Narrative:

There are 3 aircraft involved in this incident -- 2 landing, and 1 departing, on parallel runways. Air carrier X was cleared to land runway 26R when he was approximately 3 mi final. Air carrier Y was cleared for takeoff on runway 26L while he was approximately 4000 ft from the approach end of the runway. Air carrier Z was following air carrier X to runway 26R. Air carrier Z asked to land runway 26R and was cleared to land runway 26R. At this time air carrier Z read back runway 26L and I did not catch it. Visibility was good and I saw air carrier Z on final to runway 26L. I instructed air carrier Y to hold short of runway 26L. Air carrier Y was not in position to taxi onto the runway since he was too far from the end and air carrier Y did not acknowledge his clearance to hold short. After air carrier Z landed, I cleared air carrier Y into position and hold, air carrier Y acknowledged this clearance. Air carrier Z landed runway 26L and turned off the runway, at which time I cleared air carrier X to cross runway 26L. Air carrier Y did not hold in position, he started to takeoff and aborted his takeoff about 5000 ft from the approach end of the runway. Air carrier Y turned off runway 26L at taxiway D. In my opinion, one of the most serious problems in the air traffic business today is failure to catch readback errors. Supplemental information from acn 249078: this report concerns a rejected takeoff by air carrier Y on runway 26L at atl airport due to an aircraft crossing from runway 26R, air carrier X, that appeared to us to have stopped with his tail partially infringing on runway 26L. Both crew members saw air carrier X start to cross, commented that it was out of the ordinary to have crossing aircraft and takeoff aircraft operating at the same time, and when air carrier X appeared hesitant in completing his crossing of runway 26L, we elected to discontinue the takeoff. Reject speed was 90 KTS, the automatic reject feature functioned normally and we cleared runway 26L at the first available taxiway. Since air carrier X was crossing at the far western end of runway 26L and we rejected at such a slow speed, at no time were either aircraft within approximately 7000 ft of each other. I believe there are several factors that contributed to this rejected takeoff. As we were taxiing eastbound, still several thousand ft from runway 26L in the vicinity of the X hangars we were requested by atl tower to 'expedite taxi' to make a departure slot. My aircraft clock showed 30 mins past so we felt we had plenty of time to comply. The atl tower controller then 'cleared us for takeoff, turn 50 to degrees at the middle marker.' we acknowledged the clearance and completed all checklist items. As we got within 200 yards of the runway 26L hold line we saw air carrier Z appear to start angling over to land runway 26L, (our 'cleared for takeoff' runway). We commented how unusual it was for us to be 'cleared for takeoff' so early when an arriving aircraft hadn't even touched down. So we brought our aircraft to a halt well short of the runway 26L hold line. After air carrier Z landed and rolled out, I instructed the first officer to call tower again for a second takeoff clearance since we felt something out of the ordinary may have occurred. He called atl tower and received the following response: 'air carrier Y now you are cleared for takeoff.' (emphasizing the word 'now' in his voice.) checklist items were reviewed and the takeoff roll started. I feel our level of alertness and attentiveness were extremely high at this point since things were definitely out of the ordinary. Consequently, when air carrier X appeared to hesitate crossing from runways 26R&left we elected to discontinue our takeoff. Despite all this apparent confusion, I feel we saw the situation developing early with regard to an unexpected landing on our 'cleared' runway, causing me to instruct the first officer to get a second takeoff clearance for atl tower after air carrier Z completes his landing. Supplemental information from acn 249475: we then waited for an air carrier Z jet to land and clear the runway at which time we were cleared for takeoff a second time and I confirmed it again. We took the runway and began our takeoff roll. Shortly after that, a second air carrier X jet that had landed on runway 26R, began to cross our runway and it appeared to us that he was going to stop on our runway. With that we rejected our takeoff roll and continued with our SOP's.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR Z LANDED WRONG RWY. ACR Y UNAUTH TKOF HAD LTSS FROM ACR X XING RWY.

Narrative: THERE ARE 3 ACFT INVOLVED IN THIS INCIDENT -- 2 LNDG, AND 1 DEPARTING, ON PARALLEL RWYS. ACR X WAS CLRED TO LAND RWY 26R WHEN HE WAS APPROX 3 MI FINAL. ACR Y WAS CLRED FOR TKOF ON RWY 26L WHILE HE WAS APPROX 4000 FT FROM THE APCH END OF THE RWY. ACR Z WAS FOLLOWING ACR X TO RWY 26R. ACR Z ASKED TO LAND RWY 26R AND WAS CLRED TO LAND RWY 26R. AT THIS TIME ACR Z READ BACK RWY 26L AND I DID NOT CATCH IT. VISIBILITY WAS GOOD AND I SAW ACR Z ON FINAL TO RWY 26L. I INSTRUCTED ACR Y TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 26L. ACR Y WAS NOT IN POS TO TAXI ONTO THE RWY SINCE HE WAS TOO FAR FROM THE END AND ACR Y DID NOT ACKNOWLEDGE HIS CLRNC TO HOLD SHORT. AFTER ACR Z LANDED, I CLRED ACR Y INTO POS AND HOLD, ACR Y ACKNOWLEDGED THIS CLRNC. ACR Z LANDED RWY 26L AND TURNED OFF THE RWY, AT WHICH TIME I CLRED ACR X TO CROSS RWY 26L. ACR Y DID NOT HOLD IN POS, HE STARTED TO TKOF AND ABORTED HIS TKOF ABOUT 5000 FT FROM THE APCH END OF THE RWY. ACR Y TURNED OFF RWY 26L AT TXWY D. IN MY OPINION, ONE OF THE MOST SERIOUS PROBS IN THE AIR TFC BUSINESS TODAY IS FAILURE TO CATCH READBACK ERRORS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION FROM ACN 249078: THIS RPT CONCERNS A REJECTED TKOF BY ACR Y ON RWY 26L AT ATL ARPT DUE TO AN ACFT XING FROM RWY 26R, ACR X, THAT APPEARED TO US TO HAVE STOPPED WITH HIS TAIL PARTIALLY INFRINGING ON RWY 26L. BOTH CREW MEMBERS SAW ACR X START TO CROSS, COMMENTED THAT IT WAS OUT OF THE ORDINARY TO HAVE XING ACFT AND TKOF ACFT OPERATING AT THE SAME TIME, AND WHEN ACR X APPEARED HESITANT IN COMPLETING HIS XING OF RWY 26L, WE ELECTED TO DISCONTINUE THE TKOF. REJECT SPD WAS 90 KTS, THE AUTOMATIC REJECT FEATURE FUNCTIONED NORMALLY AND WE CLRED RWY 26L AT THE FIRST AVAILABLE TXWY. SINCE ACR X WAS XING AT THE FAR WESTERN END OF RWY 26L AND WE REJECTED AT SUCH A SLOW SPD, AT NO TIME WERE EITHER ACFT WITHIN APPROX 7000 FT OF EACH OTHER. I BELIEVE THERE ARE SEVERAL FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THIS REJECTED TKOF. AS WE WERE TAXIING EBOUND, STILL SEVERAL THOUSAND FT FROM RWY 26L IN THE VICINITY OF THE X HANGARS WE WERE REQUESTED BY ATL TWR TO 'EXPEDITE TAXI' TO MAKE A DEP SLOT. MY ACFT CLOCK SHOWED 30 MINS PAST SO WE FELT WE HAD PLENTY OF TIME TO COMPLY. THE ATL TWR CTLR THEN 'CLRED US FOR TKOF, TURN 50 TO DEGS AT THE MIDDLE MARKER.' WE ACKNOWLEDGED THE CLRNC AND COMPLETED ALL CHKLIST ITEMS. AS WE GOT WITHIN 200 YARDS OF THE RWY 26L HOLD LINE WE SAW ACR Z APPEAR TO START ANGLING OVER TO LAND RWY 26L, (OUR 'CLRED FOR TKOF' RWY). WE COMMENTED HOW UNUSUAL IT WAS FOR US TO BE 'CLRED FOR TKOF' SO EARLY WHEN AN ARRIVING ACFT HADN'T EVEN TOUCHED DOWN. SO WE BROUGHT OUR ACFT TO A HALT WELL SHORT OF THE RWY 26L HOLD LINE. AFTER ACR Z LANDED AND ROLLED OUT, I INSTRUCTED THE FO TO CALL TWR AGAIN FOR A SECOND TKOF CLRNC SINCE WE FELT SOMETHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY MAY HAVE OCCURRED. HE CALLED ATL TWR AND RECEIVED THE FOLLOWING RESPONSE: 'ACR Y NOW YOU ARE CLRED FOR TKOF.' (EMPHASIZING THE WORD 'NOW' IN HIS VOICE.) CHKLIST ITEMS WERE REVIEWED AND THE TKOF ROLL STARTED. I FEEL OUR LEVEL OF ALERTNESS AND ATTENTIVENESS WERE EXTREMELY HIGH AT THIS POINT SINCE THINGS WERE DEFINITELY OUT OF THE ORDINARY. CONSEQUENTLY, WHEN ACR X APPEARED TO HESITATE XING FROM RWYS 26R&L WE ELECTED TO DISCONTINUE OUR TKOF. DESPITE ALL THIS APPARENT CONFUSION, I FEEL WE SAW THE SIT DEVELOPING EARLY WITH REGARD TO AN UNEXPECTED LNDG ON OUR 'CLRED' RWY, CAUSING ME TO INSTRUCT THE FO TO GET A SECOND TKOF CLRNC FOR ATL TWR AFTER ACR Z COMPLETES HIS LNDG. SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION FROM ACN 249475: WE THEN WAITED FOR AN ACR Z JET TO LAND AND CLR THE RWY AT WHICH TIME WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF A SECOND TIME AND I CONFIRMED IT AGAIN. WE TOOK THE RWY AND BEGAN OUR TKOF ROLL. SHORTLY AFTER THAT, A SECOND ACR X JET THAT HAD LANDED ON RWY 26R, BEGAN TO CROSS OUR RWY AND IT APPEARED TO US THAT HE WAS GOING TO STOP ON OUR RWY. WITH THAT WE REJECTED OUR TKOF ROLL AND CONTINUED WITH OUR SOP'S.

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.