Narrative:

Clear night, northwest winds, heavy volume on departures and arrs. We were #3 in line for takeoff behind an air carrier X and an air carrier Y flight. When we switched to tower, we heard controller clear another air carrier X flight on approach, 'air carrier X XXX cleared to land runway 33.' replied, 'air carrier X XXX unable runway 33.' tower then said, 'roger air carrier X XXX, you're #2 for runway 36, start speed reduction.' 'air carrier X XXX, roger.' tower now cleared the other air carrier X aircraft who was #1 for takeoff runway 36. The #2 aircraft in line, an air carrier Y flight, was also cleared for takeoff. I believe tower now cleared whoever was #1 on approach to land on runway 33, but unsure of events because we were #1 for takeoff, and were finalizing checklist items. We received clearance to taxi into position and hold, and as I taxied onto runway we noticed lights on final, but were unable to accurately determine distance or altitude. We turned on runway turnoff and taxi lights to illuminate our position on runway and listened to tower give previous departures instructions to turn up the river and contact departures. Controller was busy talking and as we wondered why we were not getting our own takeoff clearance we heard 'tower, there is an aircraft on the runway, air carrier X XXX is going around.' a new tower controller (supervisor?) came on radio and asked us (air carrier Y) to taxi up and turn left off the runway. There was another aircraft on final close behind air carrier X XXX. We are not sure how low air carrier X came before going around on top of us, but he made our plane rattle. I never heard tower give him clearance to land, and I believe controller forgot he was on final to runway 36 instead of runway 33. Controller was overloaded. Should not expect carrier jets to land on runway 33 at dca.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-300 ACFT WAS CLRED ONTO RWY AS OTHER ACFT WERE ON APCH. TWR CLRED ACFT ON APCH TO LAND RWY 33, BUT FLC SAID 'UNABLE,' SO TWR CLRED THEM TO LAND RWY 36. RPTR ACFT WAS ON RWY 36 AND APPARENTLY THE LCL CTLR FORGOT. ACFT ON APCH DID A GAR AND TWR HAD RPTR ACFT CLR THE RWY.

Narrative: CLR NIGHT, NW WINDS, HVY VOLUME ON DEPS AND ARRS. WE WERE #3 IN LINE FOR TKOF BEHIND AN ACR X AND AN ACR Y FLT. WHEN WE SWITCHED TO TWR, WE HEARD CTLR CLR ANOTHER ACR X FLT ON APCH, 'ACR X XXX CLRED TO LAND RWY 33.' REPLIED, 'ACR X XXX UNABLE RWY 33.' TWR THEN SAID, 'ROGER ACR X XXX, YOU'RE #2 FOR RWY 36, START SPD REDUCTION.' 'ACR X XXX, ROGER.' TWR NOW CLRED THE OTHER ACR X ACFT WHO WAS #1 FOR TKOF RWY 36. THE #2 ACFT IN LINE, AN ACR Y FLT, WAS ALSO CLRED FOR TKOF. I BELIEVE TWR NOW CLRED WHOEVER WAS #1 ON APCH TO LAND ON RWY 33, BUT UNSURE OF EVENTS BECAUSE WE WERE #1 FOR TKOF, AND WERE FINALIZING CHKLIST ITEMS. WE RECEIVED CLRNC TO TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD, AND AS I TAXIED ONTO RWY WE NOTICED LIGHTS ON FINAL, BUT WERE UNABLE TO ACCURATELY DETERMINE DISTANCE OR ALT. WE TURNED ON RWY TURNOFF AND TAXI LIGHTS TO ILLUMINATE OUR POS ON RWY AND LISTENED TO TWR GIVE PREVIOUS DEPS INSTRUCTIONS TO TURN UP THE RIVER AND CONTACT DEPS. CTLR WAS BUSY TALKING AND AS WE WONDERED WHY WE WERE NOT GETTING OUR OWN TKOF CLRNC WE HEARD 'TWR, THERE IS AN ACFT ON THE RWY, ACR X XXX IS GOING AROUND.' A NEW TWR CTLR (SUPVR?) CAME ON RADIO AND ASKED US (ACR Y) TO TAXI UP AND TURN L OFF THE RWY. THERE WAS ANOTHER ACFT ON FINAL CLOSE BEHIND ACR X XXX. WE ARE NOT SURE HOW LOW ACR X CAME BEFORE GOING AROUND ON TOP OF US, BUT HE MADE OUR PLANE RATTLE. I NEVER HEARD TWR GIVE HIM CLRNC TO LAND, AND I BELIEVE CTLR FORGOT HE WAS ON FINAL TO RWY 36 INSTEAD OF RWY 33. CTLR WAS OVERLOADED. SHOULD NOT EXPECT CARRIER JETS TO LAND ON RWY 33 AT DCA.

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.