Narrative:

During approach to runway 05 orf, encountered light, clear icing. On ILS, at approximately 1000 ft, 3 mi from runway, tower told us that dc-9 just landed, reported braking nil. Previous report had been poor. We were just descending through overcast as this new braking report was given. The first officer asked me if we were legal to land with this new report. I told him I wasn't sure. I considered my options: make go around, fly in icing conditions waiting for company dispatcher to make decision as to whether we should land in orf, filed alternate or some other station...or continue and land on runway, now in sight. Runway looked fine. (?) Surface wind was within 10 degrees of runway and a steady 17 KT. I felt comfortable making the landing as the dash 7 has excellent stopping/directional control with fully reversible propellers....brakes on this airplane are only needed for STOL lndgs and parking. I asked the first officer if he felt comfortable making the landing, he replied in the affirmative. I later learned that my company operations manual says no operations allowed on runway with nil braking. The landing was smooth, uneventful. Control of aircraft was transferred to me, I tested braking and found it to be poor (in my opinion). Problem: I broke company rules. We pilots need a more precise measurement of braking conditions...'nil' to a dc-9 pilot may be 'poor' or better to a dash 7 pilot...I need to review my operations manual.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNAUTH LNDG MADE BY ACR MDT PIC WHEN BRAKING ACTION RPTED NIL.

Narrative: DURING APCH TO RWY 05 ORF, ENCOUNTERED LIGHT, CLR ICING. ON ILS, AT APPROX 1000 FT, 3 MI FROM RWY, TWR TOLD US THAT DC-9 JUST LANDED, RPTED BRAKING NIL. PREVIOUS RPT HAD BEEN POOR. WE WERE JUST DSNDING THROUGH OVCST AS THIS NEW BRAKING RPT WAS GIVEN. THE FO ASKED ME IF WE WERE LEGAL TO LAND WITH THIS NEW RPT. I TOLD HIM I WASN'T SURE. I CONSIDERED MY OPTIONS: MAKE GAR, FLY IN ICING CONDITIONS WAITING FOR COMPANY DISPATCHER TO MAKE DECISION AS TO WHETHER WE SHOULD LAND IN ORF, FILED ALTERNATE OR SOME OTHER STATION...OR CONTINUE AND LAND ON RWY, NOW IN SIGHT. RWY LOOKED FINE. (?) SURFACE WIND WAS WITHIN 10 DEGS OF RWY AND A STEADY 17 KT. I FELT COMFORTABLE MAKING THE LNDG AS THE DASH 7 HAS EXCELLENT STOPPING/DIRECTIONAL CTL WITH FULLY REVERSIBLE PROPS....BRAKES ON THIS AIRPLANE ARE ONLY NEEDED FOR STOL LNDGS AND PARKING. I ASKED THE FO IF HE FELT COMFORTABLE MAKING THE LNDG, HE REPLIED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE. I LATER LEARNED THAT MY COMPANY OPS MANUAL SAYS NO OPS ALLOWED ON RWY WITH NIL BRAKING. THE LNDG WAS SMOOTH, UNEVENTFUL. CTL OF ACFT WAS TRANSFERRED TO ME, I TESTED BRAKING AND FOUND IT TO BE POOR (IN MY OPINION). PROB: I BROKE COMPANY RULES. WE PLTS NEED A MORE PRECISE MEASUREMENT OF BRAKING CONDITIONS...'NIL' TO A DC-9 PLT MAY BE 'POOR' OR BETTER TO A DASH 7 PLT...I NEED TO REVIEW MY OPS MANUAL.

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.