Narrative:

While taxiing in; two general aviation aircraft flew directly over our aircraft at extremely low altitude; not more than a couple hundred feet if that. After querying ATC; I was informed that departures off runway 19L are to start a left turn as soon as possible to avoid departures off runway 19R. This causes them to overfly airliners taxiing on taxiway a at very low altitudes. At such low altitudes; there is no safety margin. Should just one of these general aviation aircraft lose an engine just after takeoff or an inexperienced pilot stall his aircraft while trying to turn at low altitude; the result could be catastrophic. Departures off runway 19L should be instructed not to overfly aircraft taxiing on alpha.callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that this practice was not common but he has recently noticed more and more runway 19L general aviation aircraft being given the low altitude turn resulting in air carrier aircraft overflts of approximately 150 ft or less. The reporter continues to believe this practice is unsafe and that pilots should be told 'start a left turn but avoid overflying air carrier aircraft.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR PILOT REPORTS THAT SNA RWY 19R GENERAL AVIATION ACFT ARE TOLD TO TURN LEFT IMMEDIATELY AFTER TKOF AND SO OVERFLY ACR ACFT ON TXWY 'A' AT LOW ALT.

Narrative: WHILE TAXIING IN; TWO GENERAL AVIATION AIRCRAFT FLEW DIRECTLY OVER OUR AIRCRAFT AT EXTREMELY LOW ALTITUDE; NOT MORE THAN A COUPLE HUNDRED FEET IF THAT. AFTER QUERYING ATC; I WAS INFORMED THAT DEPARTURES OFF RWY 19L ARE TO START A LEFT TURN ASAP TO AVOID DEPARTURES OFF RWY 19R. THIS CAUSES THEM TO OVERFLY AIRLINERS TAXIING ON TAXIWAY A AT VERY LOW ALTITUDES. AT SUCH LOW ALTITUDES; THERE IS NO SAFETY MARGIN. SHOULD JUST ONE OF THESE GENERAL AVIATION AIRCRAFT LOSE AN ENGINE JUST AFTER TAKEOFF OR AN INEXPERIENCED PILOT STALL HIS AIRCRAFT WHILE TRYING TO TURN AT LOW ALTITUDE; THE RESULT COULD BE CATASTROPHIC. DEPARTURES OFF RWY 19L SHOULD BE INSTRUCTED NOT TO OVERFLY AIRCRAFT TAXIING ON ALPHA.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE REPORTER STATED THAT THIS PRACTICE WAS NOT COMMON BUT HE HAS RECENTLY NOTICED MORE AND MORE RWY 19L GENERAL AVIATION ACFT BEING GIVEN THE LOW ALT TURN RESULTING IN ACR ACFT OVERFLTS OF APPROXIMATELY 150 FT OR LESS. THE REPORTER CONTINUES TO BELIEVE THIS PRACTICE IS UNSAFE AND THAT PILOTS SHOULD BE TOLD 'START A LEFT TURN BUT AVOID OVERFLYING ACR ACFT.'

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.