Narrative:

Approaching san jose airport, approximately 15-20 mi out, we were cleared for the visual approach. The captain was flying, I was handling the radio and checklists. At 8-10 mi out we were handed off to san jose tower and were cleared to land. As I completed the last items of the before landing checklist we noticed a blinking light (possibly an aircraft or ground vehicle) at the beginning of the displaced threshold of runway 30L (our runway). At this point we were approximately 3 mi from the runway. The tower controller was busy with takeoff and landing instructions for aircraft using the parallel runways 29 and runway 30R which blocked our attempts to verify landing clearance. On 1/2 mi final, while still trying to determine what we were seeing (aircraft, vehicle, or what?) on the displaced threshold, I was finally able to recontact the tower and verify that we were 'cleared to land.' still unsure of a possible conflict, the captain side-stepped slightly to the left of centerline and as we flew over the displaced threshold (1500 ft from the numbers) I looked down and could see an aircraft holding in position. We landed without incident, and after parking the captain contacted the tower supervisor by phone to discuss the situation. The supervisor told the captain that the tower controller had forgot that another aircraft had been cleared into position and accepted responsibility for the error. In discussing the situation shortly thereafter the captain and I both agreed that a go around would have been a wiser choice of action even though the landing portion of the runway was clear and we had been 'cleared to land.' contributing factors: neither the captain nor I could recall hearing the tower clear an aircraft into position, though this may have occurred prior to our handoff to the tower. As it was dusk at our time of landing, the ambient light was insufficient to see the fuselage of an aircraft on the displaced threshold, yet not yet dark enough for that aircraft's position lights and rotating beacon to be easily distinguishable from the runway lights.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TWR FORGOT THAT IT HAD AN ACFT HOLDING IN POS FOR TKOF AND CLRED THE RPTR TO LAND, WHICH IT DID.

Narrative: APCHING SAN JOSE ARPT, APPROX 15-20 MI OUT, WE WERE CLRED FOR THE VISUAL APCH. THE CAPT WAS FLYING, I WAS HANDLING THE RADIO AND CHKLISTS. AT 8-10 MI OUT WE WERE HANDED OFF TO SAN JOSE TWR AND WERE CLRED TO LAND. AS I COMPLETED THE LAST ITEMS OF THE BEFORE LNDG CHKLIST WE NOTICED A BLINKING LIGHT (POSSIBLY AN ACFT OR GND VEHICLE) AT THE BEGINNING OF THE DISPLACED THRESHOLD OF RWY 30L (OUR RWY). AT THIS POINT WE WERE APPROX 3 MI FROM THE RWY. THE TWR CTLR WAS BUSY WITH TKOF AND LNDG INSTRUCTIONS FOR ACFT USING THE PARALLEL RWYS 29 AND RWY 30R WHICH BLOCKED OUR ATTEMPTS TO VERIFY LNDG CLRNC. ON 1/2 MI FINAL, WHILE STILL TRYING TO DETERMINE WHAT WE WERE SEEING (ACFT, VEHICLE, OR WHAT?) ON THE DISPLACED THRESHOLD, I WAS FINALLY ABLE TO RECONTACT THE TWR AND VERIFY THAT WE WERE 'CLRED TO LAND.' STILL UNSURE OF A POSSIBLE CONFLICT, THE CAPT SIDE-STEPPED SLIGHTLY TO THE L OF CTRLINE AND AS WE FLEW OVER THE DISPLACED THRESHOLD (1500 FT FROM THE NUMBERS) I LOOKED DOWN AND COULD SEE AN ACFT HOLDING IN POS. WE LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT, AND AFTER PARKING THE CAPT CONTACTED THE TWR SUPVR BY PHONE TO DISCUSS THE SIT. THE SUPVR TOLD THE CAPT THAT THE TWR CTLR HAD FORGOT THAT ANOTHER ACFT HAD BEEN CLRED INTO POS AND ACCEPTED RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ERROR. IN DISCUSSING THE SIT SHORTLY THEREAFTER THE CAPT AND I BOTH AGREED THAT A GAR WOULD HAVE BEEN A WISER CHOICE OF ACTION EVEN THOUGH THE LNDG PORTION OF THE RWY WAS CLR AND WE HAD BEEN 'CLRED TO LAND.' CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: NEITHER THE CAPT NOR I COULD RECALL HEARING THE TWR CLR AN ACFT INTO POS, THOUGH THIS MAY HAVE OCCURRED PRIOR TO OUR HDOF TO THE TWR. AS IT WAS DUSK AT OUR TIME OF LNDG, THE AMBIENT LIGHT WAS INSUFFICIENT TO SEE THE FUSELAGE OF AN ACFT ON THE DISPLACED THRESHOLD, YET NOT YET DARK ENOUGH FOR THAT ACFT'S POS LIGHTS AND ROTATING BEACON TO BE EASILY DISTINGUISHABLE FROM THE RWY LIGHTS.

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.