Narrative:

During VFR clear conditions in descent and approach to sfo airport runway 28R, radio xmissions were very heavy with some vectoring and several speed reductions. Vectors south of sfo 095 radial was necessary to obtain more interval on preceding aircraft and several requests by approach ctrl to report sighting of aircraft at 9:30 position. Approximately 3000 ft AGL, aircraft on left sighted and approach ctrl instructed switch to tower. Shortly thereafter, captain was hand flying at 160 KTS when aircraft experienced uncontrolled rapid left wing drop approximately 30-40 degree, as tower advised preceding aircraft was heavy 767 'caution due to minimum spacing.' additionally, tower advised runway 19L and right or taxiway east available for turnoff. This keyed captain to sense another aircraft was close behind especially since an s-turn to right was being conducted to obtain more interval preceding heavy 767. During landing approach fully expecting more wake turbulence flight was stable. After landing while aircraft was decelerating in reverse thrust, the tower instructed turn- off on either 19L or right available. Captain elected to turn left onto 19R as it appeared a 747 aircraft was sitting on taxiway east and speed permitted a 90 degree left turn. However, by the time captain slowed act and adjusted landing taxi lights, the nose of the aircraft was over the 28L runway and an aircraft was close in on approach to 28L. Therefore, power was added to clear runway quickly. Simultaneously, the tower told aircraft on approach to go around and then advised that we were to have held short. Captain and crew would have been more aware of the very short distance had tower mentioned it or advised turn on 19 and stop vice 'hold short' which is normal and this is not a normal distance after clearing a runway nor normal lighting environment. I.e., all lights white for all 3 runways around the aircraft at the time. Captain talked to tower supervisor by phone and was advised, 'we are aware of short distance and we watch closely to see what aircraft do when they turn off on the 19's.' if they are aware then why not make effort to advise cockpit crew of this unusual situation especially when encouraging the turnoff onto the 19 runways. Supplemental information from acn 267871: captain and crew would have been more aware of extremely short distance between runways had tower mentioned it or advised turn on 19R or 19L and stop vice `hold short.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LGT ENTERS ACTIVE RWY WITHOUT CLRNC CAUSING ANOTHER ACFT TO GAR.

Narrative: DURING VFR CLR CONDITIONS IN DSCNT AND APCH TO SFO ARPT RWY 28R, RADIO XMISSIONS WERE VERY HVY WITH SOME VECTORING AND SEVERAL SPD REDUCTIONS. VECTORS S OF SFO 095 RADIAL WAS NECESSARY TO OBTAIN MORE INTERVAL ON PRECEDING ACFT AND SEVERAL REQUESTS BY APCH CTRL TO RPT SIGHTING OF ACFT AT 9:30 POS. APPROX 3000 FT AGL, ACFT ON L SIGHTED AND APCH CTRL INSTRUCTED SWITCH TO TWR. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, CAPT WAS HAND FLYING AT 160 KTS WHEN ACFT EXPERIENCED UNCTLED RAPID L WING DROP APPROX 30-40 DEG, AS TWR ADVISED PRECEDING ACFT WAS HVY 767 'CAUTION DUE TO MINIMUM SPACING.' ADDITIONALLY, TWR ADVISED RWY 19L AND R OR TXWY E AVAILABLE FOR TURNOFF. THIS KEYED CAPT TO SENSE ANOTHER ACFT WAS CLOSE BEHIND ESPECIALLY SINCE AN S-TURN TO R WAS BEING CONDUCTED TO OBTAIN MORE INTERVAL PRECEDING HVY 767. DURING LNDG APCH FULLY EXPECTING MORE WAKE TURB FLT WAS STABLE. AFTER LNDG WHILE ACFT WAS DECELERATING IN REVERSE THRUST, THE TWR INSTRUCTED TURN- OFF ON EITHER 19L OR R AVAILABLE. CAPT ELECTED TO TURN L ONTO 19R AS IT APPEARED A 747 ACFT WAS SITTING ON TXWY E AND SPD PERMITTED A 90 DEG L TURN. HOWEVER, BY THE TIME CAPT SLOWED ACT AND ADJUSTED LNDG TAXI LIGHTS, THE NOSE OF THE ACFT WAS OVER THE 28L RWY AND AN ACFT WAS CLOSE IN ON APCH TO 28L. THEREFORE, PWR WAS ADDED TO CLR RWY QUICKLY. SIMULTANEOUSLY, THE TWR TOLD ACFT ON APCH TO GAR AND THEN ADVISED THAT WE WERE TO HAVE HELD SHORT. CAPT AND CREW WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE AWARE OF THE VERY SHORT DISTANCE HAD TWR MENTIONED IT OR ADVISED TURN ON 19 AND STOP VICE 'HOLD SHORT' WHICH IS NORMAL AND THIS IS NOT A NORMAL DISTANCE AFTER CLRING A RWY NOR NORMAL LIGHTING ENVIRONMENT. I.E., ALL LIGHTS WHITE FOR ALL 3 RWYS AROUND THE ACFT AT THE TIME. CAPT TALKED TO TWR SUPVR BY PHONE AND WAS ADVISED, 'WE ARE AWARE OF SHORT DISTANCE AND WE WATCH CLOSELY TO SEE WHAT ACFT DO WHEN THEY TURN OFF ON THE 19'S.' IF THEY ARE AWARE THEN WHY NOT MAKE EFFORT TO ADVISE COCKPIT CREW OF THIS UNUSUAL SIT ESPECIALLY WHEN ENCOURAGING THE TURNOFF ONTO THE 19 RWYS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 267871: CAPT AND CREW WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE AWARE OF EXTREMELY SHORT DISTANCE BTWN RWYS HAD TWR MENTIONED IT OR ADVISED TURN ON 19R OR 19L AND STOP VICE `HOLD SHORT.'

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.