Narrative:

Inbound for grb. ATIS indicated winds from north. Runway in use runway 18. Requested visual to runway 36, request granted 20 mi out. Cleared to land 4 or 5 mi out upon initial contact with tower controller. Unknown to us tower controller was working 3 position and 3 separate frequencys. At 1000 ft AGL/2-3 mi out, noticed flickering light at threshold to runway 18. Asked tower if an aircraft was on the runway and were assured runway is clear, 'you are cleared to land.' continued approach and at 60 ft, the silhouette of a small cherokee was visible on runway 18 -- go around initiated -- uneventful landing on runway 06. During radio conversation it became apparent the small plane pilot did not know his location, even while sitting on the runway 18 numbers. The pilot maintained he was clear of runway 36. Controller told him he had caused an airliner to go around. Pilot's response is I'm clear of runway 36, he went around because of the geese. Controller order aircraft to clear the runway. Close call for all of us. First officer's sharp eyes averted another statistic. Controllers should be required to operate only 1 radio frequency when working multiple position. This would allow other aircraft to remain cognizant of other traffic. Supplemental information from acn 319026: the controller was busy and made a comment for everyone to be patient as he was working 3 frequencys. The sun was getting low and the lighting conditions were changing. I (the PNF) noticed a light at the far end of the runway and asked the captain what he thought it was. We considered a reflected light of some sort, a runway end light that the lens had been broken or that it could be a landing light (although it wasn't very bright). I made the '1000 ft, instruments normal' callout and then asked tower to confirm runway 36 was clear. He stated emphatically, 'yes the runway is clear and you are cleared to land,' and then went right into another transmission to an aircraft on a different frequency. It was not possible to talk to him again due to radio activity. We continued down final with the assurance from tower. I was concentrating on the light and missed the 200 ft and 100 ft to touchdown calls but did confirm status normal at 60 ft (on the radar altimeter). Looking at the light again, wings became visible and I stated it was an airplane on the runway and we executed a go around. As we climbed through about 200 ft, the tower controller began to severely chastise the low-wing, single-engine aircraft for being on the runway and stated he had caused us to go around. The private pilot replied, 'I am not on the runway, he went around because of the geese (over the runway).' the guy did not even know where he was! In the follow-up call to the tower, the controller apologized for not looking to verify the runway was clear. The tapes did confirm the other aircraft was told on ground frequency to 'taxi to runway 18' and he read back that clearance. If the pilot had not turned his landing light on we would not have seen him until the rollout, possibly the smartest thing he did that day. When in doubt, go around early! It might get you a visit to the chief pilot but the consequences could be much worse.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT ON SHORT FINAL SPOTTED A CHEROKEE IN POS AT OPPOSITE END OF RWY AND EXECUTED A GAR. ATCT LCL CTLR WAS UNAWARE THE CHEROKEE WAS ON THE RWY AS HE WAS WORKING A COMBINED POS OP.

Narrative: INBOUND FOR GRB. ATIS INDICATED WINDS FROM N. RWY IN USE RWY 18. REQUESTED VISUAL TO RWY 36, REQUEST GRANTED 20 MI OUT. CLRED TO LAND 4 OR 5 MI OUT UPON INITIAL CONTACT WITH TWR CTLR. UNKNOWN TO US TWR CTLR WAS WORKING 3 POS AND 3 SEPARATE FREQS. AT 1000 FT AGL/2-3 MI OUT, NOTICED FLICKERING LIGHT AT THRESHOLD TO RWY 18. ASKED TWR IF AN ACFT WAS ON THE RWY AND WERE ASSURED RWY IS CLR, 'YOU ARE CLRED TO LAND.' CONTINUED APCH AND AT 60 FT, THE SILHOUETTE OF A SMALL CHEROKEE WAS VISIBLE ON RWY 18 -- GAR INITIATED -- UNEVENTFUL LNDG ON RWY 06. DURING RADIO CONVERSATION IT BECAME APPARENT THE SMALL PLANE PLT DID NOT KNOW HIS LOCATION, EVEN WHILE SITTING ON THE RWY 18 NUMBERS. THE PLT MAINTAINED HE WAS CLR OF RWY 36. CTLR TOLD HIM HE HAD CAUSED AN AIRLINER TO GAR. PLT'S RESPONSE IS I'M CLR OF RWY 36, HE WENT AROUND BECAUSE OF THE GEESE. CTLR ORDER ACFT TO CLR THE RWY. CLOSE CALL FOR ALL OF US. FO'S SHARP EYES AVERTED ANOTHER STATISTIC. CTLRS SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO OPERATE ONLY 1 RADIO FREQ WHEN WORKING MULTIPLE POS. THIS WOULD ALLOW OTHER ACFT TO REMAIN COGNIZANT OF OTHER TFC. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 319026: THE CTLR WAS BUSY AND MADE A COMMENT FOR EVERYONE TO BE PATIENT AS HE WAS WORKING 3 FREQS. THE SUN WAS GETTING LOW AND THE LIGHTING CONDITIONS WERE CHANGING. I (THE PNF) NOTICED A LIGHT AT THE FAR END OF THE RWY AND ASKED THE CAPT WHAT HE THOUGHT IT WAS. WE CONSIDERED A REFLECTED LIGHT OF SOME SORT, A RWY END LIGHT THAT THE LENS HAD BEEN BROKEN OR THAT IT COULD BE A LNDG LIGHT (ALTHOUGH IT WASN'T VERY BRIGHT). I MADE THE '1000 FT, INSTS NORMAL' CALLOUT AND THEN ASKED TWR TO CONFIRM RWY 36 WAS CLR. HE STATED EMPHATICALLY, 'YES THE RWY IS CLR AND YOU ARE CLRED TO LAND,' AND THEN WENT RIGHT INTO ANOTHER XMISSION TO AN ACFT ON A DIFFERENT FREQ. IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE TO TALK TO HIM AGAIN DUE TO RADIO ACTIVITY. WE CONTINUED DOWN FINAL WITH THE ASSURANCE FROM TWR. I WAS CONCENTRATING ON THE LIGHT AND MISSED THE 200 FT AND 100 FT TO TOUCHDOWN CALLS BUT DID CONFIRM STATUS NORMAL AT 60 FT (ON THE RADAR ALTIMETER). LOOKING AT THE LIGHT AGAIN, WINGS BECAME VISIBLE AND I STATED IT WAS AN AIRPLANE ON THE RWY AND WE EXECUTED A GAR. AS WE CLBED THROUGH ABOUT 200 FT, THE TWR CTLR BEGAN TO SEVERELY CHASTISE THE LOW-WING, SINGLE-ENG ACFT FOR BEING ON THE RWY AND STATED HE HAD CAUSED US TO GAR. THE PVT PLT REPLIED, 'I AM NOT ON THE RWY, HE WENT AROUND BECAUSE OF THE GEESE (OVER THE RWY).' THE GUY DID NOT EVEN KNOW WHERE HE WAS! IN THE FOLLOW-UP CALL TO THE TWR, THE CTLR APOLOGIZED FOR NOT LOOKING TO VERIFY THE RWY WAS CLR. THE TAPES DID CONFIRM THE OTHER ACFT WAS TOLD ON GND FREQ TO 'TAXI TO RWY 18' AND HE READ BACK THAT CLRNC. IF THE PLT HAD NOT TURNED HIS LNDG LIGHT ON WE WOULD NOT HAVE SEEN HIM UNTIL THE ROLLOUT, POSSIBLY THE SMARTEST THING HE DID THAT DAY. WHEN IN DOUBT, GAR EARLY! IT MIGHT GET YOU A VISIT TO THE CHIEF PLT BUT THE CONSEQUENCES COULD BE MUCH WORSE.

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.