When small transport breaks out of clouds at minimums, he sights a snowplow entering the runway.

Attributes
ACN	147256
Time
Date	199004
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bil
State Reference	MT
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 200
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zlc
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Small Transport
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 8000
ASRS Report	147256
Person 2
Affiliation	government other
Function	other personnel
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical incursion : runway
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 0 vertical : 100
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Airport
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

On a low IFR approach to bil, when I broke out at minimums, and had the approach lights and runway threshold light I saw an orange blinking light by the threshold. When I got a little closer, it was a snowplow pulling on to the runway. I cleared it and landed west/O incident. Driver was not paying enough attention to radio or was confused about my position. Snowplow drivers need to be sure of aircraft position before pulling on to the runway. If he would have been 1/2 mi down the runway I may not have seen him until I was rolling out, and may not have been able to avoid him. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. Reporter corrected the time of occurrence shown or report. He also said that the control tower was closed and that the snowplow driver should have been monitoring the FSS frequency and should have been aware of the aircraft position.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WHEN SMT BREAKS OUT OF CLOUDS AT MINIMUMS, HE SIGHTS A SNOWPLOW ENTERING THE RWY.

Narrative: ON A LOW IFR APCH TO BIL, WHEN I BROKE OUT AT MINIMUMS, AND HAD THE APCH LIGHTS AND RWY THRESHOLD LIGHT I SAW AN ORANGE BLINKING LIGHT BY THE THRESHOLD. WHEN I GOT A LITTLE CLOSER, IT WAS A SNOWPLOW PULLING ON TO THE RWY. I CLRED IT AND LANDED W/O INCIDENT. DRIVER WAS NOT PAYING ENOUGH ATTN TO RADIO OR WAS CONFUSED ABOUT MY POS. SNOWPLOW DRIVERS NEED TO BE SURE OF ACFT POS BEFORE PULLING ON TO THE RWY. IF HE WOULD HAVE BEEN 1/2 MI DOWN THE RWY I MAY NOT HAVE SEEN HIM UNTIL I WAS ROLLING OUT, AND MAY NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO AVOID HIM. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. REPORTER CORRECTED THE TIME OF OCCURRENCE SHOWN OR RPT. HE ALSO SAID THAT THE CTL TWR WAS CLOSED AND THAT THE SNOWPLOW DRIVER SHOULD HAVE BEEN MONITORING THE FSS FREQ AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN AWARE OF THE ACFT POS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.