Narrative:

We had been on vectors from chicago center from stl-mli. Conditions were VFR with the last available WX reported as scattered clouds and visibility of 10 mi. However, fog was forming rapidly. Since mli tower closes at XY00L the center gave us vectors to final approach to runway 27. They called out several targets, none of which was a conflict (one of which was a commuter also arriving at mli but spaced behind us). After sighting the runway we cancelled with chicago center and configured for normal landing. We as with the oth commuter flight made all required position reports on the CTAF frequency, plus additional reports to better inform the commuter flight plus any aircraft in the vicinity. On approximately a 3 mi final we both noticed what appeared to both of us to be a stationary red light at our 12 O'clock. Because of the other city lights and the lack of any apparent rotating beacon it appeared to us to be a stationary hazard beacon. As we continued the approach, configured for landing and at approximately 700 ft AGL, we both noticed a silhouette of an small aircraft aircraft, very probably a trainer on final approach. I immediately executed a missed approach with a right 45 degree climbing turn, made another pattern entry with an uneventful landing. This aircraft made no required call outs and appeared oblivious to any other aircraft. Since it was late and the tower was closed and I assume the FBO's also, the registration number was not available. Chicago center as well as the arriving air carrier did all they could to make safe separation of arriving aircraft. The unknown factor was the aircraft that chose not to participate. This was and continues to be a very dangerous situation at airports with closed towers and fast airline jet aircraft. There are several of these operations scheduled between the closing of mli tower PM00L and AM00L. I recognize the need for cost cutting but not at the expense of the safety of the paying public. Mli tower as well as others should be kept open if air carrier jet aircraft are to conduct operations!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR ON APCH AT NIGHT TO UNCTLED ARPT AND MAKING ALL APPROPRIATE COMS ON UNICOM SIGHTS SMA ON FINAL AHEAD. GAR.

Narrative: WE HAD BEEN ON VECTORS FROM CHICAGO CTR FROM STL-MLI. CONDITIONS WERE VFR WITH THE LAST AVAILABLE WX RPTED AS SCATTERED CLOUDS AND VISIBILITY OF 10 MI. HOWEVER, FOG WAS FORMING RAPIDLY. SINCE MLI TWR CLOSES AT XY00L THE CTR GAVE US VECTORS TO FINAL APCH TO RWY 27. THEY CALLED OUT SEVERAL TARGETS, NONE OF WHICH WAS A CONFLICT (ONE OF WHICH WAS A COMMUTER ALSO ARRIVING AT MLI BUT SPACED BEHIND US). AFTER SIGHTING THE RWY WE CANCELLED WITH CHICAGO CTR AND CONFIGURED FOR NORMAL LNDG. WE AS WITH THE OTH COMMUTER FLT MADE ALL REQUIRED POS RPTS ON THE CTAF FREQ, PLUS ADDITIONAL RPTS TO BETTER INFORM THE COMMUTER FLT PLUS ANY ACFT IN THE VICINITY. ON APPROX A 3 MI FINAL WE BOTH NOTICED WHAT APPEARED TO BOTH OF US TO BE A STATIONARY RED LIGHT AT OUR 12 O'CLOCK. BECAUSE OF THE OTHER CITY LIGHTS AND THE LACK OF ANY APPARENT ROTATING BEACON IT APPEARED TO US TO BE A STATIONARY HAZARD BEACON. AS WE CONTINUED THE APCH, CONFIGURED FOR LNDG AND AT APPROX 700 FT AGL, WE BOTH NOTICED A SILHOUETTE OF AN SMA ACFT, VERY PROBABLY A TRAINER ON FINAL APCH. I IMMEDIATELY EXECUTED A MISSED APCH WITH A R 45 DEG CLBING TURN, MADE ANOTHER PATTERN ENTRY WITH AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG. THIS ACFT MADE NO REQUIRED CALL OUTS AND APPEARED OBLIVIOUS TO ANY OTHER ACFT. SINCE IT WAS LATE AND THE TWR WAS CLOSED AND I ASSUME THE FBO'S ALSO, THE REGISTRATION NUMBER WAS NOT AVAILABLE. CHICAGO CTR AS WELL AS THE ARRIVING ACR DID ALL THEY COULD TO MAKE SAFE SEPARATION OF ARRIVING ACFT. THE UNKNOWN FACTOR WAS THE ACFT THAT CHOSE NOT TO PARTICIPATE. THIS WAS AND CONTINUES TO BE A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION AT ARPTS WITH CLOSED TWRS AND FAST AIRLINE JET ACFT. THERE ARE SEVERAL OF THESE OPS SCHEDULED BTWN THE CLOSING OF MLI TWR PM00L AND AM00L. I RECOGNIZE THE NEED FOR COST CUTTING BUT NOT AT THE EXPENSE OF THE SAFETY OF THE PAYING PUBLIC. MLI TWR AS WELL AS OTHERS SHOULD BE KEPT OPEN IF ACR JET ACFT ARE TO CONDUCT OPS!

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.