B737 CREW RPTS RWY CTRLINE LIGHTS BURIED IN SNOW DURING CAT III APCHS AT DEN.
Synopsis
B737 CREW RPTS RWY CTRLINE LIGHTS BURIED IN SNOW DURING CAT III APCHS AT DEN.
Narrative
CAT III APCHS ASSUMES NOT ONLY ONBOARD EQUIP IS WORKING; BUT ALSO THE LNDG RWY HAS ALL THE REQUIRED ELECTRONIC AND APCH/RWY LIGHTING. WHEN WE LANDED AT DEN EVERYTHING WAS IN WORKING ORDER WITH 1 MAJOR CAVEAT. SNOW WAS COVERING THE RWY CTRLINE LIGHTS AND MADE THEM UNUSABLE. WE HAD THE APCH LIGHTS WELL OUT ON FINAL (I WOULD ESTIMATE FORWARD VISIBILITY AT CAT I RANGES) BUT WE ARE LOOKING AT A COMPLETELY WHITE PICTURE SO THE RWY IS NOT VERY DISTINCT. ON SHORT FINAL I PICKED UP THE RWY EDGE LIGHTS AND GOT SOMEWHAT DISORIENTED BECAUSE I THOUGHT THEY WERE THE RWY CTRLINE AS I'M TRAINED TO LOOK FOR. THE DISORIENTATION WAS COMPOUNDED BECAUSE WE HAD AN 8 KT XWIND FROM THE L AND AS WE GOT CLOSER IN; THE LIGHTS IN FRONT WERE THOSE R EDGE LIGHTS WHICH LEAD ME TO BELIEVE THAT SOMEHOW I WENT FROM ON COURSE TO L OF COURSE. IT PROBABLY WOULD HAVE BEEN EASIER IF THIS WAS A NIGHT APCH BECAUSE THE RWY CTRLINE MIGHT HAVE BEEN VISIBLE THROUGH THE SNOW. A QUICK DISCUSSION WITH THE FO CONFIRMED WE WERE CORRECT AND I LANDED THE ACFT. SIMPLY PUT: ARE WE LEGAL TO LAND FROM A HUD CAT III APCH IF A PORTION OF REQUIRED RWY LIGHTING IS AVAILABLE BUT NOT USABLE? THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN. ARE CAT III APCHS AUTH IF RWY CTRLINES ARE COVERED WITH SNOW AND ARE UNUSABLE?
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Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.