Narrative:

Due to construction on the parallel taxiway, departing aircraft were being back-taxied down runway 29 between arrs. After the back-taxi, departures would hold in the runup area until cleared for takeoff. As we pulled up to the midfield turnoff from the runway to await clearance to back-taxi, we witnessed the previous aircraft, a 737, barely making it into the runup area before the landing of another air carrier jet. I commented to the PNF that the separation appeared to be far less than normal or prudent. Shortly afterward, we were cleared to back-taxi 'without delay' due to traffic on a 4 mi final. I do not recall hearing the aircraft type or speed in this transmission. We could not see the approaching aircraft due to the low fog layer. I accelerated quickly to approximately 40- 45 KTS for the 4500 ft taxi distance. The aircraft on final, an md-80, broke out of the clouds just as we were approaching the last turnoff before the runup area. This turnoff was blocked with cones and did not appear capable of providing sufficient space for us to clear the runway. When the md-80 broke out, it was readily apparent that there would be insufficient time for us to make it to the runup area. The tower controller asked if we could make a turn into the rapidly passing, blocked off taxiway. We told him that we were unable to do so. He then requested the md-80 to make south turns. The md-80 complied, making 1 sharp s-turn to the south on approximately 1 1/2 mi final. As the md-80 rolled back on to final at approximately 1/2 mi and 150-200 ft AGL, he initiated and announced that he was going around. We were still on the runway, a few seconds from turning into the runup area. The md-80 passed overhead. I believe that tower controller showed poor judgement in clearing us to taxi initially and extremely poor judgement in not recognizing his error and sending the md-80 around earlier. Supplemental information from acn 280752: taxiway construction and 800 ft overcast were contributing to incident. We had to back-taxi in the first place and then were 'blind' to the traffic until he broke out. Also, 'south' turning commands from ATC for jet equipment is useless and idiotic. At those speeds, it has little effect especially on very short final! Whatever ATC procedures were in place that day, they need to be changed. We are considering changing the order of our before takeoff checklist so that our transponder and TCASII are the first thing turned on when taking an active runway. When we saw the md-80, we turned on our landing lights, but did not have time or think of transponder and TCASII. Md-80 had to have seen us due to 10 mi visibility, conversation on tower frequency and our lights. We considered strongly taxiing off side of runway into grass!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: APCHS BEING CONDUCTED TO OCCUPIED RWY. TFC BACK TAXIING DUE TO ARPT CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY. NMAC AND OR CRITICAL GND CONFLICT.

Narrative: DUE TO CONSTRUCTION ON THE PARALLEL TXWY, DEPARTING ACFT WERE BEING BACK-TAXIED DOWN RWY 29 BTWN ARRS. AFTER THE BACK-TAXI, DEPS WOULD HOLD IN THE RUNUP AREA UNTIL CLRED FOR TKOF. AS WE PULLED UP TO THE MIDFIELD TURNOFF FROM THE RWY TO AWAIT CLRNC TO BACK-TAXI, WE WITNESSED THE PREVIOUS ACFT, A 737, BARELY MAKING IT INTO THE RUNUP AREA BEFORE THE LNDG OF ANOTHER AIR CARRIER JET. I COMMENTED TO THE PNF THAT THE SEPARATION APPEARED TO BE FAR LESS THAN NORMAL OR PRUDENT. SHORTLY AFTERWARD, WE WERE CLRED TO BACK-TAXI 'WITHOUT DELAY' DUE TO TFC ON A 4 MI FINAL. I DO NOT RECALL HEARING THE ACFT TYPE OR SPD IN THIS XMISSION. WE COULD NOT SEE THE APCHING ACFT DUE TO THE LOW FOG LAYER. I ACCELERATED QUICKLY TO APPROX 40- 45 KTS FOR THE 4500 FT TAXI DISTANCE. THE ACFT ON FINAL, AN MD-80, BROKE OUT OF THE CLOUDS JUST AS WE WERE APCHING THE LAST TURNOFF BEFORE THE RUNUP AREA. THIS TURNOFF WAS BLOCKED WITH CONES AND DID NOT APPEAR CAPABLE OF PROVIDING SUFFICIENT SPACE FOR US TO CLR THE RWY. WHEN THE MD-80 BROKE OUT, IT WAS READILY APPARENT THAT THERE WOULD BE INSUFFICIENT TIME FOR US TO MAKE IT TO THE RUNUP AREA. THE TWR CTLR ASKED IF WE COULD MAKE A TURN INTO THE RAPIDLY PASSING, BLOCKED OFF TXWY. WE TOLD HIM THAT WE WERE UNABLE TO DO SO. HE THEN REQUESTED THE MD-80 TO MAKE S TURNS. THE MD-80 COMPLIED, MAKING 1 SHARP S-TURN TO THE S ON APPROX 1 1/2 MI FINAL. AS THE MD-80 ROLLED BACK ON TO FINAL AT APPROX 1/2 MI AND 150-200 FT AGL, HE INITIATED AND ANNOUNCED THAT HE WAS GOING AROUND. WE WERE STILL ON THE RWY, A FEW SECONDS FROM TURNING INTO THE RUNUP AREA. THE MD-80 PASSED OVERHEAD. I BELIEVE THAT TWR CTLR SHOWED POOR JUDGEMENT IN CLRING US TO TAXI INITIALLY AND EXTREMELY POOR JUDGEMENT IN NOT RECOGNIZING HIS ERROR AND SENDING THE MD-80 AROUND EARLIER. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 280752: TXWY CONSTRUCTION AND 800 FT OVCST WERE CONTRIBUTING TO INCIDENT. WE HAD TO BACK-TAXI IN THE FIRST PLACE AND THEN WERE 'BLIND' TO THE TFC UNTIL HE BROKE OUT. ALSO, 'S' TURNING COMMANDS FROM ATC FOR JET EQUIP IS USELESS AND IDIOTIC. AT THOSE SPDS, IT HAS LITTLE EFFECT ESPECIALLY ON VERY SHORT FINAL! WHATEVER ATC PROCS WERE IN PLACE THAT DAY, THEY NEED TO BE CHANGED. WE ARE CONSIDERING CHANGING THE ORDER OF OUR BEFORE TKOF CHKLIST SO THAT OUR XPONDER AND TCASII ARE THE FIRST THING TURNED ON WHEN TAKING AN ACTIVE RWY. WHEN WE SAW THE MD-80, WE TURNED ON OUR LNDG LIGHTS, BUT DID NOT HAVE TIME OR THINK OF XPONDER AND TCASII. MD-80 HAD TO HAVE SEEN US DUE TO 10 MI VISIBILITY, CONVERSATION ON TWR FREQ AND OUR LIGHTS. WE CONSIDERED STRONGLY TAXIING OFF SIDE OF RWY INTO GRASS!

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.