Narrative:

We were air carrier, slc direct lax, jan/xx/98. It was night, low ceiling (but VFR) and fair visibility (more than 3 mi), wind from north. ATIS reported using runways 34L/34R and 35. We were cleared to taxi to runway 35, crossing runway 34R at taxiway H6, then (following a B737) via runway 14, to hold short of runway 35. While holding short on runway 32, a civilian cleared to land on runway 35 attempted to land on runway 32. I put on all external lights and directed a go around on tower frequency. The civilian flew directly over our B727, and I estimate at a ht of less than 50 ft. A falcon jet holding short on the other side of runway 35 confirmed the civilian's flight path. The civilian appeared to be a late model cessna twin. I believe several factors contributed to this near tragedy. Slc tower uses a runway as a taxiway. Especially at night, and less than clear WX, and with runway lights (versus taxiway lights), this is dangerous. Slc tower has no procedure to notify the landing aircraft that another aircraft is on nearby runway 32, nor do they notify aircraft on runway 32 that there is an aircraft flying an approach to nearby runway 35. I don't believe the tower is in a position physically to monitor and evaluate the position of aircraft in our situation. When I asked the controller if he saw what just happened, I got no response. I suggest: change tower's procedure to notify aircraft of other aircraft when our situation arises. Do not illuminate a taxiway with runway lights (hence, at night, don't use a runway as a taxiway). Supplemental information from acn 391509: the B737 was cleared for takeoff. On the other side of runway 35 holding short were several GA aircraft waiting to takeoff. A C172 was cleared into position and hold runway 35. In the mean time an aircraft turning a visual base to runway 35 approach 1 1/2 mi was cleared to land runway 35. Due to his closeness the tower instructed the C172 holding, to taxi clear of runway 35 as soon as possible. He did this by taxiing down the runway to the first intersection approximately 500 ft down asking tower which way they wanted him to turn left or right. Tower said it didn't matter call clear. The tower asked again if they (C172) was clear and they acknowledged affirmative. Again the aircraft turning final on a right base rolled out on final for runway 32. I was watching out the aft side at the cessna clearing down the runway. Fortunately the first officer was watching the aircraft and as I turned back and saw what was about to happen (aircraft on a 3/4 mi final to runway 32). The first officer had a few more seconds to decide what to do and immediately turned on all our taxi and ldng lights, and told the aircraft to go around. The tower was asked if they saw what took place and said no. A falcon jet on the parallel taxiway confirmed the aircraft went directly overhead at a low altitude my guess is between 50-100 ft. This was a real potential for disaster. Runway 32 should not be used to taxi out to runway 35 at night.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C310 LNDG ON RWY 35 CONFUSES RWY 35 WITH RWY 32 AND PASSES DIRECTLY OVER B727 HOLDING ON RWY 32 AWAITING CLRNC FOR TKOF. THE B727 FO OBSERVED THE ACFT LINING UP ON THE WRONG RWY AND FLASHES ACFT LIGHTS AND INSTRUCTS THE C310 TO GAR. THE C310 CROSSED APPROX 50 FT ABOVE.

Narrative: WE WERE ACR, SLC DIRECT LAX, JAN/XX/98. IT WAS NIGHT, LOW CEILING (BUT VFR) AND FAIR VISIBILITY (MORE THAN 3 MI), WIND FROM N. ATIS RPTED USING RWYS 34L/34R AND 35. WE WERE CLRED TO TAXI TO RWY 35, XING RWY 34R AT TXWY H6, THEN (FOLLOWING A B737) VIA RWY 14, TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 35. WHILE HOLDING SHORT ON RWY 32, A CIVILIAN CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 35 ATTEMPTED TO LAND ON RWY 32. I PUT ON ALL EXTERNAL LIGHTS AND DIRECTED A GAR ON TWR FREQ. THE CIVILIAN FLEW DIRECTLY OVER OUR B727, AND I ESTIMATE AT A HT OF LESS THAN 50 FT. A FALCON JET HOLDING SHORT ON THE OTHER SIDE OF RWY 35 CONFIRMED THE CIVILIAN'S FLT PATH. THE CIVILIAN APPEARED TO BE A LATE MODEL CESSNA TWIN. I BELIEVE SEVERAL FACTORS CONTRIBUTED TO THIS NEAR TRAGEDY. SLC TWR USES A RWY AS A TXWY. ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT, AND LESS THAN CLR WX, AND WITH RWY LIGHTS (VERSUS TXWY LIGHTS), THIS IS DANGEROUS. SLC TWR HAS NO PROC TO NOTIFY THE LNDG ACFT THAT ANOTHER ACFT IS ON NEARBY RWY 32, NOR DO THEY NOTIFY ACFT ON RWY 32 THAT THERE IS AN ACFT FLYING AN APCH TO NEARBY RWY 35. I DON'T BELIEVE THE TWR IS IN A POS PHYSICALLY TO MONITOR AND EVALUATE THE POS OF ACFT IN OUR SIT. WHEN I ASKED THE CTLR IF HE SAW WHAT JUST HAPPENED, I GOT NO RESPONSE. I SUGGEST: CHANGE TWR'S PROC TO NOTIFY ACFT OF OTHER ACFT WHEN OUR SIT ARISES. DO NOT ILLUMINATE A TXWY WITH RWY LIGHTS (HENCE, AT NIGHT, DON'T USE A RWY AS A TXWY). SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 391509: THE B737 WAS CLRED FOR TKOF. ON THE OTHER SIDE OF RWY 35 HOLDING SHORT WERE SEVERAL GA ACFT WAITING TO TKOF. A C172 WAS CLRED INTO POS AND HOLD RWY 35. IN THE MEAN TIME AN ACFT TURNING A VISUAL BASE TO RWY 35 APCH 1 1/2 MI WAS CLRED TO LAND RWY 35. DUE TO HIS CLOSENESS THE TWR INSTRUCTED THE C172 HOLDING, TO TAXI CLR OF RWY 35 ASAP. HE DID THIS BY TAXIING DOWN THE RWY TO THE FIRST INTXN APPROX 500 FT DOWN ASKING TWR WHICH WAY THEY WANTED HIM TO TURN L OR R. TWR SAID IT DIDN'T MATTER CALL CLR. THE TWR ASKED AGAIN IF THEY (C172) WAS CLR AND THEY ACKNOWLEDGED AFFIRMATIVE. AGAIN THE ACFT TURNING FINAL ON A R BASE ROLLED OUT ON FINAL FOR RWY 32. I WAS WATCHING OUT THE AFT SIDE AT THE CESSNA CLRING DOWN THE RWY. FORTUNATELY THE FO WAS WATCHING THE ACFT AND AS I TURNED BACK AND SAW WHAT WAS ABOUT TO HAPPEN (ACFT ON A 3/4 MI FINAL TO RWY 32). THE FO HAD A FEW MORE SECONDS TO DECIDE WHAT TO DO AND IMMEDIATELY TURNED ON ALL OUR TAXI AND LDNG LIGHTS, AND TOLD THE ACFT TO GAR. THE TWR WAS ASKED IF THEY SAW WHAT TOOK PLACE AND SAID NO. A FALCON JET ON THE PARALLEL TXWY CONFIRMED THE ACFT WENT DIRECTLY OVERHEAD AT A LOW ALT MY GUESS IS BTWN 50-100 FT. THIS WAS A REAL POTENTIAL FOR DISASTER. RWY 32 SHOULD NOT BE USED TO TAXI OUT TO RWY 35 AT NIGHT.

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.