Narrative:

On approach into san we heard tower giving a helicopter clearance to cross runway 27 at midfield. The helicopter had us in sight, but we did not see him due to the haze and visibility of 6 mi. At about 500 ft AGL on final we finally saw the helicopter crossing mid-runway at about 400 ft AGL. I noted the location and we landed uneventfully. We pointed out to san tower on the landing rollout that I felt having a helicopter in that location was unsafe while we were trying to land. The controller in the tower said they 'do it all the time.' needless to say in the 20 yrs I have been flying into san, I find this to not be the case. At an airport like san where the likelihood of having an unstabilized approach is high and the chance of a go around is increased, I find this callous disregard for safety overwhelming. I think having a helicopter at 400 ft over the middle of a runway is unsafe, even if the tower, the helicopter and we in the B757 see each other. The helicopter was never properly pointed out to us, and it was a surprise when we saw it. I hope this event is looked into closely, because this sort of practice is dangerous and puts my aircraft, its passenger and us in harm's way. I really do not care if they 'do it all the time' in san this way, it does not make it safe.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757 AT 500 FT LNDG SAN EXPRESSED CONCERN WITH POTENTIAL CONFLICT AS HELI IS ISSUED MIDFIELD XING CLRNC BY TWR.

Narrative: ON APCH INTO SAN WE HEARD TWR GIVING A HELI CLRNC TO CROSS RWY 27 AT MIDFIELD. THE HELI HAD US IN SIGHT, BUT WE DID NOT SEE HIM DUE TO THE HAZE AND VISIBILITY OF 6 MI. AT ABOUT 500 FT AGL ON FINAL WE FINALLY SAW THE HELI XING MID-RWY AT ABOUT 400 FT AGL. I NOTED THE LOCATION AND WE LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. WE POINTED OUT TO SAN TWR ON THE LNDG ROLLOUT THAT I FELT HAVING A HELI IN THAT LOCATION WAS UNSAFE WHILE WE WERE TRYING TO LAND. THE CTLR IN THE TWR SAID THEY 'DO IT ALL THE TIME.' NEEDLESS TO SAY IN THE 20 YRS I HAVE BEEN FLYING INTO SAN, I FIND THIS TO NOT BE THE CASE. AT AN ARPT LIKE SAN WHERE THE LIKELIHOOD OF HAVING AN UNSTABILIZED APCH IS HIGH AND THE CHANCE OF A GAR IS INCREASED, I FIND THIS CALLOUS DISREGARD FOR SAFETY OVERWHELMING. I THINK HAVING A HELI AT 400 FT OVER THE MIDDLE OF A RWY IS UNSAFE, EVEN IF THE TWR, THE HELI AND WE IN THE B757 SEE EACH OTHER. THE HELI WAS NEVER PROPERLY POINTED OUT TO US, AND IT WAS A SURPRISE WHEN WE SAW IT. I HOPE THIS EVENT IS LOOKED INTO CLOSELY, BECAUSE THIS SORT OF PRACTICE IS DANGEROUS AND PUTS MY ACFT, ITS PAX AND US IN HARM'S WAY. I REALLY DO NOT CARE IF THEY 'DO IT ALL THE TIME' IN SAN THIS WAY, IT DOES NOT MAKE IT SAFE.

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.