Narrative:

I was captain on air carrier X, a flight in american samoa. Called airport in sight approximately 20 DME, requested and received visual approach straight in runway 26. First officer flying. Reported 3 mi final, cleared to land on touchdown (4000 ft runway) first officer and I noticed people on opposite end of runway. We stopped easily and I asked tower if she was aware of 25 people on runway and she said no, that airport security had called to tell her they might use runway later, but didn't call back. On exiting runway we saw about 25 people on end of runway doing exercises! I've flown for 25 yrs and have never before landed on a runway with people standing on it. On shutdown, I walked out and confronted the people, an exercise group from airport security, and they said tower knew they were there. I asked if they knew how dangerous this was and they laughed at me. Had this been an instrument approach in low visibility,. I could have hit these people. The approach end of runway 08 (where they were) is not visible to the tower (obstructed by terminal building). These people were on an active runway, with no radio, and not visible to the tower. I reported the incursion to my director of operations and to the director of safety. When airport security uses an active runway for an exercise class, something is really wrong.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC COMPLAINT OF 25 PEOPLE ON THE END OF THE RWY ON WHICH THEY HAD JUST LANDED DOING PHYSICAL EXERCISES CAUSING AN UNSAFE CONDITION.

Narrative: I WAS CAPTAIN ON ACR X, A FLT IN AMERICAN SAMOA. CALLED ARPT IN SIGHT APPROX 20 DME, REQUESTED AND RECEIVED VISUAL APCH STRAIGHT IN RWY 26. FO FLYING. RPTED 3 MI FINAL, CLEARED TO LAND ON TOUCHDOWN (4000 FT RWY) FO AND I NOTICED PEOPLE ON OPPOSITE END OF RWY. WE STOPPED EASILY AND I ASKED TWR IF SHE WAS AWARE OF 25 PEOPLE ON RWY AND SHE SAID NO, THAT ARPT SECURITY HAD CALLED TO TELL HER THEY MIGHT USE RWY LATER, BUT DIDN'T CALL BACK. ON EXITING RWY WE SAW ABOUT 25 PEOPLE ON END OF RWY DOING EXERCISES! I'VE FLOWN FOR 25 YRS AND HAVE NEVER BEFORE LANDED ON A RWY WITH PEOPLE STANDING ON IT. ON SHUTDOWN, I WALKED OUT AND CONFRONTED THE PEOPLE, AN EXERCISE GROUP FROM ARPT SECURITY, AND THEY SAID TWR KNEW THEY WERE THERE. I ASKED IF THEY KNEW HOW DANGEROUS THIS WAS AND THEY LAUGHED AT ME. HAD THIS BEEN AN INSTRUMENT APCH IN LOW VIS,. I COULD HAVE HIT THESE PEOPLE. THE APCH END OF RWY 08 (WHERE THEY WERE) IS NOT VISIBLE TO THE TWR (OBSTRUCTED BY TERMINAL BUILDING). THESE PEOPLE WERE ON AN ACTIVE RWY, WITH NO RADIO, AND NOT VISIBLE TO THE TWR. I REPORTED THE INCURSION TO MY DIRECTOR OF OPS AND TO THE DIRECTOR OF SAFETY. WHEN ARPT SECURITY USES AN ACTIVE RWY FOR AN EXERCISE CLASS, SOMETHING IS REALLY WRONG.

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.