Narrative:

With the first officer flying the leg, we departed anchorage for kodiak on the forecast, which called for improvement in the kodiak WX near our arrival time. Sure enough, the WX improved to 1.5 mi, and we began the approach. Center haded us off to kenai radio on 122.1 instead of the usual 119.8 (the CTAF when the tower is closed). At the final approach fix, we activated the lights on 121.9 (on our other communication radio) with the intention of lowering the intensity after we saw the field. Kenai radio informed us that the kodiak visibility had improved to 2 mi, and we saw the lights at 700 ft above touchdown. In-flight visibility was about 1.5 mi. At 100 ft above touchdown, we heard a broadcast saying 'snow removal equipment on all runways.' I transmitted immediately saying that we were on short final and asked where the snow removal equipment was, and got no response. I did not want to risk a missed approach into the immediately adjacent mountainous terrain, so I told the first officer to land and stop as soon after touchdown as possible. We could not see any obstacles in the immediate touchdown area. Upon landing and stopping, we spotted 1 vehicle at the far end of the runway. After talking with zan, kenai flight service, and the snow vehicle operators, we learned that: 1) flight service was aware that snow removal equipment was operating on the airport but hadn't told us. 2) when the tower closed, communications with flight crew service couldn't be established on 119.8. 3) the snow vehicles were monitoring 119.8 and were unaware of any problems with the frequency. They had 2 frequencys in the vehicle, 121.9 and 119.8, but could monitor only one at a time. 4) the snow vehicle operators saw the lights come up when we activated them, checked among themselves to see if any of them had clicked up the lights, and decided to get off the runways. I can monitor only 2 communication frequencys at a time. Obviously, everyone needs to be on the same page to prevent a recurrence. I suggest that the CTAF and the light activation frequency be the same, and that the CTAF be changed and all parties notified whenever there is a problem with the CTAF frequency, perhaps by NOTAM. I don't think it's a good idea to have to juggle 3 communication frequencys during a night approach in snow toward mountainous terrain.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MDT ACFT LANDED WHEN SNOW EQUIP WAS RPTED ON THE RWY.

Narrative: WITH THE FO FLYING THE LEG, WE DEPARTED ANCHORAGE FOR KODIAK ON THE FORECAST, WHICH CALLED FOR IMPROVEMENT IN THE KODIAK WX NEAR OUR ARR TIME. SURE ENOUGH, THE WX IMPROVED TO 1.5 MI, AND WE BEGAN THE APCH. CTR HADED US OFF TO KENAI RADIO ON 122.1 INSTEAD OF THE USUAL 119.8 (THE CTAF WHEN THE TWR IS CLOSED). AT THE FINAL APCH FIX, WE ACTIVATED THE LIGHTS ON 121.9 (ON OUR OTHER COM RADIO) WITH THE INTENTION OF LOWERING THE INTENSITY AFTER WE SAW THE FIELD. KENAI RADIO INFORMED US THAT THE KODIAK VISIBILITY HAD IMPROVED TO 2 MI, AND WE SAW THE LIGHTS AT 700 FT ABOVE TOUCHDOWN. INFLT VISIBILITY WAS ABOUT 1.5 MI. AT 100 FT ABOVE TOUCHDOWN, WE HEARD A BROADCAST SAYING 'SNOW REMOVAL EQUIP ON ALL RWYS.' I XMITTED IMMEDIATELY SAYING THAT WE WERE ON SHORT FINAL AND ASKED WHERE THE SNOW REMOVAL EQUIP WAS, AND GOT NO RESPONSE. I DID NOT WANT TO RISK A MISSED APCH INTO THE IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN, SO I TOLD THE FO TO LAND AND STOP AS SOON AFTER TOUCHDOWN AS POSSIBLE. WE COULD NOT SEE ANY OBSTACLES IN THE IMMEDIATE TOUCHDOWN AREA. UPON LNDG AND STOPPING, WE SPOTTED 1 VEHICLE AT THE FAR END OF THE RWY. AFTER TALKING WITH ZAN, KENAI FLT SVC, AND THE SNOW VEHICLE OPERATORS, WE LEARNED THAT: 1) FLT SVC WAS AWARE THAT SNOW REMOVAL EQUIP WAS OPERATING ON THE ARPT BUT HADN'T TOLD US. 2) WHEN THE TWR CLOSED, COMS WITH FLC SVC COULDN'T BE ESTABLISHED ON 119.8. 3) THE SNOW VEHICLES WERE MONITORING 119.8 AND WERE UNAWARE OF ANY PROBS WITH THE FREQ. THEY HAD 2 FREQS IN THE VEHICLE, 121.9 AND 119.8, BUT COULD MONITOR ONLY ONE AT A TIME. 4) THE SNOW VEHICLE OPERATORS SAW THE LIGHTS COME UP WHEN WE ACTIVATED THEM, CHKED AMONG THEMSELVES TO SEE IF ANY OF THEM HAD CLICKED UP THE LIGHTS, AND DECIDED TO GET OFF THE RWYS. I CAN MONITOR ONLY 2 COM FREQS AT A TIME. OBVIOUSLY, EVERYONE NEEDS TO BE ON THE SAME PAGE TO PREVENT A RECURRENCE. I SUGGEST THAT THE CTAF AND THE LIGHT ACTIVATION FREQ BE THE SAME, AND THAT THE CTAF BE CHANGED AND ALL PARTIES NOTIFIED WHENEVER THERE IS A PROB WITH THE CTAF FREQ, PERHAPS BY NOTAM. I DON'T THINK IT'S A GOOD IDEA TO HAVE TO JUGGLE 3 COM FREQS DURING A NIGHT APCH IN SNOW TOWARD MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN.

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.