IF ATC cleared a vehicle on to the runway, wouldn't they have done it via radio? And the vehicle would be obligated to keep the radio on. And a smart controller would have combined frequencies (ground and tower) at this time of night, so the vehicle would have heard the position reports of the inbound airliner.
NOPE, boys and girls, it is another battle of wills. Come in low visibility and wonder if something is on the runway...I am concerned about this at all times, controlled or uncontrolled.
Some of the reasoning seems to overlook the lack of traffic at this noise curfew impacted airport.
I dare say it is safer to land at DCA, at the time this incident happened, without controllers, then during the normal hectic daylight operations.
And I was based AT DCA. I flew there all the time. Some really crazy stuff, add in helicopters from the pentagon crossing the potomac.
Its so darn funny...this situation , handled by professional pilots, is such a topic of discussion.
yet flying a 747 on 3 engines from LAX and coming up short of destination of London is just dandy.
I think its an American thing vs a European thing.