Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Situational Awareness; Distraction; Confusion; Communication Breakdown
Conflict Ground Conflict; Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Ground Incursion Runway
Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification
Staffing; Human Factors; Procedure
LGB tower had cleared us for landing on RWY 30. There was no mention of a helicopter on the RWY. At approximately 1500 MSL; I asked the FO (First Officer) if it looked like there was something on the RWY around the numbers. It looked like a black spot in the vicinity of the RWY numbers. The FO said it looked like a rubber mark to him. I concurred. At approximately 600 feet MSL; we saw a helicopter rapidly exiting the runway from the RWY number area towards the adjacent TWY D3. He was clear of RWY at 500 feet MSL. We landed. The FO and I discussed afterwards that we BOTH never saw the helicopter! Tower NEVER said anything either! I called the tower manager to discuss. He told me that the controller on duty was working two helicopters mid field; and four other aircraft in the pattern; excluding us. He said that the helicopter was previously cleared to land on the numbers (30). This implied that he was to exit the runway ASAP afterwards to the nearest taxiway as per the AIM. He never did. He said that the controller assumed he had exited. He said he believed the controller was task saturated. Interestingly; the top of the helicopter was painted black. For some reason it completely blended into the runway environment. The tower manager agreed.
An Air Carrier Captain reported that while on short final; a helicopter was observed sitting on the end of the same runway. The conflict was resolved in time for the aircraft to land safely.