Dead animal on active runway.

Attributes
ACN	287353
Time
Date	199411
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : bwi
State Reference	MD
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	other pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 220 flight time total : 12700 flight time type : 5000
ASRS Report	287353
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

While landing at bwi on visual approach to runway 33L, aircraft in front of us thought they might have hit a deer, but wasn't sure. The #1 airplane to land went around, an the #2 airplane landed. We were #3. The #2 aircraft said the dead deer was left of centerline 1500 ft down the runway. Since the runway was 9500 ft long we knew we had sufficient landing runway even if landing long. In flare we saw the deer just beyond the touchdown zone lights, a little more than 3000 ft down the runway and left of center. If we had known this information, I'm not sure we would have landed. We were a little surprised that the tower did not close the runway immediately and several other planes landed after us. I know it was our discretion to land or not, but based on the arrival of the aircraft in front of us, we thought it was safe. I don't know if control towers have any specific procedures if there is foreign object damage on the runway but there should be something in effect (foreign object damage) other than 'cleared to land at your discretion.' supplemental information from acn 287504: once the location of the foreign object damage is confirmed, the tower should advise landing aircraft of length of runway remaining and other information that will affect the lndgs.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DEAD ANIMAL ON ACTIVE RWY.

Narrative: WHILE LNDG AT BWI ON VISUAL APCH TO RWY 33L, ACFT IN FRONT OF US THOUGHT THEY MIGHT HAVE HIT A DEER, BUT WASN'T SURE. THE #1 AIRPLANE TO LAND WENT AROUND, AN THE #2 AIRPLANE LANDED. WE WERE #3. THE #2 ACFT SAID THE DEAD DEER WAS L OF CTRLINE 1500 FT DOWN THE RWY. SINCE THE RWY WAS 9500 FT LONG WE KNEW WE HAD SUFFICIENT LNDG RWY EVEN IF LNDG LONG. IN FLARE WE SAW THE DEER JUST BEYOND THE TOUCHDOWN ZONE LIGHTS, A LITTLE MORE THAN 3000 FT DOWN THE RWY AND L OF CTR. IF WE HAD KNOWN THIS INFO, I'M NOT SURE WE WOULD HAVE LANDED. WE WERE A LITTLE SURPRISED THAT THE TWR DID NOT CLOSE THE RWY IMMEDIATELY AND SEVERAL OTHER PLANES LANDED AFTER US. I KNOW IT WAS OUR DISCRETION TO LAND OR NOT, BUT BASED ON THE ARR OF THE ACFT IN FRONT OF US, WE THOUGHT IT WAS SAFE. I DON'T KNOW IF CTL TWRS HAVE ANY SPECIFIC PROCS IF THERE IS FOREIGN OBJECT DAMAGE ON THE RWY BUT THERE SHOULD BE SOMETHING IN EFFECT (FOREIGN OBJECT DAMAGE) OTHER THAN 'CLRED TO LAND AT YOUR DISCRETION.' SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 287504: ONCE THE LOCATION OF THE FOREIGN OBJECT DAMAGE IS CONFIRMED, THE TWR SHOULD ADVISE LNDG ACFT OF LENGTH OF RWY REMAINING AND OTHER INFO THAT WILL AFFECT THE LNDGS.

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.