Narrative:

Navy flying club was returning to home base at NAS norfolk after round robin IFR training flight to richmond, va, area. Vectored onto PAR runway 28 final, handed off to PAR final controller and commenced approach for a full stop landing. Night and VMC prevails, excellent visibility. Student flew above average PAR approach and acknowledged landing clearance from radar controller. Aircraft arrives at decision ht (DH) and radar controller continues line-up and GS advisory calls. Just before crossing runway, I (CFI and safety pilot) see dim red blinking light slightly offset from runway centerline lights about 1500 ft down from runway displaced threshold. I query radar controller about possible aircraft/vehicle on runway and receive another landing clearance. Red blinking light begins to move slowly, so I take control of aircraft from student (he has hood off now) and initiate go around, advising radar controller. Told to switch to tower. I enter l-hand VFR pattern and uneventful landing occurs. After landing, I call tower supervisor and am told another flying club aircraft was conducting night stop and go lndgs under tower local control. Radar controller was not aware of this. Failure to pass the word. Incident reinforces lax incident lesson: aircraft holding at night on runway with centerline lights extremely hard to see. Also in PAR approach pilot stays with radar controller through landing so pilot may not be aware of aircraft in VFR landing pattern.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA ON PAR APCH SIGHTS BLINKING RED LIGHT ON RWY. QUERIES CTLR, CLRED TO LAND. RED LIGHT MOVES, EXECUTES GAR.

Narrative: NAVY FLYING CLUB WAS RETURNING TO HOME BASE AT NAS NORFOLK AFTER ROUND ROBIN IFR TRAINING FLT TO RICHMOND, VA, AREA. VECTORED ONTO PAR RWY 28 FINAL, HANDED OFF TO PAR FINAL CTLR AND COMMENCED APCH FOR A FULL STOP LNDG. NIGHT AND VMC PREVAILS, EXCELLENT VISIBILITY. STUDENT FLEW ABOVE AVERAGE PAR APCH AND ACKNOWLEDGED LNDG CLRNC FROM RADAR CTLR. ACFT ARRIVES AT DECISION HT (DH) AND RADAR CTLR CONTINUES LINE-UP AND GS ADVISORY CALLS. JUST BEFORE XING RWY, I (CFI AND SAFETY PLT) SEE DIM RED BLINKING LIGHT SLIGHTLY OFFSET FROM RWY CTRLINE LIGHTS ABOUT 1500 FT DOWN FROM RWY DISPLACED THRESHOLD. I QUERY RADAR CTLR ABOUT POSSIBLE ACFT/VEHICLE ON RWY AND RECEIVE ANOTHER LNDG CLRNC. RED BLINKING LIGHT BEGINS TO MOVE SLOWLY, SO I TAKE CTL OF ACFT FROM STUDENT (HE HAS HOOD OFF NOW) AND INITIATE GAR, ADVISING RADAR CTLR. TOLD TO SWITCH TO TWR. I ENTER L-HAND VFR PATTERN AND UNEVENTFUL LNDG OCCURS. AFTER LNDG, I CALL TWR SUPVR AND AM TOLD ANOTHER FLYING CLUB ACFT WAS CONDUCTING NIGHT STOP AND GO LNDGS UNDER TWR LCL CTL. RADAR CTLR WAS NOT AWARE OF THIS. FAILURE TO PASS THE WORD. INCIDENT REINFORCES LAX INCIDENT LESSON: ACFT HOLDING AT NIGHT ON RWY WITH CTRLINE LIGHTS EXTREMELY HARD TO SEE. ALSO IN PAR APCH PLT STAYS WITH RADAR CTLR THROUGH LNDG SO PLT MAY NOT BE AWARE OF ACFT IN VFR LNDG PATTERN.

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.