Narrative:

Air carrier X from erie, PA to cle proceeded normally until the landing evolution at cle. We were initially cleared to land on runway 23L, but an small transport Y took the runway and we were sidestepped to runway 23R, and cleared to land on runway 23R. Small transport Y had been put in position and hold on runway 23R about 1/2-way down the runway and we did not see it until in the landing flare with power off and 50 degrees flaps extended. We initiated a go around (which cle tower had called for) and flew over the small transport Y by 25-50'. Small transport Y seemed very hard to see due to the light conditions and his color which seemed to blend in with the runway. After landing I spoke with the watch supervisor at cle tower who said a controller forget that small transport Y was on the runway when he cleared us to land. He said the controller would be decertified and sent for retraining. This incident seemed to generate a great deal of interests from the FAA due to its similarity to the lax accident. I spoke with several FAA officials concerning the incident. I feel if small transport Y had not been so far down the runway, we would have seen him easily and gone around sooner. I have begun the practice of turning on strobe lights when put into position and hold at night.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR X HAD LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION FROM SMT Y. SYSTEM ERROR. NMAC.

Narrative: ACR X FROM ERIE, PA TO CLE PROCEEDED NORMALLY UNTIL THE LNDG EVOLUTION AT CLE. WE WERE INITIALLY CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 23L, BUT AN SMT Y TOOK THE RWY AND WE WERE SIDESTEPPED TO RWY 23R, AND CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 23R. SMT Y HAD BEEN PUT IN POS AND HOLD ON RWY 23R ABOUT 1/2-WAY DOWN THE RWY AND WE DID NOT SEE IT UNTIL IN THE LNDG FLARE WITH PWR OFF AND 50 DEGS FLAPS EXTENDED. WE INITIATED A GAR (WHICH CLE TWR HAD CALLED FOR) AND FLEW OVER THE SMT Y BY 25-50'. SMT Y SEEMED VERY HARD TO SEE DUE TO THE LIGHT CONDITIONS AND HIS COLOR WHICH SEEMED TO BLEND IN WITH THE RWY. AFTER LNDG I SPOKE WITH THE WATCH SUPVR AT CLE TWR WHO SAID A CTLR FORGET THAT SMT Y WAS ON THE RWY WHEN HE CLRED US TO LAND. HE SAID THE CTLR WOULD BE DECERTIFIED AND SENT FOR RETRAINING. THIS INCIDENT SEEMED TO GENERATE A GREAT DEAL OF INTERESTS FROM THE FAA DUE TO ITS SIMILARITY TO THE LAX ACCIDENT. I SPOKE WITH SEVERAL FAA OFFICIALS CONCERNING THE INCIDENT. I FEEL IF SMT Y HAD NOT BEEN SO FAR DOWN THE RWY, WE WOULD HAVE SEEN HIM EASILY AND GONE AROUND SOONER. I HAVE BEGUN THE PRACTICE OF TURNING ON STROBE LIGHTS WHEN PUT INTO POS AND HOLD AT NIGHT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 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.