Narrative:

John wayne airport has 2 parallel runways (19R and 19L). Closed pattern traffic normally uses runway 19L with airline traffic arriving and departing runway 19R. We were doing 'closed pattern' practice, making full stop lndgs with taxi backs for takeoff. Our flight was the only one operating in the pattern for runway 19L at the time. Being sunday, the traffic load at the airport was relatively light. The local controller was handling operations on both runways, along with an advisory position. However, the traffic load had progressively increased for runway 19R. At that time when we were told to 'taxi in to position and hold' for takeoff on runway 19L. Each runway has its own frequency and when one controller is handling both runways you cannot hear aircraft radio broadcasts when they are operating on the other runway. We were held in position on runway 19L for a longer than normal time. Also, since it was around sunset, I had made sure all anti-collision lights were on. During this time the local controller sounded moderately busy with traffic for runway 19R. At john wayne, when there is relatively slow traffic for the straight-in runway 19R with faster moving traffic behind, the slower traffic gets sidestepped to land runway 19L. This is exactly the instructions heard over the radio for some other airplane while we were still holding on runway 19L. Looking out the rear window, I saw the airplane that had been sidestepped and cleared to land on runway 19L. The frequency was too congested to inform the controller of the impending situation. I started taxiing us off the runway to clear it. By moving our airplane, I believe this caught the controller's attention. He finally issued a go around instruction to the landing airplane. After giving the go around, the controller found the time to scold us for being on the runway. He thought that he had told us to 'hold short of runway 19L.' however, the controller did remember his 'hold in position' instruction after the scolding. This incident is an example of the controller's inattention, lack of supervision, and frequency congestion.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SNA TWR CLRED A C152 INTO POS AND HOLD RWY 19L. HE THEN FORGOT ABOUT THE ACFT AND CLRED ANOTHER ACFT ON APCH TO RWY 19R TO SIDESTEP AND LAND ON THE L RWY. RPTR STARTED TO EVADE AND TWR THEN INSTRUCTED APCHING TFC TO GAR.

Narrative: JOHN WAYNE ARPT HAS 2 PARALLEL RWYS (19R AND 19L). CLOSED PATTERN TFC NORMALLY USES RWY 19L WITH AIRLINE TFC ARRIVING AND DEPARTING RWY 19R. WE WERE DOING 'CLOSED PATTERN' PRACTICE, MAKING FULL STOP LNDGS WITH TAXI BACKS FOR TKOF. OUR FLT WAS THE ONLY ONE OPERATING IN THE PATTERN FOR RWY 19L AT THE TIME. BEING SUNDAY, THE TFC LOAD AT THE ARPT WAS RELATIVELY LIGHT. THE LCL CTLR WAS HANDLING OPS ON BOTH RWYS, ALONG WITH AN ADVISORY POS. HOWEVER, THE TFC LOAD HAD PROGRESSIVELY INCREASED FOR RWY 19R. AT THAT TIME WHEN WE WERE TOLD TO 'TAXI IN TO POS AND HOLD' FOR TKOF ON RWY 19L. EACH RWY HAS ITS OWN FREQ AND WHEN ONE CTLR IS HANDLING BOTH RWYS YOU CANNOT HEAR ACFT RADIO BROADCASTS WHEN THEY ARE OPERATING ON THE OTHER RWY. WE WERE HELD IN POS ON RWY 19L FOR A LONGER THAN NORMAL TIME. ALSO, SINCE IT WAS AROUND SUNSET, I HAD MADE SURE ALL ANTI-COLLISION LIGHTS WERE ON. DURING THIS TIME THE LCL CTLR SOUNDED MODERATELY BUSY WITH TFC FOR RWY 19R. AT JOHN WAYNE, WHEN THERE IS RELATIVELY SLOW TFC FOR THE STRAIGHT-IN RWY 19R WITH FASTER MOVING TFC BEHIND, THE SLOWER TFC GETS SIDESTEPPED TO LAND RWY 19L. THIS IS EXACTLY THE INSTRUCTIONS HEARD OVER THE RADIO FOR SOME OTHER AIRPLANE WHILE WE WERE STILL HOLDING ON RWY 19L. LOOKING OUT THE REAR WINDOW, I SAW THE AIRPLANE THAT HAD BEEN SIDESTEPPED AND CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 19L. THE FREQ WAS TOO CONGESTED TO INFORM THE CTLR OF THE IMPENDING SIT. I STARTED TAXIING US OFF THE RWY TO CLR IT. BY MOVING OUR AIRPLANE, I BELIEVE THIS CAUGHT THE CTLR'S ATTN. HE FINALLY ISSUED A GAR INSTRUCTION TO THE LNDG AIRPLANE. AFTER GIVING THE GAR, THE CTLR FOUND THE TIME TO SCOLD US FOR BEING ON THE RWY. HE THOUGHT THAT HE HAD TOLD US TO 'HOLD SHORT OF RWY 19L.' HOWEVER, THE CTLR DID REMEMBER HIS 'HOLD IN POS' INSTRUCTION AFTER THE SCOLDING. THIS INCIDENT IS AN EXAMPLE OF THE CTLR'S INATTENTION, LACK OF SUPERVISION, AND FREQ CONGESTION.

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.