Narrative:

I was the captain of air carrier X, scheduled from sna-las. We were given instructions from ground control to push from gate X, north on taxiway a north of intersection left. After disconnecting the tug, we called for taxi on frequency 120.8, and were to make the 90 degree right turn and hold short of runway 19L at taxiway left. We changed frequency to 125.8 and contacted the tower. The tower controller cleared us to cross runway 19L and hold short of runway 19R. We checked final approach and saw a white single engine aircraft on final approach for runway 19L. I did not move the aircraft but asked the first officer to confirm the clearance because the PA28 on final approach to runway 19L appeared too close-in for landing on runway 19L. The first officer asked the tower controller to confirm the clearance to cross runway 19L. The tower controller did so and confirmed we were clear to runway 19L and stated that the aircraft on final approach would 'go around.' again, I did not move the aircraft until we saw the nose of the small aircraft 'pitch-up' as though it were starting a go around. Since he appeared to be doing as the tower had told us he would do, I then proceeded to taxi across runway 19L and stopped at the hold short line at runway 19R. I glanced my vision to the left as I was setting the parking brake and saw that the same PA28 which had been on final had just completed a landing on runway 19L. I then asked the tower that my understanding was that the PA28 on final was 'going around.' the tower controller agreed and said that 'he was supposed to.' the incident occurred at XA14Z. I do not know the call sign of the PA28, but it was a white single engine piper PA28. The incident was reported to the sna ATCT manager and is currently being investigated by their 'system specialist, etc.' it is my belief that many factors contributed to the ATC error. First is the high density of traffic at sna, particularly the closely spaced fast traffic approach for smaller training aircraft. Secondly was the fact that the traffic patterns are controled by separate frequencys, making it difficult to hear all instructions and clrncs given to all aircraft involved in the traffic patterns.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR B737 CLRED TO CROSS RWY 19L AND HOLD SHORT OF RWY 19R SAW A PA28 ON FINAL AND HAD THE FO QUESTION THE CLRNC TO CROSS THE RWY. ATCT LCL CTLR CONFIRMED THE CLRNC AND STATED THE PA28 WOULD GAR. AFTER THE B737 CROSSED THE RWY, HE SAW THE PA28 LAND ON THE L RWY VERSUS A GAR. WHEN RPTR QUESTIONED THE TWR, THE CTLR SAID THAT THE PA28 WAS SUPPOSED TO, BUT DIDN'T. CONVERSATION WITH FACILITY MGR LATER CONFIRMED THE INCIDENT WAS BEING LOOKED INTO.

Narrative: I WAS THE CAPT OF ACR X, SCHEDULED FROM SNA-LAS. WE WERE GIVEN INSTRUCTIONS FROM GND CTL TO PUSH FROM GATE X, N ON TXWY A N OF INTXN L. AFTER DISCONNECTING THE TUG, WE CALLED FOR TAXI ON FREQ 120.8, AND WERE TO MAKE THE 90 DEG R TURN AND HOLD SHORT OF RWY 19L AT TXWY L. WE CHANGED FREQ TO 125.8 AND CONTACTED THE TWR. THE TWR CTLR CLRED US TO CROSS RWY 19L AND HOLD SHORT OF RWY 19R. WE CHKED FINAL APCH AND SAW A WHITE SINGLE ENG ACFT ON FINAL APCH FOR RWY 19L. I DID NOT MOVE THE ACFT BUT ASKED THE FO TO CONFIRM THE CLRNC BECAUSE THE PA28 ON FINAL APCH TO RWY 19L APPEARED TOO CLOSE-IN FOR LNDG ON RWY 19L. THE FO ASKED THE TWR CTLR TO CONFIRM THE CLRNC TO CROSS RWY 19L. THE TWR CTLR DID SO AND CONFIRMED WE WERE CLR TO RWY 19L AND STATED THAT THE ACFT ON FINAL APCH WOULD 'GAR.' AGAIN, I DID NOT MOVE THE ACFT UNTIL WE SAW THE NOSE OF THE SMALL ACFT 'PITCH-UP' AS THOUGH IT WERE STARTING A GAR. SINCE HE APPEARED TO BE DOING AS THE TWR HAD TOLD US HE WOULD DO, I THEN PROCEEDED TO TAXI ACROSS RWY 19L AND STOPPED AT THE HOLD SHORT LINE AT RWY 19R. I GLANCED MY VISION TO THE L AS I WAS SETTING THE PARKING BRAKE AND SAW THAT THE SAME PA28 WHICH HAD BEEN ON FINAL HAD JUST COMPLETED A LNDG ON RWY 19L. I THEN ASKED THE TWR THAT MY UNDERSTANDING WAS THAT THE PA28 ON FINAL WAS 'GOING AROUND.' THE TWR CTLR AGREED AND SAID THAT 'HE WAS SUPPOSED TO.' THE INCIDENT OCCURRED AT XA14Z. I DO NOT KNOW THE CALL SIGN OF THE PA28, BUT IT WAS A WHITE SINGLE ENG PIPER PA28. THE INCIDENT WAS RPTED TO THE SNA ATCT MGR AND IS CURRENTLY BEING INVESTIGATED BY THEIR 'SYS SPECIALIST, ETC.' IT IS MY BELIEF THAT MANY FACTORS CONTRIBUTED TO THE ATC ERROR. FIRST IS THE HIGH DENSITY OF TFC AT SNA, PARTICULARLY THE CLOSELY SPACED FAST TFC APCH FOR SMALLER TRAINING ACFT. SECONDLY WAS THE FACT THAT THE TFC PATTERNS ARE CTLED BY SEPARATE FREQS, MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO HEAR ALL INSTRUCTIONS AND CLRNCS GIVEN TO ALL ACFT INVOLVED IN THE TFC PATTERNS.

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.