Narrative:

During snow operations at approximately XA45, a kc-135, based at this airport (lck rickenbacker international), almost landed on a snow removal crew on runway 5R without having the proper ATC clearance to land. The pilot was talking to columbus ATC control. Columbus switched the aircraft over to lck tower, but the pilot did not contact lck tower until he saw the equipment on the runway. At that time he said 'going around,' then pulled up and circled around for another approach. It was snowing and the visibility was approximately 1 mi., the aircraft was approximately 300 ft over the threshold bar of the runway. The lck controller stated that he did not know the aircraft was on final approach because the aircraft did not have a t-tag (on the radar scope) and never contacted his tower frequency. The lck controller found out that the aircraft was on final approach when vehicles on the runway inquired about it on ground frequency, and by that time the aircraft had already begun the go around. There were 2 plows, 2 brooms and 2 pickup trucks on the runway. The local FSDO office was notified and a report was made with the FAA. Also, we have had conversations with both columbus and rickenbacker's tower chiefs. My concern is that this is the second time in 2 yrs that we have had this happen and this may be a system problem as well as human error.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LCK ARPT OPS SUPVR ALLEGES KC135 GAR CAUSED BECAUSE OF NON XFER OF CTL FROM CMH TO LCK TWR WITH MEN AND EQUIP ON RWY PROVIDING SNOW REMOVAL.

Narrative: DURING SNOW OPS AT APPROX XA45, A KC-135, BASED AT THIS ARPT (LCK RICKENBACKER INTL), ALMOST LANDED ON A SNOW REMOVAL CREW ON RWY 5R WITHOUT HAVING THE PROPER ATC CLRNC TO LAND. THE PLT WAS TALKING TO COLUMBUS ATC CTL. COLUMBUS SWITCHED THE ACFT OVER TO LCK TWR, BUT THE PLT DID NOT CONTACT LCK TWR UNTIL HE SAW THE EQUIP ON THE RWY. AT THAT TIME HE SAID 'GOING AROUND,' THEN PULLED UP AND CIRCLED AROUND FOR ANOTHER APCH. IT WAS SNOWING AND THE VISIBILITY WAS APPROX 1 MI., THE ACFT WAS APPROX 300 FT OVER THE THRESHOLD BAR OF THE RWY. THE LCK CTLR STATED THAT HE DID NOT KNOW THE ACFT WAS ON FINAL APCH BECAUSE THE ACFT DID NOT HAVE A T-TAG (ON THE RADAR SCOPE) AND NEVER CONTACTED HIS TWR FREQ. THE LCK CTLR FOUND OUT THAT THE ACFT WAS ON FINAL APCH WHEN VEHICLES ON THE RWY INQUIRED ABOUT IT ON GND FREQ, AND BY THAT TIME THE ACFT HAD ALREADY BEGUN THE GAR. THERE WERE 2 PLOWS, 2 BROOMS AND 2 PICKUP TRUCKS ON THE RWY. THE LCL FSDO OFFICE WAS NOTIFIED AND A RPT WAS MADE WITH THE FAA. ALSO, WE HAVE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH BOTH COLUMBUS AND RICKENBACKER'S TWR CHIEFS. MY CONCERN IS THAT THIS IS THE SECOND TIME IN 2 YRS THAT WE HAVE HAD THIS HAPPEN AND THIS MAY BE A SYS PROB AS WELL AS HUMAN ERROR.

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.