B737 landing oak expressed concern regarding spacing of arrivals versus departures.

Attributes
ACN	744477
Time
Date	200707
Place
Locale Reference	airport : oak.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl single value : 50
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : oak.tower tower : mem.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-400
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	landing : go around
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tower : oak.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : takeoff roll ground : position and hold
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
ASRS Report	744477
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : oak.tower

Narrative:

On a visual approach to oak runway 29; approximately 4 mi behind a heavy airbus at minimum approach speed and 500 ft above the GS; oak tower advised that there was going to be a B737 in position prior to my arrival. At approximately 1 mi from the runway; the B737 finally started their takeoff roll after prompting from the tower. I received landing clearance at 50 ft AGL just as I was starting to advance power for a go around. I called oak tower after arrival and spoke to the tower supervisor concerning this unsafe practice at oakland airport that occurs on a regular basis. The supervisor admitted that the tower controller made a mistake. The supervisor said I should have been told to go around earlier. I objected to this and said that the B737 should have never been cleared into position with such minimal spacing. The oak tower practices need to be investigated. Enough of oak unsafe operating procedures. Oak tower operating procedures need outside investigation. They are unsafe.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 LNDG OAK EXPRESSED CONCERN REGARDING SPACING OF ARRIVALS VERSUS DEPARTURES.

Narrative: ON A VISUAL APCH TO OAK RWY 29; APPROX 4 MI BEHIND A HVY AIRBUS AT MINIMUM APCH SPD AND 500 FT ABOVE THE GS; OAK TWR ADVISED THAT THERE WAS GOING TO BE A B737 IN POS PRIOR TO MY ARR. AT APPROX 1 MI FROM THE RWY; THE B737 FINALLY STARTED THEIR TKOF ROLL AFTER PROMPTING FROM THE TWR. I RECEIVED LNDG CLRNC AT 50 FT AGL JUST AS I WAS STARTING TO ADVANCE PWR FOR A GAR. I CALLED OAK TWR AFTER ARR AND SPOKE TO THE TWR SUPVR CONCERNING THIS UNSAFE PRACTICE AT OAKLAND ARPT THAT OCCURS ON A REGULAR BASIS. THE SUPVR ADMITTED THAT THE TWR CTLR MADE A MISTAKE. THE SUPVR SAID I SHOULD HAVE BEEN TOLD TO GO AROUND EARLIER. I OBJECTED TO THIS AND SAID THAT THE B737 SHOULD HAVE NEVER BEEN CLRED INTO POS WITH SUCH MINIMAL SPACING. THE OAK TWR PRACTICES NEED TO BE INVESTIGATED. ENOUGH OF OAK UNSAFE OPERATING PROCS. OAK TWR OPERATING PROCS NEED OUTSIDE INVESTIGATION. THEY ARE UNSAFE.

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.