Narrative:

Crw reported 3 mi visibility in fog/haze. We flew an ILS approach to runway 23. We were cleared for approach and when switched to tower we were cleared to land. No traffic was reported. At about 50' we noticed a very small plane just about to exit the runway. We both noticed the aircraft at the same time and made an unconscious decision independently to continue the landing. We touched down approximately 1000' down the runway and with moderate/heavy braking we stopped short of where the aircraft was clearing the runway. After touchdown tower asked if we had seen the aircraft ahead and stated that he was not talking to him. After the fact we found that the aircraft was VFR and lost his radio and navs and descended through the overcast and landed at crw. Although crw was reporting 3 mi visibility it appeared to us that in-flight visibility was more like 1-1 1/2 mi. Also contributing to our not seeing the aircraft or the tower not seeing him was the size and white color of the small aircraft blended in with the runway centerline. The judgement to continue the landing was based on many factors. Probably deep in our minds was the mountainous terrain and the very high OAT (50 degree F), a waive off below 50' with a very low power setting, full flaps and speed brake extended would have been difficult. Also based on the medium large transport fine stopping capabilities our landing seemed like the safest thing to do. Extra vigilance on our part and on the part of the tower controller would have enabled us to see the aircraft in enough time to go around safely. Even hindsight does not answer the question in our minds if we went around would we have cleared the aircraft on the runway by a sufficient margin.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG LNDG ON OCCUPIED RWY.

Narrative: CRW REPORTED 3 MI VISIBILITY IN FOG/HAZE. WE FLEW AN ILS APCH TO RWY 23. WE WERE CLRED FOR APCH AND WHEN SWITCHED TO TWR WE WERE CLRED TO LAND. NO TFC WAS REPORTED. AT ABOUT 50' WE NOTICED A VERY SMALL PLANE JUST ABOUT TO EXIT THE RWY. WE BOTH NOTICED THE ACFT AT THE SAME TIME AND MADE AN UNCONSCIOUS DECISION INDEPENDENTLY TO CONTINUE THE LNDG. WE TOUCHED DOWN APPROX 1000' DOWN THE RWY AND WITH MODERATE/HEAVY BRAKING WE STOPPED SHORT OF WHERE THE ACFT WAS CLEARING THE RWY. AFTER TOUCHDOWN TWR ASKED IF WE HAD SEEN THE ACFT AHEAD AND STATED THAT HE WAS NOT TALKING TO HIM. AFTER THE FACT WE FOUND THAT THE ACFT WAS VFR AND LOST HIS RADIO AND NAVS AND DESCENDED THROUGH THE OVERCAST AND LANDED AT CRW. ALTHOUGH CRW WAS REPORTING 3 MI VISIBILITY IT APPEARED TO US THAT INFLT VISIBILITY WAS MORE LIKE 1-1 1/2 MI. ALSO CONTRIBUTING TO OUR NOT SEEING THE ACFT OR THE TWR NOT SEEING HIM WAS THE SIZE AND WHITE COLOR OF THE SMA BLENDED IN WITH THE RWY CENTERLINE. THE JUDGEMENT TO CONTINUE THE LNDG WAS BASED ON MANY FACTORS. PROBABLY DEEP IN OUR MINDS WAS THE MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN AND THE VERY HIGH OAT (50 DEG F), A WAIVE OFF BELOW 50' WITH A VERY LOW POWER SETTING, FULL FLAPS AND SPEED BRAKE EXTENDED WOULD HAVE BEEN DIFFICULT. ALSO BASED ON THE MLG FINE STOPPING CAPABILITIES OUR LNDG SEEMED LIKE THE SAFEST THING TO DO. EXTRA VIGILANCE ON OUR PART AND ON THE PART OF THE TWR CTLR WOULD HAVE ENABLED US TO SEE THE ACFT IN ENOUGH TIME TO GO AROUND SAFELY. EVEN HINDSIGHT DOES NOT ANSWER THE QUESTION IN OUR MINDS IF WE WENT AROUND WOULD WE HAVE CLRED THE ACFT ON THE RWY BY A SUFFICIENT MARGIN.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.