Narrative:

Aircraft X (E-3 heavy) was on an IFR flight plan conducting instrument approach and landing practice under night; VMC at okc airport. The flight was communicating on VHF and under positive IFR control from a controller that was working a significant number of aircraft on at least 2 approach control frequencys controling traffic for tik; okc; and pwa; as well as tower for all runways at okc. It is unknown if he was also working okc ground and clearance delivery. Aircraft X was on ILS runway 17R to okc and was cleared for the option. The crew had briefed and intended to execute a touch-and-go; but the pilot; copilot; and additional pilot observing from seat #5 all noted a single red light on the runway. At decision altitude; with the red light still on the runway; the crew executed a go around. Approaching mid field; we flew past what appeared to be an aircraft on the runway and queried tower. The tower informed us that there was an aircraft (vehicle?) clearing the runway. If we had attempted to execute the planned touch-and-go; we would have collided with the aircraft on the runway. The aircraft on the runway appears to have taxied onto the runway at the approach end of runway 17R and taxied very slowly to taxiway G prior to exiting the runway. Landing lights were not observed on the aircraft on the runway; making it difficult to see. We did not hear any communications to or from this aircraft. While the controller was quite good; it appears that there was too much traffic; in too many locations for a single controller to keep track of. He wasn't helped by the aircraft that was extremely slow clearing the runway; not lit up like an xmas tree; and apparently oblivious to the heavy aircraft on final. It isn't clear whether the controller expected the aircraft to clear runway 17R more expeditiously or if he was thinking that we were going to runway 17L. The traffic did seem exceptionally heavy for after XC00 on a thursday night. The crew still isn't sure whether the red light on the runway was a vehicle or an aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT OBSERVER CHRONICLES GAR EVENT AT OKC WHEN FLT CREW OBSERVED TFC ON RWY AFTER RECEIVING OPTION CLRNC FROM ATC.

Narrative: ACFT X (E-3 HVY) WAS ON AN IFR FLT PLAN CONDUCTING INST APCH AND LNDG PRACTICE UNDER NIGHT; VMC AT OKC ARPT. THE FLT WAS COMMUNICATING ON VHF AND UNDER POSITIVE IFR CTL FROM A CTLR THAT WAS WORKING A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF ACFT ON AT LEAST 2 APCH CTL FREQS CTLING TFC FOR TIK; OKC; AND PWA; AS WELL AS TWR FOR ALL RWYS AT OKC. IT IS UNKNOWN IF HE WAS ALSO WORKING OKC GND AND CLRNC DELIVERY. ACFT X WAS ON ILS RWY 17R TO OKC AND WAS CLRED FOR THE OPTION. THE CREW HAD BRIEFED AND INTENDED TO EXECUTE A TOUCH-AND-GO; BUT THE PLT; COPLT; AND ADDITIONAL PLT OBSERVING FROM SEAT #5 ALL NOTED A SINGLE RED LIGHT ON THE RWY. AT DECISION ALT; WITH THE RED LIGHT STILL ON THE RWY; THE CREW EXECUTED A GAR. APCHING MID FIELD; WE FLEW PAST WHAT APPEARED TO BE AN ACFT ON THE RWY AND QUERIED TWR. THE TWR INFORMED US THAT THERE WAS AN ACFT (VEHICLE?) CLRING THE RWY. IF WE HAD ATTEMPTED TO EXECUTE THE PLANNED TOUCH-AND-GO; WE WOULD HAVE COLLIDED WITH THE ACFT ON THE RWY. THE ACFT ON THE RWY APPEARS TO HAVE TAXIED ONTO THE RWY AT THE APCH END OF RWY 17R AND TAXIED VERY SLOWLY TO TXWY G PRIOR TO EXITING THE RWY. LNDG LIGHTS WERE NOT OBSERVED ON THE ACFT ON THE RWY; MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO SEE. WE DID NOT HEAR ANY COMS TO OR FROM THIS ACFT. WHILE THE CTLR WAS QUITE GOOD; IT APPEARS THAT THERE WAS TOO MUCH TFC; IN TOO MANY LOCATIONS FOR A SINGLE CTLR TO KEEP TRACK OF. HE WASN'T HELPED BY THE ACFT THAT WAS EXTREMELY SLOW CLRING THE RWY; NOT LIT UP LIKE AN XMAS TREE; AND APPARENTLY OBLIVIOUS TO THE HVY ACFT ON FINAL. IT ISN'T CLR WHETHER THE CTLR EXPECTED THE ACFT TO CLR RWY 17R MORE EXPEDITIOUSLY OR IF HE WAS THINKING THAT WE WERE GOING TO RWY 17L. THE TFC DID SEEM EXCEPTIONALLY HVY FOR AFTER XC00 ON A THURSDAY NIGHT. THE CREW STILL ISN'T SURE WHETHER THE RED LIGHT ON THE RWY WAS A VEHICLE OR AN ACFT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.