Narrative:

I was working the local control position at crw, wv, on jan/xa/01. Visibility was restr due to snow showers and low ceilings. A vehicle was on the main runway (runway 5/23) traveling swbound sweeping snow. The vehicle was approximately 1500 ft from the approach end of runway 23 when air carrier X, a regional jet, first checked in. I glanced up at the BRITE radar display in the tower and was shocked to see the aircraft on a 1 mi final to runway 23 at 500 ft AGL. I looked down at the vehicle and he was 1000 ft from the closest turnoff and it would have been impossible for him to clear the runway in time for air carrier X to land. Air carrier X was sent around, but the aircraft's momentum allowed the aircraft to descend down to 200-300 ft AGL. Air carrier X over flew the vehicle at a low altitude. A review of the voice tapes indicated that air carrier X was never advised to contact the tower by approach control. When quizzed by the radar controller after the go around the pilot stated he switched over on his own because he was 'coming up on short final.' this situation could have been tragic if air carrier X had not switched frequencys on his own. More often than not, pilots land without a landing clearance when they are not switched to the tower or they forget to change frequency. The position and direction of the vehicle, along with the low visibility, would have made it difficult to spot during landing. We were working with the 'new' staffing levels today when air carrier X came within ft of hitting a vehicle. The 4 controllers were working the 4 required position (2 in the tower and 2 in the radar room) and the supervisor was away from the operation doing paperwork.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RWY AT CRW ARPT WAS OCCUPIED BY A SNOW SWEEPER WHEN A REGIONAL JET CHKED IN ON A 1 MI FINAL.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING THE LCL CTL POS AT CRW, WV, ON JAN/XA/01. VISIBILITY WAS RESTR DUE TO SNOW SHOWERS AND LOW CEILINGS. A VEHICLE WAS ON THE MAIN RWY (RWY 5/23) TRAVELING SWBOUND SWEEPING SNOW. THE VEHICLE WAS APPROX 1500 FT FROM THE APCH END OF RWY 23 WHEN ACR X, A REGIONAL JET, FIRST CHKED IN. I GLANCED UP AT THE BRITE RADAR DISPLAY IN THE TWR AND WAS SHOCKED TO SEE THE ACFT ON A 1 MI FINAL TO RWY 23 AT 500 FT AGL. I LOOKED DOWN AT THE VEHICLE AND HE WAS 1000 FT FROM THE CLOSEST TURNOFF AND IT WOULD HAVE BEEN IMPOSSIBLE FOR HIM TO CLR THE RWY IN TIME FOR ACR X TO LAND. ACR X WAS SENT AROUND, BUT THE ACFT'S MOMENTUM ALLOWED THE ACFT TO DSND DOWN TO 200-300 FT AGL. ACR X OVER FLEW THE VEHICLE AT A LOW ALT. A REVIEW OF THE VOICE TAPES INDICATED THAT ACR X WAS NEVER ADVISED TO CONTACT THE TWR BY APCH CTL. WHEN QUIZZED BY THE RADAR CTLR AFTER THE GAR THE PLT STATED HE SWITCHED OVER ON HIS OWN BECAUSE HE WAS 'COMING UP ON SHORT FINAL.' THIS SIT COULD HAVE BEEN TRAGIC IF ACR X HAD NOT SWITCHED FREQS ON HIS OWN. MORE OFTEN THAN NOT, PLTS LAND WITHOUT A LNDG CLRNC WHEN THEY ARE NOT SWITCHED TO THE TWR OR THEY FORGET TO CHANGE FREQ. THE POS AND DIRECTION OF THE VEHICLE, ALONG WITH THE LOW VISIBILITY, WOULD HAVE MADE IT DIFFICULT TO SPOT DURING LNDG. WE WERE WORKING WITH THE 'NEW' STAFFING LEVELS TODAY WHEN ACR X CAME WITHIN FT OF HITTING A VEHICLE. THE 4 CTLRS WERE WORKING THE 4 REQUIRED POS (2 IN THE TWR AND 2 IN THE RADAR ROOM) AND THE SUPVR WAS AWAY FROM THE OP DOING PAPERWORK.

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.