Narrative:

B727 atl to ord landed on ord runway 4R with an A320 on runway exiting at end taxiway 'Q.' during flare B727 crew saw A320 7500 ft down runway 4R. Captain the pilot flying, elected to land because we may have hit the A320 if we elected to go around. B727 crew was rested, fresh (1ST leg), fed and alert. Ord ATC was extremely busy due to tsrms in ord area. We saw approach lights at 300 ft AGL. Saw runway at 200 ft AGL. Saw A320 at flare. Actual weather was worse than reported. Pressure falling rapidly. Solution: build more runways to take pressure off ord ATC. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: callback revealed that there was some confusion between the two flying pilots at the outer marker as to whether or not they had clearance to contact tower. The copilot had limited experience. Tower contact was made inside the marker the reporter's perception was that the flying pilots were 'behind the aircraft' during the approach. The reporter said that the captain's decision to land was the best one since the aircraft on the runway was at the far end and a go around with low visibility would have only been another conflict issue. The perception of the reporter was that the local controller was just about up to his limit in capacity to handle the traffic. He was talking non stop leaving no time for clearance acknowledgements, etc.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR LANDS WITH ANOTHER ACFT ON THE RWY. THE WEATHER WAS NEAR MINIMUMS. THE LNDG ACFT DID NOT SEE THE ROLLOUT ACFT UNTIL VERY NEAR THE FLARE OF THE LNDG MANEUVER.

Narrative: B727 ATL TO ORD LANDED ON ORD RWY 4R WITH AN A320 ON RWY EXITING AT END TXWY 'Q.' DURING FLARE B727 CREW SAW A320 7500 FT DOWN RWY 4R. CAPT THE PLT FLYING, ELECTED TO LAND BECAUSE WE MAY HAVE HIT THE A320 IF WE ELECTED TO GAR. B727 CREW WAS RESTED, FRESH (1ST LEG), FED AND ALERT. ORD ATC WAS EXTREMELY BUSY DUE TO TSRMS IN ORD AREA. WE SAW APCH LIGHTS AT 300 FT AGL. SAW RWY AT 200 FT AGL. SAW A320 AT FLARE. ACTUAL WEATHER WAS WORSE THAN REPORTED. PRESSURE FALLING RAPIDLY. SOLUTION: BUILD MORE RWYS TO TAKE PRESSURE OFF ORD ATC. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: CALLBACK REVEALED THAT THERE WAS SOME CONFUSION BETWEEN THE TWO FLYING PLTS AT THE OUTER MARKER AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THEY HAD CLRNC TO CONTACT TOWER. THE COPILOT HAD LIMITED EXPERIENCE. TWR CONTACT WAS MADE INSIDE THE MARKER THE RPTR'S PERCEPTION WAS THAT THE FLYING PLTS WERE 'BEHIND THE ACFT' DURING THE APCH. THE RPTR SAID THAT THE CAPT'S DECISION TO LAND WAS THE BEST ONE SINCE THE ACFT ON THE RWY WAS AT THE FAR END AND A GAR WITH LOW VISIBILITY WOULD HAVE ONLY BEEN ANOTHER CONFLICT ISSUE. THE PERCEPTION OF THE RPTR WAS THAT THE LOCAL CTLR WAS JUST ABOUT UP TO HIS LIMIT IN CAPACITY TO HANDLE THE TFC. HE WAS TALKING NON STOP LEAVING NO TIME FOR CLRNC ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS, ETC.

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.