Narrative:

On feb/thu/95 capital city airport authority/authorized implemented mu runway friction values on their field condition reports. ATC personnel were not adequately briefed and/or trained on these procedures. Our airport services 1 major airline and several commuters but mostly GA aircraft. My concerns are the services we are providing to the users. Personnel at lan AFSS and lan ATCT can't provide the pilots with what they really want to know, what is the braking action. We have informally polled airline, corporate and GA pilots as to their understanding of mu readings. None knew what we were talking about (15-20 pilots). The airport certification branch pushed these procedures through mid-winter season. I understand that mu has been in the aim since 1994. It would seem that the FAA could have been more proactive in educating their work force and users prior to implementation. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: tower supervisor stated mu meter readings are only for the airports certification branch as to what the friction measurements are on a wet runway. These are invisible to the tower for braking action reports. Nothing has changed in the way the tower solicits or gives braking action reports.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MU METER RWY FRICTION MEASUREMENTS.

Narrative: ON FEB/THU/95 CAPITAL CITY ARPT AUTH IMPLEMENTED MU RWY FRICTION VALUES ON THEIR FIELD CONDITION RPTS. ATC PERSONNEL WERE NOT ADEQUATELY BRIEFED AND/OR TRAINED ON THESE PROCS. OUR ARPT SVCS 1 MAJOR AIRLINE AND SEVERAL COMMUTERS BUT MOSTLY GA ACFT. MY CONCERNS ARE THE SVCS WE ARE PROVIDING TO THE USERS. PERSONNEL AT LAN AFSS AND LAN ATCT CAN'T PROVIDE THE PLTS WITH WHAT THEY REALLY WANT TO KNOW, WHAT IS THE BRAKING ACTION. WE HAVE INFORMALLY POLLED AIRLINE, CORPORATE AND GA PLTS AS TO THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF MU READINGS. NONE KNEW WHAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT (15-20 PLTS). THE ARPT CERTIFICATION BRANCH PUSHED THESE PROCS THROUGH MID-WINTER SEASON. I UNDERSTAND THAT MU HAS BEEN IN THE AIM SINCE 1994. IT WOULD SEEM THAT THE FAA COULD HAVE BEEN MORE PROACTIVE IN EDUCATING THEIR WORK FORCE AND USERS PRIOR TO IMPLEMENTATION. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: TWR SUPVR STATED MU METER READINGS ARE ONLY FOR THE ARPTS CERTIFICATION BRANCH AS TO WHAT THE FRICTION MEASUREMENTS ARE ON A WET RWY. THESE ARE INVISIBLE TO THE TWR FOR BRAKING ACTION RPTS. NOTHING HAS CHANGED IN THE WAY THE TWR SOLICITS OR GIVES BRAKING ACTION RPTS.

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.