Narrative:

Lost transmitting capability. Lost communication when we called gozzr inbound on initial contact to orh tower. It appeared that the tower was not hearing us. There were multiple attempts to reach the tower, but they did not reply to us. On short final, we went around after seeing a red light signal and acknowledging with 2 clicks in response to instructions to go around. We circled, waiting for a green light signal. We received green on second pass and landed. The student spoke with the controllers who indicated that there was a vehicle on the runway on our first pass. They amicably resolved it. When I spoke with the tower to learn more, I found out that the vehicle was on the runway to replace a centerline light and that the vehicle's driver had the radio turned down. He did not hear the tower calling to give instructions to get off the runway. Perhaps such a person could carry a radio on his belt and keep it on at all times. We were going around as the tower gave us the red light and asked us to go around. We acknowledged with 2 clicks on the radio. I learned a lot from the experience on how to handle a similar situation. We could have attempted ground control and bradley approach. Bradley has a landline to orh and could have coordinated our landing and relayed the message to us about the vehicle. Also, we could have made an earlier missed approach and circled above the field at 1000 ft AGL instead of being on final and waiting for a light gun signal. We would also have appreciated an earlier light gun signal to prepare us to continue circling until we got a green light for landing. There's always something new to learn on every flight and this was a classic example.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA INSTRUCTOR PLT IN NORAC TFC ACFT PERFORMS EVASIVE ACTION GAR AFTER TWR SIGNAL LIGHT CTL WARNS OF NO CLRNC LNDG. OBSTRUCTION VEHICLE ON RWY.

Narrative: LOST XMITTING CAPABILITY. LOST COM WHEN WE CALLED GOZZR INBOUND ON INITIAL CONTACT TO ORH TWR. IT APPEARED THAT THE TWR WAS NOT HEARING US. THERE WERE MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS TO REACH THE TWR, BUT THEY DID NOT REPLY TO US. ON SHORT FINAL, WE WENT AROUND AFTER SEEING A RED LIGHT SIGNAL AND ACKNOWLEDGING WITH 2 CLICKS IN RESPONSE TO INSTRUCTIONS TO GAR. WE CIRCLED, WAITING FOR A GREEN LIGHT SIGNAL. WE RECEIVED GREEN ON SECOND PASS AND LANDED. THE STUDENT SPOKE WITH THE CTLRS WHO INDICATED THAT THERE WAS A VEHICLE ON THE RWY ON OUR FIRST PASS. THEY AMICABLY RESOLVED IT. WHEN I SPOKE WITH THE TWR TO LEARN MORE, I FOUND OUT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS ON THE RWY TO REPLACE A CTRLINE LIGHT AND THAT THE VEHICLE'S DRIVER HAD THE RADIO TURNED DOWN. HE DID NOT HEAR THE TWR CALLING TO GIVE INSTRUCTIONS TO GET OFF THE RWY. PERHAPS SUCH A PERSON COULD CARRY A RADIO ON HIS BELT AND KEEP IT ON AT ALL TIMES. WE WERE GOING AROUND AS THE TWR GAVE US THE RED LIGHT AND ASKED US TO GAR. WE ACKNOWLEDGED WITH 2 CLICKS ON THE RADIO. I LEARNED A LOT FROM THE EXPERIENCE ON HOW TO HANDLE A SIMILAR SIT. WE COULD HAVE ATTEMPTED GND CTL AND BRADLEY APCH. BRADLEY HAS A LANDLINE TO ORH AND COULD HAVE COORDINATED OUR LNDG AND RELAYED THE MESSAGE TO US ABOUT THE VEHICLE. ALSO, WE COULD HAVE MADE AN EARLIER MISSED APCH AND CIRCLED ABOVE THE FIELD AT 1000 FT AGL INSTEAD OF BEING ON FINAL AND WAITING FOR A LIGHT GUN SIGNAL. WE WOULD ALSO HAVE APPRECIATED AN EARLIER LIGHT GUN SIGNAL TO PREPARE US TO CONTINUE CIRCLING UNTIL WE GOT A GREEN LIGHT FOR LNDG. THERE'S ALWAYS SOMETHING NEW TO LEARN ON EVERY FLT AND THIS WAS A CLASSIC EXAMPLE.

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.