Narrative:

We were given taxi clearance to runway 28 for takeoff. It had just finished snowing, and several inches had accumulated on the ground. I asked ground control for a runway condition report. Ground control said the runway had been plowed and a departing aircraft had given a 'fair' braking report. As it had just stopped snowing, I asked ground when it had been plowed. Ground said it had been plowed sometime before his shift began, but he didn't know for sure. The fair braking report (from a departing aircraft) didn't help me out any. I told ground control that I was disappointed he couldn't tell me anything more specific from his own runway. He told me to stop taxiing, stop where I was, and call 'city' on a different frequency. I did so, and found out from them that there was up to 2 inches of snow on parts of the runway. With this information then, I was able to inform our company load planning of the runway contamination, and they generated a revised, lower takeoff weight for us. Ground control should not clear aircraft to a runway unless they know its condition. They should also know that a departing aircraft cannot give a realistic braking report. And if they don't have an aircraft report, they should send a ground vehicle down the runway to get an approximation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR (ACR CAPT) TAXIED FOR TKOF AFTER A RECENT SNOWFALL AND REQUESTED INFO FROM THE ATCT GND CTLR. THE GND CTLR DID NOT HAVE CURRENT INFO AND REFERRED THE CAPT TO THE CITY, ON ANOTHER FREQ. THE RPTR LEARNED THAT THE RWY WAS CONTAMINATED AND HAD TO CONTACT THE COMPANY LOAD PLANNING FOR A REVISED LOWER TKOF WT.

Narrative: WE WERE GIVEN TAXI CLRNC TO RWY 28 FOR TKOF. IT HAD JUST FINISHED SNOWING, AND SEVERAL INCHES HAD ACCUMULATED ON THE GND. I ASKED GND CTL FOR A RWY CONDITION RPT. GND CTL SAID THE RWY HAD BEEN PLOWED AND A DEPARTING ACFT HAD GIVEN A 'FAIR' BRAKING RPT. AS IT HAD JUST STOPPED SNOWING, I ASKED GND WHEN IT HAD BEEN PLOWED. GND SAID IT HAD BEEN PLOWED SOMETIME BEFORE HIS SHIFT BEGAN, BUT HE DIDN'T KNOW FOR SURE. THE FAIR BRAKING RPT (FROM A DEPARTING ACFT) DIDN'T HELP ME OUT ANY. I TOLD GND CTL THAT I WAS DISAPPOINTED HE COULDN'T TELL ME ANYTHING MORE SPECIFIC FROM HIS OWN RWY. HE TOLD ME TO STOP TAXIING, STOP WHERE I WAS, AND CALL 'CITY' ON A DIFFERENT FREQ. I DID SO, AND FOUND OUT FROM THEM THAT THERE WAS UP TO 2 INCHES OF SNOW ON PARTS OF THE RWY. WITH THIS INFO THEN, I WAS ABLE TO INFORM OUR COMPANY LOAD PLANNING OF THE RWY CONTAMINATION, AND THEY GENERATED A REVISED, LOWER TKOF WT FOR US. GND CTL SHOULD NOT CLR ACFT TO A RWY UNLESS THEY KNOW ITS CONDITION. THEY SHOULD ALSO KNOW THAT A DEPARTING ACFT CANNOT GIVE A REALISTIC BRAKING RPT. AND IF THEY DON'T HAVE AN ACFT RPT, THEY SHOULD SEND A GND VEHICLE DOWN THE RWY TO GET AN APPROXIMATION.

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.