Narrative:

San was landing runway 9 and departing runways 9 and 27. We were ready for departure holding short runway 9. We were #1 of 2 aircraft waiting for departure. There were several aircraft waiting for departure on runway 27. Tower had cleared an aircraft for takeoff on runway 27. Once that jet was airborne, tower cleared us, 'company flight X, runway 9, taxi into position and hold, expect no delay.' we acknowledged the clearance, ran our below the line items and started across the hold line onto the runway. When we were clearly passed the hold line and about to make a turn to line up on the runway, we heard from tower, 'company flight Y, runway 27 clear for takeoff.' we immediately stopped the aircraft and before we could say anything to tower, aircraft Y jumped on the radio and said to tower that he had an aircraft holding in position on runway 9. As I remember, tower did not cancel company flight Y's takeoff clearance and company flight Y further stated that he was holding short of runway 27. We were able to perform 180 degree turn to exit the runway and repos ourselves as #1 for departure runway 9. Tower confirmed that we were clear of the runway, then reclred company flight Y for takeoff. After another aircraft departed runway 27, we were given a cleared for takeoff runway 9. On the handoff, the tower controller apologized for being the source of the confusion. I told him that everything worked out, no harm, no foul, and wished him good day. This chain of events started with poor WX conditions that forced the use of runway 9 and it slower landing minimums. The chain was broken by at least 3 alert crews that were closely following the operation on the radio. This unusual runway confign is rarely seen and when we do, it's because of adverse WX conditions. I can only imagine the workload for the tower controller when coupled with darkness, poor visibility, rain, ground control coordination between 2 runways, departure control coordination for 2 different departures, and any other probable distrs. When the WX goes down, this potential problem could further be prevented with forcing all departures to runway 9, except those with definite performance considerations. When an opposite direction departure is necessary, another set of eyes and ears in the tower would help as a back-up to make sure the runway stays clear. Supplemental information from acn 603811: we were instructed to taxi to the runway 27 hold area and expect a lengthy delay due to inbound arrs. Asked tower to give us 5 mins notice, as we were going to shut down engines. Ran appropriate checklist and waited. After some time, tower instructed us to start engines and when we were ready, taxi up to and hold short of runway 27. He advised us he had 2 more to land and he would get us out after that. As the second of the 2 aircraft were rolling out, he cleared another company flight X into position and hold runway 9. The first officer and I looked at each other and figured the controller had changed his mind on the sequence. Company responded to the clearance and I watched him taxi into position at the other end of the runway. A few seconds later, the controller cleared us for an immediate takeoff runway 27. We continued to hold short and advised tower that he had just cleared us for takeoff on runway 27 with company aircraft holding in position at the other end. The controller seemed confused and asked the other company flight if he was on the runway. He responded yes that he had been cleared into position on runway 9. The controller cleared the aircraft and we departed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATC SPONSORED RWY INCURSION CREATES POTENTIAL FOR A COLLISION BTWN 2 ACR ACFT DURING A PLANNED OPPOSITE DIRECTION TKOF ON AN OCCUPIED RWY AT SAN, CA, THAT IS CAUGHT AND NEGATED BY ONE OF THE FLT CREWS.

Narrative: SAN WAS LNDG RWY 9 AND DEPARTING RWYS 9 AND 27. WE WERE READY FOR DEP HOLDING SHORT RWY 9. WE WERE #1 OF 2 ACFT WAITING FOR DEP. THERE WERE SEVERAL ACFT WAITING FOR DEP ON RWY 27. TWR HAD CLRED AN ACFT FOR TKOF ON RWY 27. ONCE THAT JET WAS AIRBORNE, TWR CLRED US, 'COMPANY FLT X, RWY 9, TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD, EXPECT NO DELAY.' WE ACKNOWLEDGED THE CLRNC, RAN OUR BELOW THE LINE ITEMS AND STARTED ACROSS THE HOLD LINE ONTO THE RWY. WHEN WE WERE CLRLY PASSED THE HOLD LINE AND ABOUT TO MAKE A TURN TO LINE UP ON THE RWY, WE HEARD FROM TWR, 'COMPANY FLT Y, RWY 27 CLR FOR TKOF.' WE IMMEDIATELY STOPPED THE ACFT AND BEFORE WE COULD SAY ANYTHING TO TWR, ACFT Y JUMPED ON THE RADIO AND SAID TO TWR THAT HE HAD AN ACFT HOLDING IN POS ON RWY 9. AS I REMEMBER, TWR DID NOT CANCEL COMPANY FLT Y'S TKOF CLRNC AND COMPANY FLT Y FURTHER STATED THAT HE WAS HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 27. WE WERE ABLE TO PERFORM 180 DEG TURN TO EXIT THE RWY AND REPOS OURSELVES AS #1 FOR DEP RWY 9. TWR CONFIRMED THAT WE WERE CLR OF THE RWY, THEN RECLRED COMPANY FLT Y FOR TKOF. AFTER ANOTHER ACFT DEPARTED RWY 27, WE WERE GIVEN A CLRED FOR TKOF RWY 9. ON THE HDOF, THE TWR CTLR APOLOGIZED FOR BEING THE SOURCE OF THE CONFUSION. I TOLD HIM THAT EVERYTHING WORKED OUT, NO HARM, NO FOUL, AND WISHED HIM GOOD DAY. THIS CHAIN OF EVENTS STARTED WITH POOR WX CONDITIONS THAT FORCED THE USE OF RWY 9 AND IT SLOWER LNDG MINIMUMS. THE CHAIN WAS BROKEN BY AT LEAST 3 ALERT CREWS THAT WERE CLOSELY FOLLOWING THE OP ON THE RADIO. THIS UNUSUAL RWY CONFIGN IS RARELY SEEN AND WHEN WE DO, IT'S BECAUSE OF ADVERSE WX CONDITIONS. I CAN ONLY IMAGINE THE WORKLOAD FOR THE TWR CTLR WHEN COUPLED WITH DARKNESS, POOR VISIBILITY, RAIN, GND CTL COORD BTWN 2 RWYS, DEP CTL COORD FOR 2 DIFFERENT DEPS, AND ANY OTHER PROBABLE DISTRS. WHEN THE WX GOES DOWN, THIS POTENTIAL PROB COULD FURTHER BE PREVENTED WITH FORCING ALL DEPS TO RWY 9, EXCEPT THOSE WITH DEFINITE PERFORMANCE CONSIDERATIONS. WHEN AN OPPOSITE DIRECTION DEP IS NECESSARY, ANOTHER SET OF EYES AND EARS IN THE TWR WOULD HELP AS A BACK-UP TO MAKE SURE THE RWY STAYS CLR. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 603811: WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO TAXI TO THE RWY 27 HOLD AREA AND EXPECT A LENGTHY DELAY DUE TO INBOUND ARRS. ASKED TWR TO GIVE US 5 MINS NOTICE, AS WE WERE GOING TO SHUT DOWN ENGS. RAN APPROPRIATE CHKLIST AND WAITED. AFTER SOME TIME, TWR INSTRUCTED US TO START ENGS AND WHEN WE WERE READY, TAXI UP TO AND HOLD SHORT OF RWY 27. HE ADVISED US HE HAD 2 MORE TO LAND AND HE WOULD GET US OUT AFTER THAT. AS THE SECOND OF THE 2 ACFT WERE ROLLING OUT, HE CLRED ANOTHER COMPANY FLT X INTO POS AND HOLD RWY 9. THE FO AND I LOOKED AT EACH OTHER AND FIGURED THE CTLR HAD CHANGED HIS MIND ON THE SEQUENCE. COMPANY RESPONDED TO THE CLRNC AND I WATCHED HIM TAXI INTO POS AT THE OTHER END OF THE RWY. A FEW SECONDS LATER, THE CTLR CLRED US FOR AN IMMEDIATE TKOF RWY 27. WE CONTINUED TO HOLD SHORT AND ADVISED TWR THAT HE HAD JUST CLRED US FOR TKOF ON RWY 27 WITH COMPANY ACFT HOLDING IN POS AT THE OTHER END. THE CTLR SEEMED CONFUSED AND ASKED THE OTHER COMPANY FLT IF HE WAS ON THE RWY. HE RESPONDED YES THAT HE HAD BEEN CLRED INTO POS ON RWY 9. THE CTLR CLRED THE ACFT AND WE DEPARTED.

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.