Narrative:

Last leg of 3 passenger trip. Tower told us to exit at the high speed, cross runway 18C and contact ground on the other side. We did. Before crossing 18C, we checked the runway visually in both directions and we both noted an air carrier holding in position on 18C. As we continued across (per tower instructions), a general aviation aircraft passed over head at between 100 to 150 ft and climbing. Apparently, he had just lifted off of runway 18C. Neither pilot saw him before crossing 18C because we made sure the runway was clear, not the air space above it. The windows restrict visibility upward. And we assumed the air carrier in position was the only aircraft using the runway. ATC in memphis is a little looser than in many other facilities. There has always been a bit of a cowboy mentality. The same controller was controling both runways. He was handling all the players and still, in my opinion, lost separation. If the GA departure had lost power, he may have been on top of us. It wouldn't have been his fault. GA pilots should also been encouraged to use then landing lights on takeoff and approach. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter's other concern is the frequent, close-in runway changes that the flight crew perceives as the controllers 'doing you a favor' when ATC asks for a gate number. The captain states that this close-in runway change causes unnecessary cockpit workload, that it would be advantageous if the runway assignment was established more than 20 out to ensure an approach briefing could be completed, and being delayed vectored for the 'better runway' causes more delay and fuel consumption than landing and taxiing to the gate. The flight crews concerns have been forwarded to company and to the tower in the recent past with not apparent change to the towers procedures.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DC9 FLC LND ON MEM RWY 18L, ARE CLRED TO CROSS RWY 18C. WHILE CROSSING RWY 18C, THEY ARE OVERFLOWN BY A SINGLE ENG ACFT.

Narrative: LAST LEG OF 3 PAX TRIP. TWR TOLD US TO EXIT AT THE HIGH SPEED, CROSS RWY 18C AND CONTACT GND ON THE OTHER SIDE. WE DID. BEFORE XING 18C, WE CHKED THE RWY VISUALLY IN BOTH DIRECTIONS AND WE BOTH NOTED AN ACR HOLDING IN POS ON 18C. AS WE CONTINUED ACROSS (PER TWR INSTRUCTIONS), A GENERAL AVIATION ACFT PASSED OVER HEAD AT BTWN 100 TO 150 FT AND CLBING. APPARENTLY, HE HAD JUST LIFTED OFF OF RWY 18C. NEITHER PLT SAW HIM BEFORE XING 18C BECAUSE WE MADE SURE THE RWY WAS CLR, NOT THE AIR SPACE ABOVE IT. THE WINDOWS RESTRICT VISIBILITY UPWARD. AND WE ASSUMED THE ACR IN POSITION WAS THE ONLY ACFT USING THE RWY. ATC IN MEMPHIS IS A LITTLE LOOSER THAN IN MANY OTHER FACILITIES. THERE HAS ALWAYS BEEN A BIT OF A COWBOY MENTALITY. THE SAME CTLR WAS CTLING BOTH RWYS. HE WAS HANDLING ALL THE PLAYERS AND STILL, IN MY OPINION, LOST SEPARATION. IF THE GA DEP HAD LOST POWER, HE MAY HAVE BEEN ON TOP OF US. IT WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN HIS FAULT. GA PLTS SHOULD ALSO BEEN ENCOURAGED TO USE THEN LNDG LIGHTS ON TKOF AND APCH. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR'S OTHER CONCERN IS THE FREQUENT, CLOSE-IN RWY CHANGES THAT THE FLC PERCEIVES AS THE CTLRS 'DOING YOU A FAVOR' WHEN ATC ASKS FOR A GATE NUMBER. THE CAPT STATES THAT THIS CLOSE-IN RWY CHANGE CAUSES UNNECESSARY COCKPIT WORKLOAD, THAT IT WOULD BE ADVANTAGEOUS IF THE RWY ASSIGNMENT WAS ESTABLISHED MORE THAN 20 OUT TO ENSURE AN APCH BRIEFING COULD BE COMPLETED, AND BEING DELAYED VECTORED FOR THE 'BETTER RWY' CAUSES MORE DELAY AND FUEL CONSUMPTION THAN LNDG AND TAXIING TO THE GATE. THE FLT CREWS CONCERNS HAVE BEEN FORWARDED TO COMPANY AND TO THE TWR IN THE RECENT PAST WITH NOT APPARENT CHANGE TO THE TWRS PROCS.

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.