Narrative:

The WX at the destination airport was measured 900 ft overcast, 2 mi visibility, fog, temperature 64 degrees F, dew point 63 degrees F, wind 0606, altimeter 29.91. Approach runway in use 4R. En route and prior to descent, I briefed the entire ILS runway 4R approach procedure. In the terminal area chicago approach was the controling facility, and were providing radar vector's to the final approach course. Approximately 15 mi from the airport, the controller issued us an intercept heading to the localizer, and shortly thereafter clearance for the approach to runway 04R and to contact the tower. This was a stabilized autoplt coupled approach. Established inbound, the first officer called midway tower, and reported our position. The tower then replied, 'cleared to land.' at approximately 1000 ft AGL I started to pick up the airport environment, as well as the surrounding city lights. At approximately 800 ft AGL, I called 'runway in sight, landing,' to the first officer. At this point I disconnected the autoplt and continued to fly the ILS approach manually to touchdown. After landing I was instructed by midway tower to copy their phone number and call them when I arrived at the gate. I called the tower, and idented myself. The tower personnel asked if I had seen an airplane on the runway? I said 'no.' there was a brief discussion relevant to the local WX and flying conditions. I gave him my home phone number, and went back to the aircraft for departure to ewr. At no time during the approach to landing, or during the landing maneuver did I ever see any other aircraft in the air or on the ground, nor was any traffic ever pointed out to us. Subsequently, I have been informed that a boeing 737 aircraft was in 'position and hold' on runway 04R during landing maneuver. Supplemental information from acn 284197: we were cleared into 'position' and hold, expect 2 min delay for intrail spacing.' I taxied slowly onto the threshold end of runway 04R, stopped, set the parking brake, and turned on the outboard landing lights as my first officer turned on the strobe lights. As we approached the runway sideline another carrier checked in with the tower on approach but outside the final approach fix. As we neared the 2 min mark our plane became illuminated by the other carriers landing lights as they landed over us. I'm not sure they were ever cleared to land. The tower controller seemed to be performing multiple functions. I called the tower on frequency but they did not respond until the other carrier cleared the runway. First the tower told the other flight to contact the tower via telephone then cleared us for takeoff. Upon frequency change the tower requested a telephone call from us upon flight termination. The controller should have had us hold short until he was ready to release us. His filling multiple positions probably distracted his attention. The other flight should have gone around since our plane must have been visible due to our landing lights and strobe lights being on against a dark backgnd plus their lights illuminated us on the displaced threshold to runway 04R.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNAUTH LNDG ON OCCUPIED RWY IN A NIGHT OP.

Narrative: THE WX AT THE DEST ARPT WAS MEASURED 900 FT OVCST, 2 MI VISIBILITY, FOG, TEMP 64 DEGS F, DEW POINT 63 DEGS F, WIND 0606, ALTIMETER 29.91. APCH RWY IN USE 4R. ENRTE AND PRIOR TO DSCNT, I BRIEFED THE ENTIRE ILS RWY 4R APCH PROC. IN THE TERMINAL AREA CHICAGO APCH WAS THE CTLING FACILITY, AND WERE PROVIDING RADAR VECTOR'S TO THE FINAL APCH COURSE. APPROX 15 MI FROM THE ARPT, THE CTLR ISSUED US AN INTERCEPT HDG TO THE LOC, AND SHORTLY THEREAFTER CLRNC FOR THE APCH TO RWY 04R AND TO CONTACT THE TWR. THIS WAS A STABILIZED AUTOPLT COUPLED APCH. ESTABLISHED INBOUND, THE FO CALLED MIDWAY TWR, AND RPTED OUR POS. THE TWR THEN REPLIED, 'CLRED TO LAND.' AT APPROX 1000 FT AGL I STARTED TO PICK UP THE ARPT ENVIRONMENT, AS WELL AS THE SURROUNDING CITY LIGHTS. AT APPROX 800 FT AGL, I CALLED 'RWY IN SIGHT, LNDG,' TO THE FO. AT THIS POINT I DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT AND CONTINUED TO FLY THE ILS APCH MANUALLY TO TOUCHDOWN. AFTER LNDG I WAS INSTRUCTED BY MIDWAY TWR TO COPY THEIR PHONE NUMBER AND CALL THEM WHEN I ARRIVED AT THE GATE. I CALLED THE TWR, AND IDENTED MYSELF. THE TWR PERSONNEL ASKED IF I HAD SEEN AN AIRPLANE ON THE RWY? I SAID 'NO.' THERE WAS A BRIEF DISCUSSION RELEVANT TO THE LCL WX AND FLYING CONDITIONS. I GAVE HIM MY HOME PHONE NUMBER, AND WENT BACK TO THE ACFT FOR DEP TO EWR. AT NO TIME DURING THE APCH TO LNDG, OR DURING THE LNDG MANEUVER DID I EVER SEE ANY OTHER ACFT IN THE AIR OR ON THE GND, NOR WAS ANY TFC EVER POINTED OUT TO US. SUBSEQUENTLY, I HAVE BEEN INFORMED THAT A BOEING 737 ACFT WAS IN 'POS AND HOLD' ON RWY 04R DURING LNDG MANEUVER. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 284197: WE WERE CLRED INTO 'POS' AND HOLD, EXPECT 2 MIN DELAY FOR INTRAIL SPACING.' I TAXIED SLOWLY ONTO THE THRESHOLD END OF RWY 04R, STOPPED, SET THE PARKING BRAKE, AND TURNED ON THE OUTBOARD LNDG LIGHTS AS MY FO TURNED ON THE STROBE LIGHTS. AS WE APCHED THE RWY SIDELINE ANOTHER CARRIER CHKED IN WITH THE TWR ON APCH BUT OUTSIDE THE FINAL APCH FIX. AS WE NEARED THE 2 MIN MARK OUR PLANE BECAME ILLUMINATED BY THE OTHER CARRIERS LNDG LIGHTS AS THEY LANDED OVER US. I'M NOT SURE THEY WERE EVER CLRED TO LAND. THE TWR CTLR SEEMED TO BE PERFORMING MULTIPLE FUNCTIONS. I CALLED THE TWR ON FREQ BUT THEY DID NOT RESPOND UNTIL THE OTHER CARRIER CLRED THE RWY. FIRST THE TWR TOLD THE OTHER FLT TO CONTACT THE TWR VIA TELEPHONE THEN CLRED US FOR TKOF. UPON FREQ CHANGE THE TWR REQUESTED A TELEPHONE CALL FROM US UPON FLT TERMINATION. THE CTLR SHOULD HAVE HAD US HOLD SHORT UNTIL HE WAS READY TO RELEASE US. HIS FILLING MULTIPLE POSITIONS PROBABLY DISTRACTED HIS ATTN. THE OTHER FLT SHOULD HAVE GONE AROUND SINCE OUR PLANE MUST HAVE BEEN VISIBLE DUE TO OUR LNDG LIGHTS AND STROBE LIGHTS BEING ON AGAINST A DARK BACKGND PLUS THEIR LIGHTS ILLUMINATED US ON THE DISPLACED THRESHOLD TO RWY 04R.

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.