Narrative:

I was working local assist for local #2 (north local). Local controller told air carrier X to 'taxi up to but hold short of runway 24L.' air carrier X read clearance back word for word and then continued well past the hold bars. I told the controller that air carrier X had gone well past the hold bars and he shouldn't let air carrier Y land on the same runway. We could both observe that air carrier X main gear was just short of the hold bars so there was an obvious problem. The controller asked air carrier X if he was holding short and the pilot responded 'holding short.' at the time of the incident, there was a staff specialist actually plugged in, monitoring local controller #2 and a supervisor was also informed of the situation. The controller asked the supervisor what he should do and the supervisor's response was 'if the pilot says he's clear, then he's clear.' the landing aircraft, air carrier Y landed very close to the numbers and his wingtip was level with air carrier X cockpit as he went by. It was very obvious that air carrier X understood very little english and only repeated commands he heard without understanding them. This situation is becoming very serious at lax. In fact, airline X has had 2 pltdevs filed within a week because they crossed runways without a clearance. In the above incident, no report was filed, even though 2 management persons watched the entire event.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATC LCL CTLR AT LAX ALLOWED B747F TO LAND ON RWY 24L WITH A B747F OBSERVED PAST THE RWY HOLD BARS.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING LCL ASSIST FOR LCL #2 (N LCL). LCL CTLR TOLD ACR X TO 'TAXI UP TO BUT HOLD SHORT OF RWY 24L.' ACR X READ CLRNC BACK WORD FOR WORD AND THEN CONTINUED WELL PAST THE HOLD BARS. I TOLD THE CTLR THAT ACR X HAD GONE WELL PAST THE HOLD BARS AND HE SHOULDN'T LET ACR Y LAND ON THE SAME RWY. WE COULD BOTH OBSERVE THAT ACR X MAIN GEAR WAS JUST SHORT OF THE HOLD BARS SO THERE WAS AN OBVIOUS PROB. THE CTLR ASKED ACR X IF HE WAS HOLDING SHORT AND THE PLT RESPONDED 'HOLDING SHORT.' AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT, THERE WAS A STAFF SPECIALIST ACTUALLY PLUGGED IN, MONITORING LCL CTLR #2 AND A SUPVR WAS ALSO INFORMED OF THE SIT. THE CTLR ASKED THE SUPVR WHAT HE SHOULD DO AND THE SUPVR'S RESPONSE WAS 'IF THE PLT SAYS HE'S CLR, THEN HE'S CLR.' THE LNDG ACFT, ACR Y LANDED VERY CLOSE TO THE NUMBERS AND HIS WINGTIP WAS LEVEL WITH ACR X COCKPIT AS HE WENT BY. IT WAS VERY OBVIOUS THAT ACR X UNDERSTOOD VERY LITTLE ENGLISH AND ONLY REPEATED COMMANDS HE HEARD WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING THEM. THIS SIT IS BECOMING VERY SERIOUS AT LAX. IN FACT, AIRLINE X HAS HAD 2 PLTDEVS FILED WITHIN A WK BECAUSE THEY CROSSED RWYS WITHOUT A CLRNC. IN THE ABOVE INCIDENT, NO RPT WAS FILED, EVEN THOUGH 2 MGMNT PERSONS WATCHED THE ENTIRE EVENT.

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.