Narrative:

Flying from ZZZ to phl we were on short final to land at phl on runway 35 from a visual approach. At approximately 300 AGL and 0.5 NM from landing, after having been cleared to land by tower, tower told air carrier flight Y to cross runway 35 at 'G' and taxi to the ramp. We could see air carrier Y holding short of runway 35 at 'G' and not apparently moving. We were not sure though, that air carrier Y saw us on short final and felt he might begin to cross our runway. We prepared for a 'go around' and called tower to verify that we were cleared to land. The frequency was busy and air carrier Y called tower to say they were not going to cross the runway at that time. Tower finally told us that we were cleared to land and seemed to be completely unaware of the potential conflict and near disaster in progress under his control. We landed with no problem. Air carrier Y was cleared across runway 35 while we were rolling out down field. Later the captain of air carrier Y came by our aircraft to discuss the matter as we were at gates near by. Phl tower and approach are at operation saturation levels landing on runway 35, 26, 27R simultaneously and departing on runway 27L and runway 35 as well. There are many such incidents like this at phl on a daily basis. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter conveyed that on the day of this incident, phl was conducting simultaneous operations to three runways, 35, 27R and 26. He indicated that phl controllers, '...routinely lose track of what is going on...', and on this date, the controller, '...forgot his aircraft was there...', on short final. The reporter claimed the other aircraft in question was holding short of the hold lines for his runway. In summary, the reporter stated the phl controllers were trying to do, '...too much, too fast...'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATC CLEARS DHC8 TO CROSS RWY 35 WITH DHC8 ON SHORT FINAL.

Narrative: FLYING FROM ZZZ TO PHL WE WERE ON SHORT FINAL TO LAND AT PHL ON RWY 35 FROM A VISUAL APCH. AT APPROX 300 AGL AND 0.5 NM FROM LNDG, AFTER HAVING BEEN CLRED TO LAND BY TWR, TWR TOLD ACR FLT Y TO CROSS RWY 35 AT 'G' AND TAXI TO THE RAMP. WE COULD SEE ACR Y HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 35 AT 'G' AND NOT APPARENTLY MOVING. WE WERE NOT SURE THOUGH, THAT ACR Y SAW US ON SHORT FINAL AND FELT HE MIGHT BEGIN TO CROSS OUR RWY. WE PREPARED FOR A 'GAR' AND CALLED TWR TO VERIFY THAT WE WERE CLRED TO LAND. THE FREQ WAS BUSY AND ACR Y CALLED TWR TO SAY THEY WERE NOT GOING TO CROSS THE RWY AT THAT TIME. TWR FINALLY TOLD US THAT WE WERE CLRED TO LAND AND SEEMED TO BE COMPLETELY UNAWARE OF THE POTENTIAL CONFLICT AND NEAR DISASTER IN PROGRESS UNDER HIS CTL. WE LANDED WITH NO PROB. ACR Y WAS CLRED ACROSS RWY 35 WHILE WE WERE ROLLING OUT DOWN FIELD. LATER THE CAPT OF ACR Y CAME BY OUR ACFT TO DISCUSS THE MATTER AS WE WERE AT GATES NEAR BY. PHL TWR AND APCH ARE AT OP SATURATION LEVELS LNDG ON RWY 35, 26, 27R SIMULTANEOUSLY AND DEPARTING ON RWY 27L AND RWY 35 AS WELL. THERE ARE MANY SUCH INCIDENTS LIKE THIS AT PHL ON A DAILY BASIS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR CONVEYED THAT ON THE DAY OF THIS INCIDENT, PHL WAS CONDUCTING SIMULTANEOUS OPS TO THREE RWYS, 35, 27R AND 26. HE INDICATED THAT PHL CTLRS, '...ROUTINELY LOSE TRACK OF WHAT IS GOING ON...', AND ON THIS DATE, THE CTLR, '...FORGOT HIS ACFT WAS THERE...', ON SHORT FINAL. THE RPTR CLAIMED THE OTHER ACFT IN QUESTION WAS HOLDING SHORT OF THE HOLD LINES FOR HIS RWY. IN SUMMARY, THE RPTR STATED THE PHL CTLRS WERE TRYING TO DO, '...TOO MUCH, TOO FAST...'

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.