ACR X LNDG HAD NMAC WITH PA28 ON GAR FROM INTERSECTING RWY.

Narrative

ACR X FOLLOWING A BEECH SKIPPER FOR LNDG ON RWY 30 AT LGB; WE HAD SLOWED TO FINAL APCH SPD (APPROX 125-130 KTS). A CHEROKEE WAS ON A PRACTICE APCH TO RWY 25L AND APPARENTLY WAS SLOW OR IGNORED THE TWR'S FIRST INSTRUCTION TO GAR. THE SKIPPER WAS ALSO CLRING THE RWY SLOWLY AND THE POSSIBILITY THAT WE MIGHT HAVE TO GAR WAS INCREASING. AS THE SKIPPER CLRED THE RWY THE TWR CLRED US TO LAND AND ISSUED THE CHEROKEE A SECOND GAR ORDER. THE FIRST I SAW THE CHEROKEE WAS AS IT CROSSED THE CTRLINE OF RWY 30 AT 200-300 FT AGL. HAD WE BEEN ISSUED A GAR WE WOULD HAVE BEEN FORCED TO CONTINUE OUR DSCNT BELOW THE CHEROKEE AND PROBABLY OVER THE SKIPPER. AS IT HAPPENS IT ALL WORKED OUT. MY FO SPOKE WITH THE TWR WHO INDICATED THEY WERE NOT PLEASED THAT THE CHEROKEE HAD BEEN SLOW TO RESPOND OR IGNORED THE FIRST GAR. I HAD BEEN CONCENTRATING ON THE SKIPPER WE WERE OVERTAKING AND SOME TFC XING THE RWY. I HAD NOT SEEN THE CHEROKEE IN THE CONGESTED BACKGROUND OF LONG BEACH UNTIL HE WAS IN FRONT OF US. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 305931: AN ADVISORY WAS GIVEN TO US AS WE TURNED ONTO THE RWY 30 LOC THAT WE WERE FOLLOWING A SMALL ACFT THAT WAS #1 FOR RWY 30. AFTER A QUERY TO CONFIRM DISTANCE AND CLOSURE WE CONTINUED INBOUND AND MADE VISUAL CONTACT. ON FINAL; APPROX 500 FT AGL; THE ACFT PRECEDING US WAS ADVISED TO EXPEDITE CLRING THE RWY AND A HIGH WING LIGHT ACFT ENTERED THE RWY AT 'D3' TAXIING ACROSS. AS THE ACFT IN FRONT OF US CLRED AT 'J' TWR ISSUED A NOTICEABLY STRESSED 'GAR' XMISSION WHICH DREW OUR ATTN TO A CHEROKEE XING R TO L IN A SHALLOW CLB OFF A GAR RWY 25L. OUR ACFT PASSED UNDER AND SLIGHTLY TO THE AFT OF THE CHEROKEE.