Light transport pilot lands on snow covered runway with braking action reported poor to nil.

Attributes
ACN	204340
Time
Date	199203
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bgm
State Reference	NY
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 9000 flight time type : 600
ASRS Report	204340
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	non adherence other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

While on final approach to runway 34 at binghamton, ny, (WX 2200 overcast 1 1/2 mi snow, executing ILS approach) aircraft ahead (small transport) by 4-5 mi landed and reported braking action poor to nil. I had never heard anyone report braking action that way (fair to good, fair to poor) but never poor to nil. Most pilots know if you report it as nil you shut the airport down. Company procedures forbid operations on nil braking action. Because he reported poor to nil not one or the other, I decided to average the poor to nil and came up with something better than nil less than poor. I landed, found braking action poor, reported it as such. Tower had vehicle go out on runway and truck reported braking action as poor. Hindsight. Should have made missed approach. Requested holding or vectors and asked tower to get a vehicle to check runway so the official braking action would be determined to be one or the other (nil or poor). I am in violation of my company's operations manual. It states any braking action report that contains word 'nil' will not be operated on. I thought it said something to the effect of absolutely nil. I was wrong. Next time I will go around, have the airport manager make the decision, not me, on a 2 mi final.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LTT PLT LANDS ON SNOW COVERED RWY WITH BRAKING ACTION RPTED POOR TO NIL.

Narrative: WHILE ON FINAL APCH TO RWY 34 AT BINGHAMTON, NY, (WX 2200 OVCST 1 1/2 MI SNOW, EXECUTING ILS APCH) ACFT AHEAD (SMT) BY 4-5 MI LANDED AND RPTED BRAKING ACTION POOR TO NIL. I HAD NEVER HEARD ANYONE RPT BRAKING ACTION THAT WAY (FAIR TO GOOD, FAIR TO POOR) BUT NEVER POOR TO NIL. MOST PLTS KNOW IF YOU RPT IT AS NIL YOU SHUT THE ARPT DOWN. COMPANY PROCS FORBID OPS ON NIL BRAKING ACTION. BECAUSE HE RPTED POOR TO NIL NOT ONE OR THE OTHER, I DECIDED TO AVERAGE THE POOR TO NIL AND CAME UP WITH SOMETHING BETTER THAN NIL LESS THAN POOR. I LANDED, FOUND BRAKING ACTION POOR, RPTED IT AS SUCH. TWR HAD VEHICLE GO OUT ON RWY AND TRUCK RPTED BRAKING ACTION AS POOR. HINDSIGHT. SHOULD HAVE MADE MISSED APCH. REQUESTED HOLDING OR VECTORS AND ASKED TWR TO GET A VEHICLE TO CHK RWY SO THE OFFICIAL BRAKING ACTION WOULD BE DETERMINED TO BE ONE OR THE OTHER (NIL OR POOR). I AM IN VIOLATION OF MY COMPANY'S OPS MANUAL. IT STATES ANY BRAKING ACTION RPT THAT CONTAINS WORD 'NIL' WILL NOT BE OPERATED ON. I THOUGHT IT SAID SOMETHING TO THE EFFECT OF ABSOLUTELY NIL. I WAS WRONG. NEXT TIME I WILL GAR, HAVE THE ARPT MGR MAKE THE DECISION, NOT ME, ON A 2 MI FINAL.

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.