Narrative:

After landing at pit runway 32, tower instructed me to turn right. Taxiway M appeared to have 2 inches hard pack snow with all blue lights visible. After clearing, snow got deeper and deeper until the B-727 was stuck in up to 2 ft of snow. Tower apologized, said they thought the area was plowed and clear. Country operations manager arrived with snowplows and equipment, stated that he had notamed that taxiway closed for snow depth. NOTAM did not appear on flight plan nor arrival ATIS. Tower was unaware of closure. I feel that the communication should be improved between agencies of airport operations to ground and tower so that the user be provided with correct and up to date information. Supplemental information from acn 261024: a subsequent ATIS broadcast still did not mention anything about closed txwys. We decided to offload passenger onto buses to take them to the terminal. County ground personnel cleared the area of snow. Air carrier personnel used a tug to pull aircraft forward. Other air carrier maintenance checked aircraft and found no damage. We then started all engines and taxied to the gate. Logbook entry made recommending de-icing of compacted snow in landing gear and brake areas. Bottom line: we were not given any information about taxiway conditions that were apparently available, according to the allegheny county operations manager. We were cleared by tower onto an unclred taxiway. Tower did not have current taxiway information. Supplemental information from acn 261536: we had pre-briefed right turnoff of 32 to use taxiway 'north' up the hill to north side of the new terminal. Approaching last third of runway and not able to see taxiway lights at the end due to snow buildup and cleared for right turnoff by tower, captain turned right onto taxiway 'microphone,' and we found ourselves on a taxiway that had not been cleared -- was, in fact, notamed closed by the county, but was not on ATIS nor our flight plan NOTAMS. Tower's concern was that our tail was not fouling the runway due to traffic on final. We complied and proceeded to taxi toward ramp area for old terminal. Tower's clearance to turn right was followed up by an apology and the statement I'm not sure what we have down there, in reply to a comment by me that it did not look too good up ahead. This discourse was at the beginning of this incident while tower was trying to ascertain if our aircraft was clear of the active runway.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC FOLLOWS TWR CTLR'S TAXI INSTRUCTIONS, GETS STUCK IN 2 FT OF SNOW ON TXWY IN A NIGHT OP.

Narrative: AFTER LNDG AT PIT RWY 32, TWR INSTRUCTED ME TO TURN R. TXWY M APPEARED TO HAVE 2 INCHES HARD PACK SNOW WITH ALL BLUE LIGHTS VISIBLE. AFTER CLRING, SNOW GOT DEEPER AND DEEPER UNTIL THE B-727 WAS STUCK IN UP TO 2 FT OF SNOW. TWR APOLOGIZED, SAID THEY THOUGHT THE AREA WAS PLOWED AND CLR. COUNTRY OPS MGR ARRIVED WITH SNOWPLOWS AND EQUIP, STATED THAT HE HAD NOTAMED THAT TXWY CLOSED FOR SNOW DEPTH. NOTAM DID NOT APPEAR ON FLT PLAN NOR ARR ATIS. TWR WAS UNAWARE OF CLOSURE. I FEEL THAT THE COM SHOULD BE IMPROVED BTWN AGENCIES OF ARPT OPS TO GND AND TWR SO THAT THE USER BE PROVIDED WITH CORRECT AND UP TO DATE INFO. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 261024: A SUBSEQUENT ATIS BROADCAST STILL DID NOT MENTION ANYTHING ABOUT CLOSED TXWYS. WE DECIDED TO OFFLOAD PAX ONTO BUSES TO TAKE THEM TO THE TERMINAL. COUNTY GND PERSONNEL CLRED THE AREA OF SNOW. ACR PERSONNEL USED A TUG TO PULL ACFT FORWARD. OTHER ACR MAINT CHKED ACFT AND FOUND NO DAMAGE. WE THEN STARTED ALL ENGS AND TAXIED TO THE GATE. LOGBOOK ENTRY MADE RECOMMENDING DE-ICING OF COMPACTED SNOW IN LNDG GEAR AND BRAKE AREAS. BOTTOM LINE: WE WERE NOT GIVEN ANY INFO ABOUT TXWY CONDITIONS THAT WERE APPARENTLY AVAILABLE, ACCORDING TO THE ALLEGHENY COUNTY OPS MGR. WE WERE CLRED BY TWR ONTO AN UNCLRED TXWY. TWR DID NOT HAVE CURRENT TXWY INFO. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 261536: WE HAD PRE-BRIEFED R TURNOFF OF 32 TO USE TXWY 'N' UP THE HILL TO N SIDE OF THE NEW TERMINAL. APCHING LAST THIRD OF RWY AND NOT ABLE TO SEE TXWY LIGHTS AT THE END DUE TO SNOW BUILDUP AND CLRED FOR R TURNOFF BY TWR, CAPT TURNED R ONTO TXWY 'MIKE,' AND WE FOUND OURSELVES ON A TXWY THAT HAD NOT BEEN CLRED -- WAS, IN FACT, NOTAMED CLOSED BY THE COUNTY, BUT WAS NOT ON ATIS NOR OUR FLT PLAN NOTAMS. TWR'S CONCERN WAS THAT OUR TAIL WAS NOT FOULING THE RWY DUE TO TFC ON FINAL. WE COMPLIED AND PROCEEDED TO TAXI TOWARD RAMP AREA FOR OLD TERMINAL. TWR'S CLRNC TO TURN R WAS FOLLOWED UP BY AN APOLOGY AND THE STATEMENT I'M NOT SURE WHAT WE HAVE DOWN THERE, IN REPLY TO A COMMENT BY ME THAT IT DID NOT LOOK TOO GOOD UP AHEAD. THIS DISCOURSE WAS AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS INCIDENT WHILE TWR WAS TRYING TO ASCERTAIN IF OUR ACFT WAS CLR OF THE ACTIVE RWY.

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.