Narrative:

During landing rollout on runway 21L in dtw, I noticed the lights of an aircraft crossing the runway less than 1/2 mi ahead at about 400 ft AGL. If we had needed to go around, there would have been a serious traffic conflict. The sids for dtw specify no turns below 1100 ft MSL when departing runway 3, but no such restr applies to runways 21. Hence the crew of the aircraft were within their rights to begin their turn to the 120 degree heading assigned at their discretion. In the absence of a SID change, the dtw ATCT needs to change procedures to specify delaying the start of the turn to the departure heading in order to preserve go around options for arrs on the parallel runways.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DEP ACFT CROSSES ARR RWY.

Narrative: DURING LNDG ROLLOUT ON RWY 21L IN DTW, I NOTICED THE LIGHTS OF AN ACFT XING THE RWY LESS THAN 1/2 MI AHEAD AT ABOUT 400 FT AGL. IF WE HAD NEEDED TO GO AROUND, THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN A SERIOUS TFC CONFLICT. THE SIDS FOR DTW SPECIFY NO TURNS BELOW 1100 FT MSL WHEN DEPARTING RWY 3, BUT NO SUCH RESTR APPLIES TO RWYS 21. HENCE THE CREW OF THE ACFT WERE WITHIN THEIR RIGHTS TO BEGIN THEIR TURN TO THE 120 DEG HDG ASSIGNED AT THEIR DISCRETION. IN THE ABSENCE OF A SID CHANGE, THE DTW ATCT NEEDS TO CHANGE PROCS TO SPECIFY DELAYING THE START OF THE TURN TO THE DEP HDG IN ORDER TO PRESERVE GAR OPTIONS FOR ARRS ON THE PARALLEL RWYS.

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.