Narrative:

Incident occurred on takeoff during an extended period of heavy snowfall. The runway (9R) was closed for about 10-15 mins by tower just prior to our departure. The reason for the runway closure was to 'knock down windrows across the runway from plowing operations on 32L (32L intersects 9R). Almost simultaneously with rotation, we observed the 'windrows' about 500 to 1000 ft forward of the aircraft. There was a very noticeable thud as the main gear appeared to hit the snow. (I had already begun rotation so the nose gear did not appear to impact the snow). The remainder of the takeoff, climb and entire flight were uneventful. Post flight inspection revealed a 4 to 5 inch tear in the APU access door and the APU fluid director strip was missing. Although we were in reduced visibility and it was dark, it appeared to me that the remaining window was 12 to 18 inches high. I think we were very fortunate not to incur more damage. I am very surprised that the personnel responsible for reporting runway conditions at an airport as large as ord did not think that this was a hazardous condition.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR TKOF ON RWY WITH ARPT PROBLEM OBSTRUCTION UNCHARTED UNMARKED UNLIGHTED. ACFT HITS SNOW BERM ON ROTATION.

Narrative: INCIDENT OCCURRED ON TKOF DURING AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF HVY SNOWFALL. THE RWY (9R) WAS CLOSED FOR ABOUT 10-15 MINS BY TWR JUST PRIOR TO OUR DEP. THE REASON FOR THE RWY CLOSURE WAS TO 'KNOCK DOWN WINDROWS ACROSS THE RWY FROM PLOWING OPS ON 32L (32L INTERSECTS 9R). ALMOST SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH ROTATION, WE OBSERVED THE 'WINDROWS' ABOUT 500 TO 1000 FT FORWARD OF THE ACFT. THERE WAS A VERY NOTICEABLE THUD AS THE MAIN GEAR APPEARED TO HIT THE SNOW. (I HAD ALREADY BEGUN ROTATION SO THE NOSE GEAR DID NOT APPEAR TO IMPACT THE SNOW). THE REMAINDER OF THE TKOF, CLB AND ENTIRE FLT WERE UNEVENTFUL. POST FLT INSPECTION REVEALED A 4 TO 5 INCH TEAR IN THE APU ACCESS DOOR AND THE APU FLUID DIRECTOR STRIP WAS MISSING. ALTHOUGH WE WERE IN REDUCED VISIBILITY AND IT WAS DARK, IT APPEARED TO ME THAT THE REMAINING WINDOW WAS 12 TO 18 INCHES HIGH. I THINK WE WERE VERY FORTUNATE NOT TO INCUR MORE DAMAGE. I AM VERY SURPRISED THAT THE PERSONNEL RESPONSIBLE FOR RPTING RWY CONDITIONS AT AN ARPT AS LARGE AS ORD DID NOT THINK THAT THIS WAS A HAZARDOUS CONDITION.

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.