Narrative:

I started working in the tower on local control at approximately XB00 local. The WX and visibility was IFR, 1/2 mi in snow, RVR 2400. Local control and ground control were combined at the ground control position prior to my opening local. There were 2 brooms, brooming the runway talking on the ground control frequency in accordance with FAA notice 7110.4 which requires vehicles to have both the ground and local tower frequency equipped radios. Trucks are to use tower frequency when on the runway. At the time I received the position briefing the brooms were holding short of runway 5 at taxiway charlie. The ground controller called the broom and said, 'broom xx contact buffalo tower on 120.5 for clearance onto the runway.' the brooms did not call me. I cleared an air carrier medium large transport to land. I could see the jet roll out past the tower, but he went out of sight in the snow as he continued his landing roll out. I advised the medium large transport jet that he was 'not in sight' and to use caution as there were 2 trucks on taxiway charlie. The pilot came back quickly with 'there are trucks on the runway centerline,' and that if he had landed long a lot of people would have been killed. Before this notice (FAA) was written, all ground vehicles were on ground frequency. Now the notice requires them to have both ground and tower frequency. Truck drivers do not have the training pilots and controllers are required to have. 2 frequencys is confusing for them and this leads to misunderstanding. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: type of aircraft involved was an medium large transport. Reporter had been on local control position for 2 mins. Reporter's experience level is 5 yrs and ground controller about 7 yrs. Snow equipment had been told to hold short of runway and to contact the tower on 120.5 for clearance onto runway. Snow removal drivers never called the local controller, just drove out onto runway. Equipment was not visible to tower due to snow restricting visibility. Flight crew says they normally don't turn off at taxiway C, but for some reason had been able to this time and all concerned were very happy they did. All airport veh drivers have been retrained by tower training officer on radio communications and frequencys to use. Supplemental information from acn 107997: vehicles were holding short of runway on taxiway C, and were instructed to 'contact tower frequency 120.5' for clearance onto the runway, 'as per buf tower.' notice buf north 7110.4 (effective 2/fri/89). The vehicles acknowledged the instruction, but misunderstood and proceeded onto runway. I believe that this incident is a direct result of new procedure at buf that requires vehicles to switch to tower frequency when on active runway. The burden of switching frequencys and trying to be more aware to catch instructions from different controllers should not be added to drivers' responsibilities, especially since no formal training is required. Supplemental information from acn 107885: we made a normal landing and as I completed my roll out, and was about to turn off at taxiway C, I noticed 2 snow plows coming down the runway toward us about 400' away. I asked the tower why these snow plows were on the runway and they said they didn't give any snow plows permission to be on the runway. The runway was snow covered with a very wet snow. Braking was poor. If we had used or had tried to use the remaining runway there would have been a disaster. The plow operators were obviously not complying with the new procedure so I must surmise that the breakdown was in imparting of this new procedure. Supplemental information from acn 108010: we landed and were decelerating to turn off the runway when we saw 2 snow plows coming toward us on the centerline. We turned off the runway at C and they were about 200' away. We were in an medium large transport. If we had been a little slower on the approach or landed a little long or fast we would have wiped out the plows and about 115 people along with the aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG LANDED ON RWY 5 IN LOW VISIBILITY CONDITION AND SAW SNOW REMOVAL EQUIPMENT ON RWY CENTERLINE AS THE ACFT WAS CLEARING AT AN INTERSECTION.

Narrative: I STARTED WORKING IN THE TWR ON LCL CTL AT APPROX XB00 LCL. THE WX AND VISIBILITY WAS IFR, 1/2 MI IN SNOW, RVR 2400. LCL CTL AND GND CTL WERE COMBINED AT THE GND CTL POS PRIOR TO MY OPENING LCL. THERE WERE 2 BROOMS, BROOMING THE RWY TALKING ON THE GND CTL FREQ IN ACCORDANCE WITH FAA NOTICE 7110.4 WHICH REQUIRES VEHICLES TO HAVE BOTH THE GND AND LCL TWR FREQ EQUIPPED RADIOS. TRUCKS ARE TO USE TWR FREQ WHEN ON THE RWY. AT THE TIME I RECEIVED THE POS BRIEFING THE BROOMS WERE HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 5 AT TXWY CHARLIE. THE GND CTLR CALLED THE BROOM AND SAID, 'BROOM XX CONTACT BUFFALO TWR ON 120.5 FOR CLRNC ONTO THE RWY.' THE BROOMS DID NOT CALL ME. I CLRED AN ACR MLG TO LAND. I COULD SEE THE JET ROLL OUT PAST THE TWR, BUT HE WENT OUT OF SIGHT IN THE SNOW AS HE CONTINUED HIS LNDG ROLL OUT. I ADVISED THE MLG JET THAT HE WAS 'NOT IN SIGHT' AND TO USE CAUTION AS THERE WERE 2 TRUCKS ON TXWY CHARLIE. THE PLT CAME BACK QUICKLY WITH 'THERE ARE TRUCKS ON THE RWY CENTERLINE,' AND THAT IF HE HAD LANDED LONG A LOT OF PEOPLE WOULD HAVE BEEN KILLED. BEFORE THIS NOTICE (FAA) WAS WRITTEN, ALL GND VEHICLES WERE ON GND FREQ. NOW THE NOTICE REQUIRES THEM TO HAVE BOTH GND AND TWR FREQ. TRUCK DRIVERS DO NOT HAVE THE TRNING PLTS AND CTLRS ARE REQUIRED TO HAVE. 2 FREQS IS CONFUSING FOR THEM AND THIS LEADS TO MISUNDERSTANDING. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: TYPE OF ACFT INVOLVED WAS AN MLG. RPTR HAD BEEN ON LCL CTL POS FOR 2 MINS. RPTR'S EXPERIENCE LEVEL IS 5 YRS AND GND CTLR ABOUT 7 YRS. SNOW EQUIP HAD BEEN TOLD TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY AND TO CONTACT THE TWR ON 120.5 FOR CLRNC ONTO RWY. SNOW REMOVAL DRIVERS NEVER CALLED THE LCL CTLR, JUST DROVE OUT ONTO RWY. EQUIP WAS NOT VISIBLE TO TWR DUE TO SNOW RESTRICTING VISIBILITY. FLT CREW SAYS THEY NORMALLY DON'T TURN OFF AT TXWY C, BUT FOR SOME REASON HAD BEEN ABLE TO THIS TIME AND ALL CONCERNED WERE VERY HAPPY THEY DID. ALL ARPT VEH DRIVERS HAVE BEEN RETRAINED BY TWR TRNING OFFICER ON RADIO COMS AND FREQS TO USE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 107997: VEHICLES WERE HOLDING SHORT OF RWY ON TXWY C, AND WERE INSTRUCTED TO 'CONTACT TWR FREQ 120.5' FOR CLRNC ONTO THE RWY, 'AS PER BUF TWR.' NOTICE BUF N 7110.4 (EFFECTIVE 2/FRI/89). THE VEHICLES ACKNOWLEDGED THE INSTRUCTION, BUT MISUNDERSTOOD AND PROCEEDED ONTO RWY. I BELIEVE THAT THIS INCIDENT IS A DIRECT RESULT OF NEW PROC AT BUF THAT REQUIRES VEHICLES TO SWITCH TO TWR FREQ WHEN ON ACTIVE RWY. THE BURDEN OF SWITCHING FREQS AND TRYING TO BE MORE AWARE TO CATCH INSTRUCTIONS FROM DIFFERENT CTLRS SHOULD NOT BE ADDED TO DRIVERS' RESPONSIBILITIES, ESPECIALLY SINCE NO FORMAL TRNING IS REQUIRED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 107885: WE MADE A NORMAL LNDG AND AS I COMPLETED MY ROLL OUT, AND WAS ABOUT TO TURN OFF AT TXWY C, I NOTICED 2 SNOW PLOWS COMING DOWN THE RWY TOWARD US ABOUT 400' AWAY. I ASKED THE TWR WHY THESE SNOW PLOWS WERE ON THE RWY AND THEY SAID THEY DIDN'T GIVE ANY SNOW PLOWS PERMISSION TO BE ON THE RWY. THE RWY WAS SNOW COVERED WITH A VERY WET SNOW. BRAKING WAS POOR. IF WE HAD USED OR HAD TRIED TO USE THE REMAINING RWY THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN A DISASTER. THE PLOW OPERATORS WERE OBVIOUSLY NOT COMPLYING WITH THE NEW PROC SO I MUST SURMISE THAT THE BREAKDOWN WAS IN IMPARTING OF THIS NEW PROC. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 108010: WE LANDED AND WERE DECELERATING TO TURN OFF THE RWY WHEN WE SAW 2 SNOW PLOWS COMING TOWARD US ON THE CENTERLINE. WE TURNED OFF THE RWY AT C AND THEY WERE ABOUT 200' AWAY. WE WERE IN AN MLG. IF WE HAD BEEN A LITTLE SLOWER ON THE APCH OR LANDED A LITTLE LONG OR FAST WE WOULD HAVE WIPED OUT THE PLOWS AND ABOUT 115 PEOPLE ALONG WITH THE ACFT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.