Narrative:

Upon arrival in the terminal area and talking to approach control our flight was informed that we would be assigned runway xxr for landing; our FMC inserted runway. Around 4800 ft and the approach controller said that the company wanted us to land on runway xxl. I declined; stating that we were conducting IOE. The controller then said that the company was ordering us to land on runway xxl. My next transmission was that I was the PIC and we would be landing on runway xxr. The controller then cleared us for the approach to runway xxr. When I arrived inside the building; I immediately sought out the duty acp (assistant chief pilot). I asked him if the company had ordered me to land on runway xxl. He suggested calling operations. The acp stated that they did not order us to land there; but called ATC with a request for us to land on runway xxl due to ramp congestion. When I stated to the controller that I was the PIC; he said something along the lines of well that trumps anything they have; cleared for the approach runway xxr. It appeared to me that the controller felt caught in the middle. The company has the fleet mostly parking on one side of the airfield for operations necessity. Landing on runway xxl would shorten taxi times. Conditions at the time of landing were wet runways with rain showers in the area. Based on the weight of the aircraft and current field conditions; as well as conducting training; I felt that the safest course of action was to land on the longest runway available. I still stand by that decision. The apparent coercion by the company for a captain to land on a particular runway for operational needs to the exclusion of safety considerations; should send a chill down the spine of any aviator.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR PILOT REJECTS HIS ACR'S REQUEST TO CHANGE LNDG RWY ON SHORT FINAL.

Narrative: UPON ARR IN THE TERMINAL AREA AND TALKING TO APCH CTL OUR FLT WAS INFORMED THAT WE WOULD BE ASSIGNED RWY XXR FOR LNDG; OUR FMC INSERTED RWY. AROUND 4800 FT AND THE APCH CTLR SAID THAT THE COMPANY WANTED US TO LAND ON RWY XXL. I DECLINED; STATING THAT WE WERE CONDUCTING IOE. THE CTLR THEN SAID THAT THE COMPANY WAS ORDERING US TO LAND ON RWY XXL. MY NEXT XMISSION WAS THAT I WAS THE PIC AND WE WOULD BE LNDG ON RWY XXR. THE CTLR THEN CLRED US FOR THE APCH TO RWY XXR. WHEN I ARRIVED INSIDE THE BUILDING; I IMMEDIATELY SOUGHT OUT THE DUTY ACP (ASSISTANT CHIEF PLT). I ASKED HIM IF THE COMPANY HAD ORDERED ME TO LAND ON RWY XXL. HE SUGGESTED CALLING OPS. THE ACP STATED THAT THEY DID NOT ORDER US TO LAND THERE; BUT CALLED ATC WITH A REQUEST FOR US TO LAND ON RWY XXL DUE TO RAMP CONGESTION. WHEN I STATED TO THE CTLR THAT I WAS THE PIC; HE SAID SOMETHING ALONG THE LINES OF WELL THAT TRUMPS ANYTHING THEY HAVE; CLRED FOR THE APCH RWY XXR. IT APPEARED TO ME THAT THE CTLR FELT CAUGHT IN THE MIDDLE. THE COMPANY HAS THE FLEET MOSTLY PARKING ON ONE SIDE OF THE AIRFIELD FOR OPS NECESSITY. LNDG ON RWY XXL WOULD SHORTEN TAXI TIMES. CONDITIONS AT THE TIME OF LNDG WERE WET RWYS WITH RAIN SHOWERS IN THE AREA. BASED ON THE WT OF THE ACFT AND CURRENT FIELD CONDITIONS; AS WELL AS CONDUCTING TRAINING; I FELT THAT THE SAFEST COURSE OF ACTION WAS TO LAND ON THE LONGEST RWY AVAILABLE. I STILL STAND BY THAT DECISION. THE APPARENT COERCION BY THE COMPANY FOR A CAPT TO LAND ON A PARTICULAR RWY FOR OPERATIONAL NEEDS TO THE EXCLUSION OF SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS; SHOULD SEND A CHILL DOWN THE SPINE OF ANY AVIATOR.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.