Narrative:

Landed runway 03R at approximately XA55. Briefed a taxiway F exit. Upon rollout passing taxiway W3, I noticed what I think was an air carrier Y DC9 on taxiway W3 pointed at the runway right at the hold short line. He had his position lights on and I think his wing/nacelle flood lights, although by the time I passed taxiway W3 they weren't visible. No nose light on. If I would have exited at taxiway W3 he would have been visible and at approximately 50-60 KTS exit speed a collision would have been a certainty. We did not receive any warning from tower whatsoever that he was there. When I raised the situation with ground control I was told 'yeah, he's uncomfortable being there too.' an air carrier light transport that landed before me stated, 'I almost hit him too.' the air carrier Y was cleared to taxi on runway 3R and exit at W2 to join taxiway west. I see this as a situation where blind luck avoided a collision. I don't know how air carrier Y taxied onto taxiway W3 given the established taxi flow (txwys w-t-Y) at dtw. Tower should have warned subsequent landing aircraft that an aircraft was blocking a probable runway exit. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that he did receive results of the dtw tower review of this incident. Apparently, the aircraft Y holding on taxiway W3 facing the runway 3R had made an error and the crew was very apprehensive about being where they were because they were on the high speed turnoff. When the tower learned from ground control of the mistake, they attempted, according to their recording tape, to notify the reporter to not use taxiway W3. However, by that time, which was only a split second, the reporter was rolling on by the taxiway intersection. Reporter's conversation with the aircraft that had just landed ahead and said that they had just missed aircraft Y, was on ground control. Therefore, they did not hear the tower's instructions alleviating the problem. Since he is based at dtw, he prefers to use taxiway F to exit the runway so that it is easier to make the turn left onto taxiway west. The tower did not suggest to turn off on taxiway W3 nor do they suggest any particular taxiway to use turning off of runway 3R. It is not necessarily common to use taxiway W3 since it is a difficult turn to make to the left onto taxiway west going southwest. The reporter stated that he believes that this is an isolated incident that caught everyone by surprise. He wonders how that aircraft Y made the mistake leaving the parallel taxiway and heading toward the runway. Of course, it was at night!

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG FLC OBSERVED ACFT Y HOLDING FACING THE RWY ON HIGH SPD TURNOFF AT DTW DURING NIGHT LNDG ROLL. THEY BELIEVED THAT THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN A COLLISION IF THEY HAD CHOSEN THAT RWY EXIT POINT SINCE TWR CTLR HAD NOT PROVIDED A CAUTIONARY ADVISORY.

Narrative: LANDED RWY 03R AT APPROX XA55. BRIEFED A TXWY F EXIT. UPON ROLLOUT PASSING TXWY W3, I NOTICED WHAT I THINK WAS AN ACR Y DC9 ON TXWY W3 POINTED AT THE RWY RIGHT AT THE HOLD SHORT LINE. HE HAD HIS POS LIGHTS ON AND I THINK HIS WING/NACELLE FLOOD LIGHTS, ALTHOUGH BY THE TIME I PASSED TXWY W3 THEY WEREN'T VISIBLE. NO NOSE LIGHT ON. IF I WOULD HAVE EXITED AT TXWY W3 HE WOULD HAVE BEEN VISIBLE AND AT APPROX 50-60 KTS EXIT SPD A COLLISION WOULD HAVE BEEN A CERTAINTY. WE DID NOT RECEIVE ANY WARNING FROM TWR WHATSOEVER THAT HE WAS THERE. WHEN I RAISED THE SIT WITH GND CTL I WAS TOLD 'YEAH, HE'S UNCOMFORTABLE BEING THERE TOO.' AN ACR LTT THAT LANDED BEFORE ME STATED, 'I ALMOST HIT HIM TOO.' THE ACR Y WAS CLRED TO TAXI ON RWY 3R AND EXIT AT W2 TO JOIN TXWY W. I SEE THIS AS A SIT WHERE BLIND LUCK AVOIDED A COLLISION. I DON'T KNOW HOW ACR Y TAXIED ONTO TXWY W3 GIVEN THE ESTABLISHED TAXI FLOW (TXWYS W-T-Y) AT DTW. TWR SHOULD HAVE WARNED SUBSEQUENT LNDG ACFT THAT AN ACFT WAS BLOCKING A PROBABLE RWY EXIT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT HE DID RECEIVE RESULTS OF THE DTW TWR REVIEW OF THIS INCIDENT. APPARENTLY, THE ACFT Y HOLDING ON TXWY W3 FACING THE RWY 3R HAD MADE AN ERROR AND THE CREW WAS VERY APPREHENSIVE ABOUT BEING WHERE THEY WERE BECAUSE THEY WERE ON THE HIGH SPD TURNOFF. WHEN THE TWR LEARNED FROM GND CTL OF THE MISTAKE, THEY ATTEMPTED, ACCORDING TO THEIR RECORDING TAPE, TO NOTIFY THE RPTR TO NOT USE TXWY W3. HOWEVER, BY THAT TIME, WHICH WAS ONLY A SPLIT SECOND, THE RPTR WAS ROLLING ON BY THE TXWY INTXN. RPTR'S CONVERSATION WITH THE ACFT THAT HAD JUST LANDED AHEAD AND SAID THAT THEY HAD JUST MISSED ACFT Y, WAS ON GND CTL. THEREFORE, THEY DID NOT HEAR THE TWR'S INSTRUCTIONS ALLEVIATING THE PROB. SINCE HE IS BASED AT DTW, HE PREFERS TO USE TXWY F TO EXIT THE RWY SO THAT IT IS EASIER TO MAKE THE TURN L ONTO TXWY W. THE TWR DID NOT SUGGEST TO TURN OFF ON TXWY W3 NOR DO THEY SUGGEST ANY PARTICULAR TXWY TO USE TURNING OFF OF RWY 3R. IT IS NOT NECESSARILY COMMON TO USE TXWY W3 SINCE IT IS A DIFFICULT TURN TO MAKE TO THE L ONTO TXWY W GOING SW. THE RPTR STATED THAT HE BELIEVES THAT THIS IS AN ISOLATED INCIDENT THAT CAUGHT EVERYONE BY SURPRISE. HE WONDERS HOW THAT ACFT Y MADE THE MISTAKE LEAVING THE PARALLEL TXWY AND HDG TOWARD THE RWY. OF COURSE, IT WAS 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.