Narrative:

During preflight, our paperwork had a NOTAM reporting 'braking action poor by a 737.' the winds at the airport were within our operational limits so we elected to go to pvd. Takeoff, en route, arrival and approach flight segments were normal. ATIS reported winds at 260 degrees and 6 KTS. Runway plowed and sanded. Approach or tower told us that braking action was fair to good by a previously arriving commuter (F27 I think). When we landed there was almost no brakin,. The captain used full reverse to decelerate. I remember prior to stopping, seeing a large dust cloud engulf the airplane. There was so much dust that the cabin filled with enough to cause the flight attendants to discuss evacing the airplane. Other points: prior to touchdown I observed a lot of sand on the runway, perhaps enough to actually cause a reduction in traction. The temperature was 33 degrees F, possibly causing ice melting and refreezing. Failure of anti skid/system automatic brakes (although doubtful). Within 2 seconds of landing the 'automatic brake disarm' light came on. The automatic brakes were set to level 3. This would be a normal indication if the captain had exceeded level 3 braking with his foot brakes. One interesting note, we felt one anti skid release just after touchdown. There should have been many releases. Contributing factors: there was too much sand on the runway. Either there is no FAA guidance or the airport authority/authorized was not following prescribed procedures for runway de-icing/anti-icing, plowing and sanding. Runway condition reporting is confusing. There are several different methods in our flight operations manual (depending on the type of equipment used) to report braking action. From experience, what I have found to be 'good braking' might not be that good. Sometimes it is possible to land on a 'poor' runway without a problem, other times the runway is extremely slick. As a result, braking action reports become less relevant. If we had known exactly how 'poor' the runway was, we never would have attempted a landing. Supplemental information from acn 260950: en route to pvd with braking action report of poor runway 23L, landed and used maximum effort braking and reverse. Tracked straight down centerline. Runway had a lot of sand, much more than normal. Stopped with no problem. Learned 2 days later that both engines need to be replaced due to sand ingestion.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR FO DECRIES THE OBSERVATION PROCS USED IN BRAKING ACTION RPTED POOR IN A NIGHT OP.

Narrative: DURING PREFLT, OUR PAPERWORK HAD A NOTAM RPTING 'BRAKING ACTION POOR BY A 737.' THE WINDS AT THE ARPT WERE WITHIN OUR OPERATIONAL LIMITS SO WE ELECTED TO GO TO PVD. TKOF, ENRTE, ARR AND APCH FLT SEGMENTS WERE NORMAL. ATIS RPTED WINDS AT 260 DEGS AND 6 KTS. RWY PLOWED AND SANDED. APCH OR TWR TOLD US THAT BRAKING ACTION WAS FAIR TO GOOD BY A PREVIOUSLY ARRIVING COMMUTER (F27 I THINK). WHEN WE LANDED THERE WAS ALMOST NO BRAKIN,. THE CAPT USED FULL REVERSE TO DECELERATE. I REMEMBER PRIOR TO STOPPING, SEEING A LARGE DUST CLOUD ENGULF THE AIRPLANE. THERE WAS SO MUCH DUST THAT THE CABIN FILLED WITH ENOUGH TO CAUSE THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO DISCUSS EVACING THE AIRPLANE. OTHER POINTS: PRIOR TO TOUCHDOWN I OBSERVED A LOT OF SAND ON THE RWY, PERHAPS ENOUGH TO ACTUALLY CAUSE A REDUCTION IN TRACTION. THE TEMP WAS 33 DEGS F, POSSIBLY CAUSING ICE MELTING AND REFREEZING. FAILURE OF ANTI SKID/SYS AUTO BRAKES (ALTHOUGH DOUBTFUL). WITHIN 2 SECONDS OF LNDG THE 'AUTO BRAKE DISARM' LIGHT CAME ON. THE AUTO BRAKES WERE SET TO LEVEL 3. THIS WOULD BE A NORMAL INDICATION IF THE CAPT HAD EXCEEDED LEVEL 3 BRAKING WITH HIS FOOT BRAKES. ONE INTERESTING NOTE, WE FELT ONE ANTI SKID RELEASE JUST AFTER TOUCHDOWN. THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN MANY RELEASES. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: THERE WAS TOO MUCH SAND ON THE RWY. EITHER THERE IS NO FAA GUIDANCE OR THE ARPT AUTH WAS NOT FOLLOWING PRESCRIBED PROCS FOR RWY DE-ICING/ANTI-ICING, PLOWING AND SANDING. RWY CONDITION RPTING IS CONFUSING. THERE ARE SEVERAL DIFFERENT METHODS IN OUR FLT OPS MANUAL (DEPENDING ON THE TYPE OF EQUIP USED) TO RPT BRAKING ACTION. FROM EXPERIENCE, WHAT I HAVE FOUND TO BE 'GOOD BRAKING' MIGHT NOT BE THAT GOOD. SOMETIMES IT IS POSSIBLE TO LAND ON A 'POOR' RWY WITHOUT A PROB, OTHER TIMES THE RWY IS EXTREMELY SLICK. AS A RESULT, BRAKING ACTION RPTS BECOME LESS RELEVANT. IF WE HAD KNOWN EXACTLY HOW 'POOR' THE RWY WAS, WE NEVER WOULD HAVE ATTEMPTED A LNDG. SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION FROM ACN 260950: ENRTE TO PVD WITH BRAKING ACTION RPT OF POOR RWY 23L, LANDED AND USED MAX EFFORT BRAKING AND REVERSE. TRACKED STRAIGHT DOWN CTRLINE. RWY HAD A LOT OF SAND, MUCH MORE THAN NORMAL. STOPPED WITH NO PROB. LEARNED 2 DAYS LATER THAT BOTH ENGS NEED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO SAND INGESTION.

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.