Narrative:

On landing at mke runway 1L, VFR, the tower controller told us to square our final and slow to final approach speed. We slowed up and then the controller cleared a falcon to land ahead of us. After the falcon landed, we were on a 3 mi final. Then the controller cleared another regional jet for position. This was a conflict, because by the time the rj took off, we were 200 ft AGL. First, we should have gone around -- no questions asked -- but a lot of times this occurs at busy airports. Second, the controller should not have cleared someone in position while we were on short final. The controller put us in a very awkward position that deferred/deterred us from concentrating on our normal landing in the touchdown zone. The true conflict is that all 3 crew members weren't absolutely positive we had received 'clearance to land.' we remember continuing a normal VFR arrival until the controller put an aircraft in position on our short final. That's when the distrs really occurred. Obviously the controller intended on threading the needle to expedite departures, but this caused stress on ATC, as well as the flight crew. It should have never happened on ATC's part. I also, in the future -- even it it's close -- will initiate a go around.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WHILE ON 1 MI FINAL, MKE CLRS AN ACFT FOR TKOF FROM SAME RWY. B727 FLC LANDS IN SPITE OF SEPARATION WITH DEP ACFT.

Narrative: ON LNDG AT MKE RWY 1L, VFR, THE TWR CTLR TOLD US TO SQUARE OUR FINAL AND SLOW TO FINAL APCH SPD. WE SLOWED UP AND THEN THE CTLR CLRED A FALCON TO LAND AHEAD OF US. AFTER THE FALCON LANDED, WE WERE ON A 3 MI FINAL. THEN THE CTLR CLRED ANOTHER REGIONAL JET FOR POS. THIS WAS A CONFLICT, BECAUSE BY THE TIME THE RJ TOOK OFF, WE WERE 200 FT AGL. FIRST, WE SHOULD HAVE GONE AROUND -- NO QUESTIONS ASKED -- BUT A LOT OF TIMES THIS OCCURS AT BUSY ARPTS. SECOND, THE CTLR SHOULD NOT HAVE CLRED SOMEONE IN POS WHILE WE WERE ON SHORT FINAL. THE CTLR PUT US IN A VERY AWKWARD POS THAT DEFERRED/DETERRED US FROM CONCENTRATING ON OUR NORMAL LNDG IN THE TOUCHDOWN ZONE. THE TRUE CONFLICT IS THAT ALL 3 CREW MEMBERS WEREN'T ABSOLUTELY POSITIVE WE HAD RECEIVED 'CLRNC TO LAND.' WE REMEMBER CONTINUING A NORMAL VFR ARR UNTIL THE CTLR PUT AN ACFT IN POS ON OUR SHORT FINAL. THAT'S WHEN THE DISTRS REALLY OCCURRED. OBVIOUSLY THE CTLR INTENDED ON THREADING THE NEEDLE TO EXPEDITE DEPS, BUT THIS CAUSED STRESS ON ATC, AS WELL AS THE FLC. IT SHOULD HAVE NEVER HAPPENED ON ATC'S PART. I ALSO, IN THE FUTURE -- EVEN IT IT'S CLOSE -- WILL INITIATE A GAR.

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.