Narrative:

We were cleared for a visual approach to runway 17C. On short final on the ILS GS at about 600 ft; I noticed an air carrier Y aircraft taxiing close to the runway edge. At 400 ft we started a go around because the air carrier Y aircraft had just entered the left edge of the active runway. We might have gotten as low as 300 ft during the go around. The air carrier Y aircraft was moving extremely slow while crossing the active runway. If we had continued the landing without altering our flight path we would have passed right over the top if not hit the air carrier Y aircraft. This mistake caused by the tower was intentional. I talked to the supervisor right after I arrived at our gate. He told me as long as their alarms don't go off then we had proper separation. He was convinced they did nothing wrong. We had a captain from another airline in our jumpseat and he agreed we would gone right over or hit the air carrier Y aircraft if we had continued the landing. So what happened to common sense? When the tower cleared air carrier Y to cross the runway; they took a very long time to get going and that's what caused the go around. Why didn't they see our aircraft on very short final coming right at them? Why didn't the tower see the air carrier Y aircraft taking too much time getting across the active? During the go around before I switched over the departure frequency I heard the air carrier Y pilot ask what the problem was. The tower replied there was plenty of separation and she didn't know what the problem was. Neither the tower controller or the air carrier Y pilots had a clue of what happened.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 ON VISUAL APCH TO DFW EXECUTED A GAR BECAUSE TWR CLRED AN ACFT TO CROSS THE RWY.

Narrative: WE WERE CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 17C. ON SHORT FINAL ON THE ILS GS AT ABOUT 600 FT; I NOTICED AN ACR Y ACFT TAXIING CLOSE TO THE RWY EDGE. AT 400 FT WE STARTED A GAR BECAUSE THE ACR Y ACFT HAD JUST ENTERED THE L EDGE OF THE ACTIVE RWY. WE MIGHT HAVE GOTTEN AS LOW AS 300 FT DURING THE GAR. THE ACR Y ACFT WAS MOVING EXTREMELY SLOW WHILE XING THE ACTIVE RWY. IF WE HAD CONTINUED THE LNDG WITHOUT ALTERING OUR FLT PATH WE WOULD HAVE PASSED RIGHT OVER THE TOP IF NOT HIT THE ACR Y ACFT. THIS MISTAKE CAUSED BY THE TWR WAS INTENTIONAL. I TALKED TO THE SUPVR RIGHT AFTER I ARRIVED AT OUR GATE. HE TOLD ME AS LONG AS THEIR ALARMS DON'T GO OFF THEN WE HAD PROPER SEPARATION. HE WAS CONVINCED THEY DID NOTHING WRONG. WE HAD A CAPT FROM ANOTHER AIRLINE IN OUR JUMPSEAT AND HE AGREED WE WOULD GONE RIGHT OVER OR HIT THE ACR Y ACFT IF WE HAD CONTINUED THE LNDG. SO WHAT HAPPENED TO COMMON SENSE? WHEN THE TWR CLRED ACR Y TO CROSS THE RWY; THEY TOOK A VERY LONG TIME TO GET GOING AND THAT'S WHAT CAUSED THE GAR. WHY DIDN'T THEY SEE OUR ACFT ON VERY SHORT FINAL COMING RIGHT AT THEM? WHY DIDN'T THE TWR SEE THE ACR Y ACFT TAKING TOO MUCH TIME GETTING ACROSS THE ACTIVE? DURING THE GAR BEFORE I SWITCHED OVER THE DEP FREQ I HEARD THE ACR Y PLT ASK WHAT THE PROB WAS. THE TWR REPLIED THERE WAS PLENTY OF SEPARATION AND SHE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THE PROB WAS. NEITHER THE TWR CTLR OR THE ACR Y PLTS HAD A CLUE OF WHAT HAPPENED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.