Narrative:

We were on final approach, and entering the flare, when we noticed a small tanker truck on our runway at the far end (about 1000 ft from the end). We executed a go around and landed uneventfully on another runway. It turned out that the tank truck belonged to the city, and I understand it was spraying for weeds. There was no notice of such activity either on AWOS or NOTAMS. Yesterday, exactly one week later, upon rotation on takeoff at the same airport, I spotted a tractor mowing about 15 ft from our runway and about 1000 ft from the far end. No notices were made and no communications made. This is a common type of occurrence at uncontrolled airports in general, and laa in specific. Probably the scariest close encounter happened about 1 1/2 yrs ago in dro, in a snowstorm with 1/2 mi visibility. As I landed and I was rolling out, I spotted a snow plow exiting the runway at each intersection. I mean they were actually on the runway as they came into view. This type of activity is, or in some cases certainly can be, extremely hazardous. My recommendation to alleviate the problem, is to have all people, vehicles, etc, be required by federal law to be in direct 2-WAY radio contact with announced air traffic, any time they are on or within xx ft of an active runway, taxiway, or other aircraft movement area. In addition, when possible, NOTAMS should be filed and notices announced on AWOS when such activity is being conducted. The radio portion should include people too. I have had close calls with people walking on the edges of runways. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter had not reported this incident to his airline. He acted quite intimidated by an implied level of resistance by management to flight crew inputs. He has the impression that this 'reporting of a problem' was viewed as 'stirring up trouble' by his mgrs. He feels that the operation at the airport can be 'tightened up' a bit as he has noted the 2 incidents of vehicular traffic near or on the runways.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE02 CAPT PERFORMS A GAR WHEN OBSERVING GND VEHICULAR TFC ON RWY IN USE.

Narrative: WE WERE ON FINAL APCH, AND ENTERING THE FLARE, WHEN WE NOTICED A SMALL TANKER TRUCK ON OUR RWY AT THE FAR END (ABOUT 1000 FT FROM THE END). WE EXECUTED A GAR AND LANDED UNEVENTFULLY ON ANOTHER RWY. IT TURNED OUT THAT THE TANK TRUCK BELONGED TO THE CITY, AND I UNDERSTAND IT WAS SPRAYING FOR WEEDS. THERE WAS NO NOTICE OF SUCH ACTIVITY EITHER ON AWOS OR NOTAMS. YESTERDAY, EXACTLY ONE WK LATER, UPON ROTATION ON TKOF AT THE SAME ARPT, I SPOTTED A TRACTOR MOWING ABOUT 15 FT FROM OUR RWY AND ABOUT 1000 FT FROM THE FAR END. NO NOTICES WERE MADE AND NO COMS MADE. THIS IS A COMMON TYPE OF OCCURRENCE AT UNCTLED ARPTS IN GENERAL, AND LAA IN SPECIFIC. PROBABLY THE SCARIEST CLOSE ENCOUNTER HAPPENED ABOUT 1 1/2 YRS AGO IN DRO, IN A SNOWSTORM WITH 1/2 MI VISIBILITY. AS I LANDED AND I WAS ROLLING OUT, I SPOTTED A SNOW PLOW EXITING THE RWY AT EACH INTXN. I MEAN THEY WERE ACTUALLY ON THE RWY AS THEY CAME INTO VIEW. THIS TYPE OF ACTIVITY IS, OR IN SOME CASES CERTAINLY CAN BE, EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS. MY RECOMMENDATION TO ALLEVIATE THE PROB, IS TO HAVE ALL PEOPLE, VEHICLES, ETC, BE REQUIRED BY FEDERAL LAW TO BE IN DIRECT 2-WAY RADIO CONTACT WITH ANNOUNCED AIR TFC, ANY TIME THEY ARE ON OR WITHIN XX FT OF AN ACTIVE RWY, TXWY, OR OTHER ACFT MOVEMENT AREA. IN ADDITION, WHEN POSSIBLE, NOTAMS SHOULD BE FILED AND NOTICES ANNOUNCED ON AWOS WHEN SUCH ACTIVITY IS BEING CONDUCTED. THE RADIO PORTION SHOULD INCLUDE PEOPLE TOO. I HAVE HAD CLOSE CALLS WITH PEOPLE WALKING ON THE EDGES OF RWYS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR HAD NOT RPTED THIS INCIDENT TO HIS AIRLINE. HE ACTED QUITE INTIMIDATED BY AN IMPLIED LEVEL OF RESISTANCE BY MGMNT TO FLC INPUTS. HE HAS THE IMPRESSION THAT THIS 'RPTING OF A PROB' WAS VIEWED AS 'STIRRING UP TROUBLE' BY HIS MGRS. HE FEELS THAT THE OP AT THE ARPT CAN BE 'TIGHTENED UP' A BIT AS HE HAS NOTED THE 2 INCIDENTS OF VEHICULAR TFC NEAR OR ON THE RWYS.

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.