Commercial Fixed Wing
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Situational Awareness
Conflict Ground Conflict; Critical
Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Airport; Aircraft; Human Factors
During my brief before departure; I explained how OAJ on a clear; sunny weekend is potentially one of the most dangerous situations we encounter- especially after a period of IFR conditions. The number of VFR planes that don't bother using the radios is bad enough. The ones that DO broadcast on Unicom are hard to understand. I have always treated OAJ operations with great caution and heightened awareness. OAJ is uncontrolled with one ILS approach. Weather was clear. I started monitoring the Unicom (123.00) from approximately 60 miles out from OAJ; trying to hear whether anyone was in the pattern there and if so; which direction they were operating. There's a lot of chatter on that frequency; a lot of interference/overtalking; and it takes some time to get an audible bearing on traffic at our destination. I heard one possible 'Albert J Ellis' one time; and it sounded like departure. I wasn't sure. I didn't hear anything else resembling 'Ellis; Jax; Jacksonville; Albert/Albert J Ellis' for the remainder of the flight. I did a quick visual approach brief to rwy 5; because of the ILS available and the conditions were calm and clear. At 50 miles (on radio 2; the PM was handling the normal radio work on 1 but we both monitored both frequencies) I broadcast position and ETE to the field. No immediate response from Ellis traffic. I did it again at 40 and 30 miles. Since we were getting closer; the PM started broadcasting instead; and we called the field in sight. Still no response from any traffic. We were handed off from Wilmington (who we asked specifically for any traffic advisories; and his response was all traffic he's sent in used rwy 5) to advisories; and I joined final to rwy 5 just outside of the marker. The PM had made several calls of position; including 5 mile base; base to final; final; short final. We are both eyes up as much as possible; looking for any traffic in the area. We saw none all the way down the approach.When the mains touched on 5; and while derotating the nose to the runway; I saw a yellow single engine plane without any lights on pointing right at us from the opposite direction. It was surreal- I wasn't sure if he was landing; taking off; or taxiing- but he was moving and moving towards us. Max braking and reverse; I came to a complete stop. Before I could react further; the PM started querying the aircraft on Unicom. We both recognized the plane as a small aircraft which implies no radios. We got no response from the plane. He never seemed to have been moving fast- so it is really unclear what he was doing down the runway when we saw him. But again; there's no doubt he was on the pavement and moving towards us before exiting.The small aircraft taxiied toward us down runway 23; exited to his left on TWY A3; and we actually followed him off the runway. He parked in front of the FBO; we shut down on the gate. I called ILM clearance to cancel IFR; and then asked for the FBO phone number.I called the FBO and asked what the tail # was; who was flying it; and was anything out of the ordinary with the pilot. The desk person knew something was wrong; so I identified myself as the captain of the airliner that just landed; and wasn't very happy with the plane on the runway in front of us that small aircraft. She didn't see anything out of the ordinary; but she certainly knew something occurred.Ops personnel at OAJ noticed the small aircraft turning off the runway in front of us; but didn't realize the plane was on the runway until I mentioned it. All I could think about for the next couple of minutes was the worst outcome possible. We hit each other; he spills 100LL; it ignites... [Suggestions]Mode C veils required for all 121 operations airports. It will prevent planes without electrical system from operating anywhere near airliners without prior permission; and the transponder requirement will aid everyone from the fast moving air carrier equipment to a just soloed student in the pattern.Specific to this pilot- if he's unsafe; he shouldn't fly. If it was an error; he will certainly learn from the error and everyone is a little bit safer at the end of the day.
Air Carrier Captain reported landing nose to nose with a small aircraft at OAJ. The Captain had made position reports from 60 NM out with no response.