Narrative:

Air carrier Y, DC8 was cleared to land on 27L about 12 mi final. Air carrier X md-88 was cleared into position and hold runway 27L. Ny center computers were down and we were having problems coordinating. When I realized it wasn't going to work, I instructed air carrier X to exit the runway. To which he questioned at least twice, which then made it impossible for air carrier Y to safely land. Air carrier Y was instructed to go around. Air carrier X had by then taxied onto a closed portion of a taxiway and was given further instructions to clear the runway. Air carrier Y was kept in the tower pattern and landed without incident. It is my opinion that had air carrier X exited the runway when instructed the first time without questioning the instruction, air carrier Y could have landed. But with the hesitation and 2 or 3 extra xmissions from air carrier X, air carrier Y was sent around. Supplemental information from acn 267284: phl tower cleared air carrier X into position and hold. The captain noticed an aircraft that appeared to be on final approach to our runway. Phl tower cleared air carrier Y for landing. The captain told phl tower that we were in fact on runway 27L and the tower came back and said ' air carrier X, exit the runway immediately.' directly ahead of us was a pad with an X on it. Proceeding straight ahead onto it would be quicker than turning right and taxiing down to the next intersection to exit the runway. At the same time, without direction from the tower, air carrier Y initiated a go around. We asked the tower to verify that he had cleared us into position and hold on 27L and he said he had and that he then mistakenly had cleared air carrier Y to land when he realized his mistake, he told air carrier X to exit the runway. He seemed very apologetic for this mistake.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A FRTR (Y) HAD TO GAR TO AVOID LNDG ON A PAX ACFT (X).

Narrative: ACR Y, DC8 WAS CLRED TO LAND ON 27L ABOUT 12 MI FINAL. ACR X MD-88 WAS CLRED INTO POS AND HOLD RWY 27L. NY CTR COMPUTERS WERE DOWN AND WE WERE HAVING PROBS COORDINATING. WHEN I REALIZED IT WASN'T GOING TO WORK, I INSTRUCTED ACR X TO EXIT THE RWY. TO WHICH HE QUESTIONED AT LEAST TWICE, WHICH THEN MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR ACR Y TO SAFELY LAND. ACR Y WAS INSTRUCTED TO GAR. ACR X HAD BY THEN TAXIED ONTO A CLOSED PORTION OF A TXWY AND WAS GIVEN FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS TO CLR THE RWY. ACR Y WAS KEPT IN THE TWR PATTERN AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. IT IS MY OPINION THAT HAD ACR X EXITED THE RWY WHEN INSTRUCTED THE FIRST TIME WITHOUT QUESTIONING THE INSTRUCTION, ACR Y COULD HAVE LANDED. BUT WITH THE HESITATION AND 2 OR 3 EXTRA XMISSIONS FROM ACR X, ACR Y WAS SENT AROUND. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 267284: PHL TWR CLRED ACR X INTO POS AND HOLD. THE CAPT NOTICED AN ACFT THAT APPEARED TO BE ON FINAL APCH TO OUR RWY. PHL TWR CLRED ACR Y FOR LNDG. THE CAPT TOLD PHL TWR THAT WE WERE IN FACT ON RWY 27L AND THE TWR CAME BACK AND SAID ' ACR X, EXIT THE RWY IMMEDIATELY.' DIRECTLY AHEAD OF US WAS A PAD WITH AN X ON IT. PROCEEDING STRAIGHT AHEAD ONTO IT WOULD BE QUICKER THAN TURNING R AND TAXIING DOWN TO THE NEXT INTXN TO EXIT THE RWY. AT THE SAME TIME, WITHOUT DIRECTION FROM THE TWR, ACR Y INITIATED A GAR. WE ASKED THE TWR TO VERIFY THAT HE HAD CLRED US INTO POS AND HOLD ON 27L AND HE SAID HE HAD AND THAT HE THEN MISTAKENLY HAD CLRED ACR Y TO LAND WHEN HE REALIZED HIS MISTAKE, HE TOLD ACR X TO EXIT THE RWY. HE SEEMED VERY APOLOGETIC FOR THIS MISTAKE.

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.