B737-300 LANDED ON RWY 23 AT BUF WHILE AN ACR ACFT WAS STOPPED AT THE FAR END OF THE RWY.

Narrative

AT APPROX XA:40 WE WERE CLRED TO LND FOLLOWING AN RJ ON A MILE FINAL TO RWY 23. ON APPROX 1 MI FINAL WE NOTICED STROBE LIGHTS NEAR THE END OF RWY 23 THAT DISAPPEARED AS IF THE RJ HAD TURNED OFF. THE TWR CTLR AND THE RJ PLT WERE IN CONVERSATION ABOUT WHERE THE RJ'S GATE WAS. THE RJ APPEARED TO BE LOST BUT NO INDICATION THAT HE WAS STILL ON THE RWY. WE LANDED AND STARTED TO TURN OFF ON TXWY G AND NOTICED THE RJ STILL ON THE RWY. THE RJ WAS POINTED AS IF GOING TO EXIT THE RWY BUT WAS STOPPED WITH NO STROBE LIGHTS ON THAT WE NOTICED. THE RJ PLT SHOULD HAVE MADE A STRONG INDICATION THAT HE WAS ON THE RWY AND THE TWR CTLR SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO TELL WHERE HE WAS. THE TWR CTLR WAS WORKING 2 FREQ'S AND SAID THAT SHE COULD NOT SEE THE RWY FROM WHERE SHE WAS BECAUSE OF THE TERMINAL LIGHTS BLOCKED HER VIEW. THE TWR CTLR SHOULD NOT BE LEFT ALONE WITH NO SUPERVISION; THE TWR CTLR SHOULD NOT BE WORKING 2 FREQ'S; THE TWR CTLR SHOULD NOT 'LOSE' ACFT AND LIGHTS SHOULD NEVER BLOCK THE VIEW OF A CTLR. ACFT SHOULD ALWAYS CLR THE RWY BEFORE STOPPING AND ASKING FOR DIRECTIONS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 485748: WE WERE CLRED FOR APCH TO RWY 23 AT BAF; AND OUTSIDE THE OUTER MARKER WE CONTRACTED TWR. SHE CLRED US TO LNDG ON RWY 23. THERE WAS A CRJ THAT PRECEDED US ON THE APCH. THE RJ AND THE TWR HAD A CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT GATE THE RJ WAS PARKING ON. AT APPROX 1-2 MI FINAL; IT APPEARED THAT THE CRJ WAS CLRING THE RWY. WE TOUCHED DOWN AND CLRED AT TXWY G; AND WE THEN REALIZED THAT THE RJ WAS ALSO JUST NOW CLRING THE RWY. THE TWR WAS ASKING THE RJ WHERE THEY WERE; AND THE RJ AREA SEEMED UNFAMILIAR. THE TWR ASKED US WHERE WE WERE! THE CAPT ASKED THE TWR IF SHE COULD SEE US. HER RESPONSE WAS NO! I CANNOT SEE THAT END OF RWY BECAUSE OF THE NEW TERMINAL LIGHTS THAT WERE INSTALLED. WE WERE NOT CLOSE TO THE CRJ AS WE CLRED AT G FROM A NORMAL LNDG AND TURN OFF. THE POTENTIAL IS THERE FOR A SERIOUS INCIDENT/ACCIDENT. THE TWR DID NOT ADEQUATELY ATC CTL THE CRJ CREW WAS UNFAMILIAR; AND IT WAS AT NIGHT. I BELIEVE THE TWR LOST TRACK OF BOTH ACFT; AND VISIBILITY MAYBE RESTRICTED AT THE BUF TWR FOR THE APCH END OF RWY 5. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: TWR CTLR TOLD RPTR THAT THE FAR END OF RWY 23 WAS NOT VISIBLE DUE TO THE GLARE CAUSED BY TERMINAL LIGHTING. CAPT HAS RPTED THE PROB TO HIS UNION AIR SAFETY AND HIS ACR. HE IS ALSO CONCERNED THAT THE CTLR APPEARED TO LOSE THE RJ AND WAS NOT AWARE IT WAS STILL ON THE RWY.