AFTER LNDG AN ACR FLC DISCOVERS THAT THE SNOW PLOWS HAD LEFT A 'SNOW BERM' 35 TO 50 FT EITHER SIDE OF CTRLINE AND RUNNING THE LENGTH OF RWY 1 AND FROM 6 TO 8 INCHES HIGH. B737-300.
Synopsis
AFTER LNDG AN ACR FLC DISCOVERS THAT THE SNOW PLOWS HAD LEFT A 'SNOW BERM' 35 TO 50 FT EITHER SIDE OF CTRLINE AND RUNNING THE LENGTH OF RWY 1 AND FROM 6 TO 8 INCHES HIGH. B737-300.
Narrative
INBOUND TO ALB; TALKED TO COMPANY OPS ON RADIO; WAS GIVEN FIELD CONDITIONS; PLOWED/SANDED FULL WIDTH/LENGTH. SAME CONDITIONS RPTED ON ATIS AND TWR. ON LNDG FOUND CTRLINE DRY AND BARE. HOWEVER; APPROX 35 TO 50 FT TO EITHER SIDE OF CTRLINE; THERE WAS A 6-8 INCH SNOW BERM OF WET HVY SNOW CHUNKS. BEYOND THIS THERE WAS 1-2 INCHES OF WET HVY SNOW. NEEDLESS TO SAY; I FELT THE INCOMPETENT; UNCARING MANNER IN WHICH THE FIELD CONDITIONS WERE RPTED ENDANGERED THE SAFETY OF THE ACFT; PAX AND CREW. WE RELY ON ARPTS; COMPANY AND ATC TO GIVE ACCURATE RPTS. I WOULD NOT HAVE LANDED HAD I KNOWN THE CONDITIONS. ON DEP I REQUESTED AND RECEIVED A RIDE DOWN THE RWY WITH THE ARPT MGR TO RPT ON TODAY'S CONDITIONS. I LET HIM KNOW ABOUT MY FEELINGS ABOUT ACCURATELY RPTING RWY CONDITIONS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR WAS FLYING A B737-300 WHEN HE ENCOUNTERED THE 'SNOW BERMS' ON RWY 1. THESE RIDGES OF SNOW WERE THE REMNANTS OF AN ATTEMPT TO CLR THE CTR; ONLY; OF THE RWY AND; ACCORDING TO THE RPTR; CONSISTED OF SNOW; ICE AND FROZEN RAIN AND WERE QUITE SOLID. THE NEXT MORNING HE RODE DOWN THE RWY WITH THE ARPT MGR TO SHOW HIM THE BERMS AND TO EMPHASIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF PROVIDING A COMPLETELY CLR RWY. HE SAID THAT THE MGR SEEMED TO UNDERSTAND; BUT WAS UNHAPPY WITH HIS TECHNIQUE.
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Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.