Originally Posted by
Crash and Burn
Merely speculation: perhaps the controller had intended to say "cleared to land and hold short" with a brain / tongue interface failure.
I would be very surprised if a controller speaking with circuit traffic (i.e. traffic that has requested touch and goes) to have brain fade if he meant to say Land and Hold Short.
214's interpretation of the tape is correct - it is actually quite clear American. Interestingly at 29:10 SW649 seems to be having a routine conversation about his gate and at 29:50 15R is still in the circuit for a second landing/T&G (he has been cleared 'for the option' - which in English means, you may execute a touch and go, stop and go, low pass, go around, or full stop landing what ever you wish).
Neither of these communications sounds unusual or like either crew felt that they had a close encounter. I don't know what the minimum separation requirement is for a departing aircraft overflying a landing aircraft - however, based on the tapes everyone seemed to have been accepting at the time.