Narrative:

I had been signed to local control for less than 10 mins. Traffic was moderate, building to heavy, with numerous departures and arrs in a 20 min period. A bonanza was sequenced to runway 16R behind several cessnas and an air carrier A319 was sequences approximately 6-8 mi behind the bonanza. The ARTS data block on the bonanza was intermittent between 3-10 mi from the rno airport on final. The approach controller told the bonanza to contact tower at approximately 6 mi final. The bonanza never checked in on tower frequency. While I was getting busier with other arrs to both parallel runways, I never saw the bonanza land on runway 16R. When the air carrier airbus was on short final, I was advised by the controller working clearance delivery to watch out for the bonanza on the runway. I then saw the situation and told air carrier to go around. The air carrier acknowledged and went around. Had the other controller not called my attention to the bonanza rolling out down the runway, I believe the air carrier airbus would have landed and very possibly would have collided with the bonanza. The ht and position of the reno control tower in relation to the approach end of the runways is very dangerous. The radar coverage in the area around reno airport is terrible. If the data block had stayed with the bonanza I am sure I would have noticed it even though I was busy. It is very common to lose the data blocks from small, slow act on final for runway 16L&right. That is our most used runway confign. The fact that the bonanza did not check in on frequency and receive a landing clearance did not help either.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DURING A HVY TFC PERIOD, A RNO LCL CTLR ISSUED A GAR TO AN A319 ON SHORT FINAL WHEN CLRNC DELIVERY NOTICED A BE35 ON THE RWY AND ALERTED THE LCL CTLR.

Narrative: I HAD BEEN SIGNED TO LCL CTL FOR LESS THAN 10 MINS. TFC WAS MODERATE, BUILDING TO HVY, WITH NUMEROUS DEPS AND ARRS IN A 20 MIN PERIOD. A BONANZA WAS SEQUENCED TO RWY 16R BEHIND SEVERAL CESSNAS AND AN ACR A319 WAS SEQUENCES APPROX 6-8 MI BEHIND THE BONANZA. THE ARTS DATA BLOCK ON THE BONANZA WAS INTERMITTENT BTWN 3-10 MI FROM THE RNO ARPT ON FINAL. THE APCH CTLR TOLD THE BONANZA TO CONTACT TWR AT APPROX 6 MI FINAL. THE BONANZA NEVER CHKED IN ON TWR FREQ. WHILE I WAS GETTING BUSIER WITH OTHER ARRS TO BOTH PARALLEL RWYS, I NEVER SAW THE BONANZA LAND ON RWY 16R. WHEN THE ACR AIRBUS WAS ON SHORT FINAL, I WAS ADVISED BY THE CTLR WORKING CLRNC DELIVERY TO WATCH OUT FOR THE BONANZA ON THE RWY. I THEN SAW THE SIT AND TOLD ACR TO GO AROUND. THE ACR ACKNOWLEDGED AND WENT AROUND. HAD THE OTHER CTLR NOT CALLED MY ATTN TO THE BONANZA ROLLING OUT DOWN THE RWY, I BELIEVE THE ACR AIRBUS WOULD HAVE LANDED AND VERY POSSIBLY WOULD HAVE COLLIDED WITH THE BONANZA. THE HT AND POS OF THE RENO CTL TWR IN RELATION TO THE APCH END OF THE RWYS IS VERY DANGEROUS. THE RADAR COVERAGE IN THE AREA AROUND RENO ARPT IS TERRIBLE. IF THE DATA BLOCK HAD STAYED WITH THE BONANZA I AM SURE I WOULD HAVE NOTICED IT EVEN THOUGH I WAS BUSY. IT IS VERY COMMON TO LOSE THE DATA BLOCKS FROM SMALL, SLOW ACT ON FINAL FOR RWY 16L&R. THAT IS OUR MOST USED RWY CONFIGN. THE FACT THAT THE BONANZA DID NOT CHK IN ON FREQ AND RECEIVE A LNDG CLRNC DID NOT HELP EITHER.

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.