A flight crew received a report that braking action was good, then, a subsequent report of 'unknown....

Attributes
ACN	300190
Time
Date	199503
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : gfk
State Reference	ND
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-9 30
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 225 flight time total : 7500
ASRS Report	300190
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Airport
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Incident occurred on an air carrier flight in a dc-9-30, from msp to gfk. WX reported at gfk for approach was indefinite 400 ft obscured, snow-fog, winds 050 degrees, 11 KTS, temperature 34 degree/dewpoint 34 degree. A normal approach (ILS runway 35L) was flown, to touchdown. Prior to hiser FAF, tower reported braking action - good. At hiser, tower advised that braking action was unknown and cleared our aircraft to land. We sighted the runway lights at 400 ft AGL. Normal flare and a positive touchdown occurred on runway centerline. After selected reverse idle, aircraft drifted left, and departed the runway approximately 2000 ft from the approach end, and came to a stop just prior to the intersection of runway 26. A contributing factor was the vague information on runway conditions/contaminants. Braking action was, in fact, nil. Crew received no information of snow accumulation on the runway.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A FLC RECEIVED A RPT THAT BRAKING ACTION WAS GOOD, THEN, A SUBSEQUENT RPT OF 'UNKNOWN.' THE FLC LANDED, AND DRIFTED FROM THE RWY, CITING BRAKING ACTION AS NIL.

Narrative: INCIDENT OCCURRED ON AN ACR FLT IN A DC-9-30, FROM MSP TO GFK. WX RPTED AT GFK FOR APCH WAS INDEFINITE 400 FT OBSCURED, SNOW-FOG, WINDS 050 DEGS, 11 KTS, TEMP 34 DEG/DEWPOINT 34 DEG. A NORMAL APCH (ILS RWY 35L) WAS FLOWN, TO TOUCHDOWN. PRIOR TO HISER FAF, TWR RPTED BRAKING ACTION - GOOD. AT HISER, TWR ADVISED THAT BRAKING ACTION WAS UNKNOWN AND CLRED OUR ACFT TO LAND. WE SIGHTED THE RWY LIGHTS AT 400 FT AGL. NORMAL FLARE AND A POSITIVE TOUCHDOWN OCCURRED ON RWY CTRLINE. AFTER SELECTED REVERSE IDLE, ACFT DRIFTED L, AND DEPARTED THE RWY APPROX 2000 FT FROM THE APCH END, AND CAME TO A STOP JUST PRIOR TO THE INTXN OF RWY 26. A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS THE VAGUE INFO ON RWY CONDITIONS/CONTAMINANTS. BRAKING ACTION WAS, IN FACT, NIL. CREW RECEIVED NO INFO OF SNOW ACCUMULATION ON THE 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.

A flight crew received a report that braking action was good, then, a subsequent report of 'unknown.' the flight crew landed, and drifted from the runway, citing braking action as nil.