Narrative:

During the evening of apr/xa/01, ewr airport was using runway 22L for lndgs. NOTAMS and the ATIS explained that taxiway north was closed. First officer and I discussed this and planned on possibly using taxiway east, but we would probably use taxiway V. First officer flew an excellent approach and landing. As we approached the consecutive red centerline lights, our landing lights illuminated the fuselage of a small twin stopped over the lights. We were at a very slow speed and gently came to a stop on the runway. We asked the tower why an aircraft was on the runway. The tower immediately and forcefully told the light twin to exit the runway. The light twin did. We asked again and were told that the light twin was cleared to exit the runway at taxiway G. I was asked to call the tower via telephone. The tower told me that the light twin had been cleared to exit at taxiway G, but the pilot had become disoriented and continued down the runway to the south end where he stopped. The aircraft had been well ahead of us in the landing sequence. We had been asked to hold 180 KTS to the FAF. The tower controller said he could not see the light twin. I believe this as neither my first officer nor myself could see it on the approach or landing roll. After seeing the fuselage, we could see some red position lights. By the time we committed ourselves to landing, the light twin was about 2 mi away. Unfortunately, the red position lights blended in with the red centerline lights. Had the plane stopped in the middle of the runway, I think I would have seen a cluster of red lights with a backgnd of white centerline lights. In this time of compressed traffic flows into our major airports, this may happen again. Monitoring tower communications where the plane was directed to use taxiway G and a pilot's acknowledgement really meant nothing. I am sure the pilot was looking for taxiway G. I do not believe that my first officer or myself could have done much more. Perhaps, ewr tower could use IMC procedures at night. Perhaps ground radar could be used more effectively. The one thing that could have completely averted the situation under these conditions is strobe lights. I would like to see the MD80 (and other aircraft) modified so that strobe lights could be on while an aircraft is on the ground. These should be on while an aircraft is on an active runway, takeoff roll, landing roll or crossing an active runway. Strobe lights are very distinctive and would not blend in with the myriad colored lights used at airports. I believe this modification would have enabled the tower controller to see the plane in front of us and would have made it very easy for me to see it. Supplemental information from acn 509902: we were cleared to land at around 7 mi and on final approach the runway appeared clear. The small aircraft had no strobes or beacon illuminated, just position lights. We asked tower where the small aircraft had come from and the small aircraft pilot came on frequency and said something like 'we overshot golf, we are clear now, taxiing to the ramp.' the small aircraft pilot admitted to being cleared to exit at golf (midfield) but had rolled past golf then got lost and stopped on the runway. Presumably, tower should have noticed his failure to exit -- but didn't. It would have clearly been a go around situation. At no time was evasive action necessary, nor did we have to stop suddenly.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DURING A NIGHT OP LNDG AN S80 FLC ON ROLLOUT ON RWY 22L NOTES AN ATX ACFT SITTING ON THE END OF THE ACTIVE, HAVING PASSED ITS ASSIGNED TURNOFF DURING THE LNDG ROLL, SAME RWY, AT EWR, NJ.

Narrative: DURING THE EVENING OF APR/XA/01, EWR ARPT WAS USING RWY 22L FOR LNDGS. NOTAMS AND THE ATIS EXPLAINED THAT TXWY N WAS CLOSED. FO AND I DISCUSSED THIS AND PLANNED ON POSSIBLY USING TXWY E, BUT WE WOULD PROBABLY USE TXWY V. FO FLEW AN EXCELLENT APCH AND LNDG. AS WE APCHED THE CONSECUTIVE RED CTRLINE LIGHTS, OUR LNDG LIGHTS ILLUMINATED THE FUSELAGE OF A SMALL TWIN STOPPED OVER THE LIGHTS. WE WERE AT A VERY SLOW SPD AND GENTLY CAME TO A STOP ON THE RWY. WE ASKED THE TWR WHY AN ACFT WAS ON THE RWY. THE TWR IMMEDIATELY AND FORCEFULLY TOLD THE LIGHT TWIN TO EXIT THE RWY. THE LIGHT TWIN DID. WE ASKED AGAIN AND WERE TOLD THAT THE LIGHT TWIN WAS CLRED TO EXIT THE RWY AT TXWY G. I WAS ASKED TO CALL THE TWR VIA TELEPHONE. THE TWR TOLD ME THAT THE LIGHT TWIN HAD BEEN CLRED TO EXIT AT TXWY G, BUT THE PLT HAD BECOME DISORIENTED AND CONTINUED DOWN THE RWY TO THE S END WHERE HE STOPPED. THE ACFT HAD BEEN WELL AHEAD OF US IN THE LNDG SEQUENCE. WE HAD BEEN ASKED TO HOLD 180 KTS TO THE FAF. THE TWR CTLR SAID HE COULD NOT SEE THE LIGHT TWIN. I BELIEVE THIS AS NEITHER MY FO NOR MYSELF COULD SEE IT ON THE APCH OR LNDG ROLL. AFTER SEEING THE FUSELAGE, WE COULD SEE SOME RED POS LIGHTS. BY THE TIME WE COMMITTED OURSELVES TO LNDG, THE LIGHT TWIN WAS ABOUT 2 MI AWAY. UNFORTUNATELY, THE RED POS LIGHTS BLENDED IN WITH THE RED CTRLINE LIGHTS. HAD THE PLANE STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE RWY, I THINK I WOULD HAVE SEEN A CLUSTER OF RED LIGHTS WITH A BACKGND OF WHITE CTRLINE LIGHTS. IN THIS TIME OF COMPRESSED TFC FLOWS INTO OUR MAJOR ARPTS, THIS MAY HAPPEN AGAIN. MONITORING TWR COMS WHERE THE PLANE WAS DIRECTED TO USE TXWY G AND A PLT'S ACKNOWLEDGEMENT REALLY MEANT NOTHING. I AM SURE THE PLT WAS LOOKING FOR TXWY G. I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT MY FO OR MYSELF COULD HAVE DONE MUCH MORE. PERHAPS, EWR TWR COULD USE IMC PROCS AT NIGHT. PERHAPS GND RADAR COULD BE USED MORE EFFECTIVELY. THE ONE THING THAT COULD HAVE COMPLETELY AVERTED THE SIT UNDER THESE CONDITIONS IS STROBE LIGHTS. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE MD80 (AND OTHER ACFT) MODIFIED SO THAT STROBE LIGHTS COULD BE ON WHILE AN ACFT IS ON THE GND. THESE SHOULD BE ON WHILE AN ACFT IS ON AN ACTIVE RWY, TKOF ROLL, LNDG ROLL OR XING AN ACTIVE RWY. STROBE LIGHTS ARE VERY DISTINCTIVE AND WOULD NOT BLEND IN WITH THE MYRIAD COLORED LIGHTS USED AT ARPTS. I BELIEVE THIS MODIFICATION WOULD HAVE ENABLED THE TWR CTLR TO SEE THE PLANE IN FRONT OF US AND WOULD HAVE MADE IT VERY EASY FOR ME TO SEE IT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 509902: WE WERE CLRED TO LAND AT AROUND 7 MI AND ON FINAL APCH THE RWY APPEARED CLR. THE SMALL ACFT HAD NO STROBES OR BEACON ILLUMINATED, JUST POS LIGHTS. WE ASKED TWR WHERE THE SMALL ACFT HAD COME FROM AND THE SMALL ACFT PLT CAME ON FREQ AND SAID SOMETHING LIKE 'WE OVERSHOT GOLF, WE ARE CLR NOW, TAXIING TO THE RAMP.' THE SMALL ACFT PLT ADMITTED TO BEING CLRED TO EXIT AT GOLF (MIDFIELD) BUT HAD ROLLED PAST GOLF THEN GOT LOST AND STOPPED ON THE RWY. PRESUMABLY, TWR SHOULD HAVE NOTICED HIS FAILURE TO EXIT -- BUT DIDN'T. IT WOULD HAVE CLRLY BEEN A GAR SIT. AT NO TIME WAS EVASIVE ACTION NECESSARY, NOR DID WE HAVE TO STOP SUDDENLY.

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.