Narrative:

ZJX requested we report airport in sight. We did so and were cleared for a visual approach to runway 4 at aby. I requested the PNF to cancel our IFR clearance so that we could prepare for landing. The time was XB00 local and the tower had closed at XA00 local. The airport beacon and PAPI lights were on but there were no runway lights. Center was engaged in giving WX avoidance help to other aircraft and we were not able to break in long enough to cancel our flight plan. I asked the PNF to click on the lights using the local tower frequency and the lights came up full bright on all runways. At the same time; the airport safety vehicle was making a runway and light inspection and he clicked on the lights at the same time as we had; made a local announcement that he was going to be on the runways. We never heard this or subsequent announcements. With the runway lights on; we proceeded to complete our checklists and land on runway 4. We did not see the vehicle lights or beacon for the glare of the runway lights on high. We landed behind the vehicle. He saw our landing lights in his mirror and thankfully cleared the runway. It was an eerie coincidence that we both clicked on the lights at the same time; thinking each had been responsible for the action. My only thought with regard to the lack of communication with the truck was that we must have misdialed the local tower (advisory) frequency and while we thought we were in communication; we really were not. Since the lights came up we were lulled into thinking all was as it should be. When you transmit in the blind with no aircraft in the local area and there is no response you feel satisfied that the runway is clear. Contributing factors: simultaneous selection of runway lights by both parties. Glare of bright runway lights masking truck lights and beacon. Possible misdialing local frequency. Possible mitigation: local ground traffic monitoring center frequency to alert truck to presence of air traffic. Double-check frequency selection by aircraft to ensure communication.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HS800 FLT CREW HAS CONFLICT WITH ARPT SAFETY VEHICLE DURING LANDING AT ABY AFTER BOTH CLICK THE RWY LIGHTS ON AT THE SAME TIME AND NEITHER HEARS THE OTHER'S INTENTIONS ON THE FREQUENCY.

Narrative: ZJX REQUESTED WE RPT ARPT IN SIGHT. WE DID SO AND WERE CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 4 AT ABY. I REQUESTED THE PNF TO CANCEL OUR IFR CLRNC SO THAT WE COULD PREPARE FOR LNDG. THE TIME WAS XB00 LCL AND THE TWR HAD CLOSED AT XA00 LCL. THE ARPT BEACON AND PAPI LIGHTS WERE ON BUT THERE WERE NO RWY LIGHTS. CTR WAS ENGAGED IN GIVING WX AVOIDANCE HELP TO OTHER ACFT AND WE WERE NOT ABLE TO BREAK IN LONG ENOUGH TO CANCEL OUR FLT PLAN. I ASKED THE PNF TO CLICK ON THE LIGHTS USING THE LCL TWR FREQ AND THE LIGHTS CAME UP FULL BRIGHT ON ALL RWYS. AT THE SAME TIME; THE ARPT SAFETY VEHICLE WAS MAKING A RWY AND LIGHT INSPECTION AND HE CLICKED ON THE LIGHTS AT THE SAME TIME AS WE HAD; MADE A LCL ANNOUNCEMENT THAT HE WAS GOING TO BE ON THE RWYS. WE NEVER HEARD THIS OR SUBSEQUENT ANNOUNCEMENTS. WITH THE RWY LIGHTS ON; WE PROCEEDED TO COMPLETE OUR CHKLISTS AND LAND ON RWY 4. WE DID NOT SEE THE VEHICLE LIGHTS OR BEACON FOR THE GLARE OF THE RWY LIGHTS ON HIGH. WE LANDED BEHIND THE VEHICLE. HE SAW OUR LNDG LIGHTS IN HIS MIRROR AND THANKFULLY CLRED THE RWY. IT WAS AN EERIE COINCIDENCE THAT WE BOTH CLICKED ON THE LIGHTS AT THE SAME TIME; THINKING EACH HAD BEEN RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ACTION. MY ONLY THOUGHT WITH REGARD TO THE LACK OF COM WITH THE TRUCK WAS THAT WE MUST HAVE MISDIALED THE LCL TWR (ADVISORY) FREQ AND WHILE WE THOUGHT WE WERE IN COM; WE REALLY WERE NOT. SINCE THE LIGHTS CAME UP WE WERE LULLED INTO THINKING ALL WAS AS IT SHOULD BE. WHEN YOU XMIT IN THE BLIND WITH NO ACFT IN THE LCL AREA AND THERE IS NO RESPONSE YOU FEEL SATISFIED THAT THE RWY IS CLR. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: SIMULTANEOUS SELECTION OF RWY LIGHTS BY BOTH PARTIES. GLARE OF BRIGHT RWY LIGHTS MASKING TRUCK LIGHTS AND BEACON. POSSIBLE MISDIALING LCL FREQ. POSSIBLE MITIGATION: LCL GND TFC MONITORING CTR FREQ TO ALERT TRUCK TO PRESENCE OF AIR TFC. DOUBLE-CHK FREQ SELECTION BY ACFT TO ENSURE COM.

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.