Narrative:

Air carrier X landing at night in VMC conditions, making a visual approach to runway 33L at boston logan with ILS assist. The runway given on ATIS was runway 27. The wind was from the west and our weight and the landing length of runway 27 was not favorable for us so we requested runway 33L. They were using runway 22 for takeoff. They tried to sell us on runway 15R but that meant a tailwind so we insisted on runway 33L and was assigned it and vectored to final for it. Starting down final and after contacting tower and being cleared for landing, I noticed a red light blinking on the end of the runway. It was hard to tell but it looked out of place compared to the other red lights of the runway. We asked the tower but got no reply as he was busy with other traffic. We in the cockpit couldn't determine what it was so about halfway down the glide slope we asked tower again what the light was, but no answer. At about 150 ft, or so, our landing lights showed the outline of an airplane on the end of the runway. We made a missed approach, told the tower what we saw and then was vectored around again for an uneventful landing on runway 33L. After landing we talked to the tower and was told there was one of our company light transport's on the runway operated by maintenance people. If he was cleared to be there the tower forgot to tell us. The only light we could see was a red beacon which almost blended into the runway end lights. It was very unnerving to find a plane there. Maybe all planes on runways should have their anti-collision lights on whether parked, taxi, takeoff or landing. Especially at night. If the runway could be used as an active runway.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LTT OCCUPIED RWY ACR X EVASIVE ACTION TAKEN GAR. MULTIPLE RWY OP PARALLEL INTERSECTING RWYS. SYS ERROR.

Narrative: ACR X LNDG AT NIGHT IN VMC CONDITIONS, MAKING A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 33L AT BOSTON LOGAN WITH ILS ASSIST. THE RWY GIVEN ON ATIS WAS RWY 27. THE WIND WAS FROM THE W AND OUR WT AND THE LNDG LENGTH OF RWY 27 WAS NOT FAVORABLE FOR US SO WE REQUESTED RWY 33L. THEY WERE USING RWY 22 FOR TKOF. THEY TRIED TO SELL US ON RWY 15R BUT THAT MEANT A TAILWIND SO WE INSISTED ON RWY 33L AND WAS ASSIGNED IT AND VECTORED TO FINAL FOR IT. STARTING DOWN FINAL AND AFTER CONTACTING TWR AND BEING CLRED FOR LNDG, I NOTICED A RED LIGHT BLINKING ON THE END OF THE RWY. IT WAS HARD TO TELL BUT IT LOOKED OUT OF PLACE COMPARED TO THE OTHER RED LIGHTS OF THE RWY. WE ASKED THE TWR BUT GOT NO REPLY AS HE WAS BUSY WITH OTHER TFC. WE IN THE COCKPIT COULDN'T DETERMINE WHAT IT WAS SO ABOUT HALFWAY DOWN THE GLIDE SLOPE WE ASKED TWR AGAIN WHAT THE LIGHT WAS, BUT NO ANSWER. AT ABOUT 150 FT, OR SO, OUR LNDG LIGHTS SHOWED THE OUTLINE OF AN AIRPLANE ON THE END OF THE RWY. WE MADE A MISSED APCH, TOLD THE TWR WHAT WE SAW AND THEN WAS VECTORED AROUND AGAIN FOR AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG ON RWY 33L. AFTER LNDG WE TALKED TO THE TWR AND WAS TOLD THERE WAS ONE OF OUR COMPANY LTT'S ON THE RWY OPERATED BY MAINT PEOPLE. IF HE WAS CLRED TO BE THERE THE TWR FORGOT TO TELL US. THE ONLY LIGHT WE COULD SEE WAS A RED BEACON WHICH ALMOST BLENDED INTO THE RWY END LIGHTS. IT WAS VERY UNNERVING TO FIND A PLANE THERE. MAYBE ALL PLANES ON RWYS SHOULD HAVE THEIR ANTI-COLLISION LIGHTS ON WHETHER PARKED, TAXI, TKOF OR LNDG. ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT. IF THE RWY COULD BE USED AS AN ACTIVE RWY.

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.