RPTR FO OF A B737-300 HAS ANOTHER B737 LAND OVER THE TOP OF HIM WHILE HOLDING IN POS FOR TKOF AT NIGHT WITHOUT LNDG AND STROBE LIGHTS ON. THE OTHER B737 HAD BEEN CLRED TO LAND ON THE OTHER PARALLEL RWY.
Synopsis
RPTR FO OF A B737-300 HAS ANOTHER B737 LAND OVER THE TOP OF HIM WHILE HOLDING IN POS FOR TKOF AT NIGHT WITHOUT LNDG AND STROBE LIGHTS ON. THE OTHER B737 HAD BEEN CLRED TO LAND ON THE OTHER PARALLEL RWY.
Narrative
FROM THE END OF RWY 5R; WE WERE CLRED INTO POS AND HOLD; RWY 5R. WE TAXIED A FEW HUNDRED FT DOWN THE RWY TO THE POINT WHERE TKOF PWR THRUST IS PERMITTED. WE SAT ON THE RWY WAITING FOR TKOF CLRNC FOR APPROX 2 MINS. UPON RECEIVING TKOF CLRNC AND PREPARING TO ADD TKOF THRUST; A B737 FLEW OVERHEAD AND PROCEEDED TO LAND IN FRONT OF US. WE NOTIFIED THE TWR OF THE ACFT AND HE PROCEEDED TO HAVE A HEATED DISCUSSION WITH THE LNDG B737 (IN SPANISH); TELLING HIM THAT HE HAD BEEN CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 5L. (MY CAPT SPOKE FLUENT SPANISH.) I FEEL THAT A BIG CONTRIBUTING FACTOR IN THIS INCIDENT WAS ATC USING SPANISH FOR SOME ACFT AND ENGLISH FOR OTHERS; DECREASING SITUATIONAL AWARENESS. WE WERE ALSO ON THE RWY WITH NAV AND BEACON LIGHTS ONLY. WE MAY HAVE BEEN SEEN BY THE OTHER ACFT IF WE HAD ON OUR STROBES AND OR LNDG LIGHTS. (CURRENT POLICY IS TO ILLUMINATE THESE LIGHTS UPON RECEIPT OF CLRNC.) ANOTHER WAY TO REDUCE THE CHANCE OF THIS SIT HAPPENING AGAIN; WOULD BE TO RESTR POS AND HOLD CLRNCS TO DAY/VFR ONLY. I FEEL THAT THE MAIN REASON OUR INCIDENT DID NOT END IN DISASTER WAS THE DISPLACED LNDG THRESHOLD ON MEX RWY 5R. (ALSO THE FACT THAT TWR DID NOT GIVE US TKOF CLRNC 30 SECONDS EARLIER.)
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Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.