Narrative:

On short approach (visual) to runway 36L, our jump seat rider stated he thought there might be an aircraft on the runway. I was focusing my attention on the approach and the approach end of the runway (36L). First officer queried the tower and without hesitation the tower instructed us to go around, which we did. No explanation was given by the tower, but there was indeed an aircraft about mid way down the runway, barely visible. If our jump seat rider had not been so alert, a serious accident could have occurred. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter indicated that they were within 1 mi of the airport at the 200 ft callout when the jump seat rider, an off duty company pilot, observed an aircraft on the runway. Reporter indicated that after the tower ordered go around, they learned that the aircraft had been put into position and hold mid way down the runway by the tower controller. Reporter stated that the aircraft lights blended with the runway lights and that if the aircraft had not been seen, they would have landed with the aircraft on the runway.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: OPDEV ACR X ON SHORT APCH IS SENT AROUND AFTER FLC INQUIRE ABOUT UNK ACFT Y ON THE RWY.

Narrative: ON SHORT APCH (VISUAL) TO RWY 36L, OUR JUMP SEAT RIDER STATED HE THOUGHT THERE MIGHT BE AN ACFT ON THE RWY. I WAS FOCUSING MY ATTN ON THE APCH AND THE APCH END OF THE RWY (36L). FO QUERIED THE TWR AND WITHOUT HESITATION THE TWR INSTRUCTED US TO GAR, WHICH WE DID. NO EXPLANATION WAS GIVEN BY THE TWR, BUT THERE WAS INDEED AN ACFT ABOUT MID WAY DOWN THE RWY, BARELY VISIBLE. IF OUR JUMP SEAT RIDER HAD NOT BEEN SO ALERT, A SERIOUS ACCIDENT COULD HAVE OCCURRED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR INDICATED THAT THEY WERE WITHIN 1 MI OF THE ARPT AT THE 200 FT CALLOUT WHEN THE JUMP SEAT RIDER, AN OFF DUTY COMPANY PLT, OBSERVED AN ACFT ON THE RWY. RPTR INDICATED THAT AFTER THE TWR ORDERED GAR, THEY LEARNED THAT THE ACFT HAD BEEN PUT INTO POS AND HOLD MID WAY DOWN THE RWY BY THE TWR CTLR. RPTR STATED THAT THE ACFT LIGHTS BLENDED WITH THE RWY LIGHTS AND THAT IF THE ACFT HAD NOT BEEN SEEN, THEY WOULD HAVE LANDED WITH THE ACFT ON THE RWY.

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.