISE ATC WHEN THEY KNOW THEY ARE IN A POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS POS.

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.