Narrative:

I was the captain on flight from dlg to akn tonight and had a problem that you should be aware of. We were descending into the akn area on a vector heading from akn approach control. We broke out at approximately 5000 ft and reported the airport in sight. We were cleared for a visual approach to akn and advised the tower was closed, contact ena radio on the CTAF for advisories. The time was xapm local. I got a wind check then switched to the CTAF frequency. I reported 10 mi out planning an extended final to runway 11 on the CTAF. There was no traffic on the frequency and no response to the call. I then addressed a call to ena radio akn and reported that we were making a visual approach to runway 11 and our position and altitude. The CTAF frequency is the same as ground control (121.9). It sounded like the ground controller came back and said the tower was closed and to call ena radio in 1 min on the CTAF. He did not provide any traffic information. First officer was flying and we continued our approach to runway 11. I reported a 6 mi final. There was no other traffic on the frequency. 3 mi on final I spotted a rotating beacon approaching the airport from the south. The aircraft was not showing any other light. It turned out later to be an small aircraft. I pointed the traffic out to first officer and asked him to prepare to break off the approach. We were in a position to make a right turn and enter left traffic for runway 29. I tried several times to establish contact with the small aircraft on the CTAF frequency. We could not determine if the aircraft was making a pattern to our runway, a pattern to the south runway, or just transiting the area. Another aircraft (an small transport) reported east planning left traffic for runway 11. He was showing a light, and we communicated our intentions, and he told us his intentions. The small aircraft lined up for a moment on runway 29 then made a right turn and continued north. Once it was clear the small aircraft was proceeding on to the north we continued our approach and landed on 11. On rollout the small aircraft reported on the CTAF that he was overhead and entering left traffic for runway 29. I called him and said we would appreciate a position report on the CTAF next time. He replied he was on the tower frequency and had been cleared to land on runway 29. I asked the approach controller about this as we closed our flight plan. He could not explain the problem, but said he would look into it. I tried unsuccessfully to talk to the tower on the telephone. Their office did not answer the phone. I did talk with the pilot of the small aircraft that broke off the approach. It looks like a case of the tower controller getting off at xbpm, closing down without any coordination with approach control or the small aircraft that was being controled a min earlier. He apparently cleared him to land and forgot about him. The small aircraft was not aware of us. We were not aware of him. Approach control apparently was not aware of him. The tower was not talking to the approach controller, the ground controller was not talking to the tower, no one was on the CTAF but us and the small transport approaching from the east. Ena radio wasn't answering on the CTAF frequency. This system is poor at best and dangerous on a night like tonight. We were in good WX. If this had happened in basic VFR, 1000 and 3, we might not have seen the small aircraft. Without talking with the tower controller, I really can't be sure what happened. Without a doubt there was poor communication between approach, ground, and tower. I can't see any reason to close up shop with aircraft in the air without making sure everyone knows about everyone else!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: 2 ACFT MAKING APCH TO OPPOSITE DIRECTION RWYS. SMA BREAKS OFF THE APCH.

Narrative: I WAS THE CAPT ON FLT FROM DLG TO AKN TONIGHT AND HAD A PROB THAT YOU SHOULD BE AWARE OF. WE WERE DSNDING INTO THE AKN AREA ON A VECTOR HDG FROM AKN APCH CTL. WE BROKE OUT AT APPROX 5000 FT AND RPTED THE ARPT IN SIGHT. WE WERE CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH TO AKN AND ADVISED THE TWR WAS CLOSED, CONTACT ENA RADIO ON THE CTAF FOR ADVISORIES. THE TIME WAS XAPM LCL. I GOT A WIND CHK THEN SWITCHED TO THE CTAF FREQ. I RPTED 10 MI OUT PLANNING AN EXTENDED FINAL TO RWY 11 ON THE CTAF. THERE WAS NO TFC ON THE FREQ AND NO RESPONSE TO THE CALL. I THEN ADDRESSED A CALL TO ENA RADIO AKN AND RPTED THAT WE WERE MAKING A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 11 AND OUR POS AND ALT. THE CTAF FREQ IS THE SAME AS GND CTL (121.9). IT SOUNDED LIKE THE GND CTLR CAME BACK AND SAID THE TWR WAS CLOSED AND TO CALL ENA RADIO IN 1 MIN ON THE CTAF. HE DID NOT PROVIDE ANY TFC INFO. FO WAS FLYING AND WE CONTINUED OUR APCH TO RWY 11. I RPTED A 6 MI FINAL. THERE WAS NO OTHER TFC ON THE FREQ. 3 MI ON FINAL I SPOTTED A ROTATING BEACON APCHING THE ARPT FROM THE S. THE ACFT WAS NOT SHOWING ANY OTHER LIGHT. IT TURNED OUT LATER TO BE AN SMA. I POINTED THE TFC OUT TO FO AND ASKED HIM TO PREPARE TO BREAK OFF THE APCH. WE WERE IN A POS TO MAKE A R TURN AND ENTER L TFC FOR RWY 29. I TRIED SEVERAL TIMES TO ESTABLISH CONTACT WITH THE SMA ON THE CTAF FREQ. WE COULD NOT DETERMINE IF THE ACFT WAS MAKING A PATTERN TO OUR RWY, A PATTERN TO THE S RWY, OR JUST TRANSITING THE AREA. ANOTHER ACFT (AN SMT) RPTED E PLANNING L TFC FOR RWY 11. HE WAS SHOWING A LIGHT, AND WE COMMUNICATED OUR INTENTIONS, AND HE TOLD US HIS INTENTIONS. THE SMA LINED UP FOR A MOMENT ON RWY 29 THEN MADE A R TURN AND CONTINUED N. ONCE IT WAS CLR THE SMA WAS PROCEEDING ON TO THE N WE CONTINUED OUR APCH AND LANDED ON 11. ON ROLLOUT THE SMA RPTED ON THE CTAF THAT HE WAS OVERHEAD AND ENTERING L TFC FOR RWY 29. I CALLED HIM AND SAID WE WOULD APPRECIATE A POS RPT ON THE CTAF NEXT TIME. HE REPLIED HE WAS ON THE TWR FREQ AND HAD BEEN CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 29. I ASKED THE APCH CTLR ABOUT THIS AS WE CLOSED OUR FLT PLAN. HE COULD NOT EXPLAIN THE PROB, BUT SAID HE WOULD LOOK INTO IT. I TRIED UNSUCCESSFULLY TO TALK TO THE TWR ON THE TELEPHONE. THEIR OFFICE DID NOT ANSWER THE PHONE. I DID TALK WITH THE PLT OF THE SMA THAT BROKE OFF THE APCH. IT LOOKS LIKE A CASE OF THE TWR CTLR GETTING OFF AT XBPM, CLOSING DOWN WITHOUT ANY COORD WITH APCH CTL OR THE SMA THAT WAS BEING CTLED A MIN EARLIER. HE APPARENTLY CLRED HIM TO LAND AND FORGOT ABOUT HIM. THE SMA WAS NOT AWARE OF US. WE WERE NOT AWARE OF HIM. APCH CTL APPARENTLY WAS NOT AWARE OF HIM. THE TWR WAS NOT TALKING TO THE APCH CTLR, THE GND CTLR WAS NOT TALKING TO THE TWR, NO ONE WAS ON THE CTAF BUT US AND THE SMT APCHING FROM THE E. ENA RADIO WASN'T ANSWERING ON THE CTAF FREQ. THIS SYS IS POOR AT BEST AND DANGEROUS ON A NIGHT LIKE TONIGHT. WE WERE IN GOOD WX. IF THIS HAD HAPPENED IN BASIC VFR, 1000 AND 3, WE MIGHT NOT HAVE SEEN THE SMA. WITHOUT TALKING WITH THE TWR CTLR, I REALLY CAN'T BE SURE WHAT HAPPENED. WITHOUT A DOUBT THERE WAS POOR COM BTWN APCH, GND, AND TWR. I CAN'T SEE ANY REASON TO CLOSE UP SHOP WITH ACFT IN THE AIR WITHOUT MAKING SURE EVERYONE KNOWS ABOUT EVERYONE ELSE!

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.