Captain of a DC9 lost directional control of the aircraft during landing and ran off the side of the...

Attributes
ACN	359686
Time
Date	199702
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : gfk
State Reference	ND
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	DC-9 Undifferentiated or Other Model
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 : 160 flight time total : 9996 flight time type : 242
ASRS Report	359686
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	other other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Airport
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Normal flight until touchdown. We were cleared for the visual approach to runway 35L and tower reported the winds as calm. We backed up the visual with the ILS runway 35L and were on GS, on speed and on centerline at touchdown. As reversers were activated the nose of the aircraft turned approximately 20 degrees left and aircraft departed the runway and came to rest in a snowbank. An emergency evacuate/evacuation was accomplished and all passenger and crew walked to the terminal. I believe the cause of this incident was that while runway braking action was reported as 'poor' they were, in fact, 'nil.' evidence of this was noted as all the passenger and crew were walking to the terminal. Many were slipping and sliding on the icy runway as we crossed it. I examined the surface with my flashlight and noted that what sand had been applied to the surface had melted into the ice which had refrozen over it. There was little traction at all even for walking. Suggest that the airport management at grand forks be strongly encouraged to do a better job of clearing and sanding their surfaces and not report braking action as poor when it is really nil just to keep the airport open.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF A DC9 LOST DIRECTIONAL CTL OF THE ACFT DURING LNDG AND RAN OFF THE SIDE OF THE RWY INTO A SNOWBANK RESULTING IN AN EMER EVAC OF THE PAX. SINCE THE PAX AND CREW HAD DIFFICULTY WALKING TO THE TERMINAL BECAUSE OF THE ICY RWY, THE FLC THOUGHT THAT THE BRAKING ACTION WAS NIL INSTEAD OF POOR AS RPTED BY THE TWR.

Narrative: NORMAL FLT UNTIL TOUCHDOWN. WE WERE CLRED FOR THE VISUAL APCH TO RWY 35L AND TWR RPTED THE WINDS AS CALM. WE BACKED UP THE VISUAL WITH THE ILS RWY 35L AND WERE ON GS, ON SPD AND ON CTRLINE AT TOUCHDOWN. AS REVERSERS WERE ACTIVATED THE NOSE OF THE ACFT TURNED APPROX 20 DEGS L AND ACFT DEPARTED THE RWY AND CAME TO REST IN A SNOWBANK. AN EMER EVAC WAS ACCOMPLISHED AND ALL PAX AND CREW WALKED TO THE TERMINAL. I BELIEVE THE CAUSE OF THIS INCIDENT WAS THAT WHILE RWY BRAKING ACTION WAS RPTED AS 'POOR' THEY WERE, IN FACT, 'NIL.' EVIDENCE OF THIS WAS NOTED AS ALL THE PAX AND CREW WERE WALKING TO THE TERMINAL. MANY WERE SLIPPING AND SLIDING ON THE ICY RWY AS WE CROSSED IT. I EXAMINED THE SURFACE WITH MY FLASHLIGHT AND NOTED THAT WHAT SAND HAD BEEN APPLIED TO THE SURFACE HAD MELTED INTO THE ICE WHICH HAD REFROZEN OVER IT. THERE WAS LITTLE TRACTION AT ALL EVEN FOR WALKING. SUGGEST THAT THE ARPT MGMNT AT GRAND FORKS BE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO DO A BETTER JOB OF CLRING AND SANDING THEIR SURFACES AND NOT RPT BRAKING ACTION AS POOR WHEN IT IS REALLY NIL JUST TO KEEP THE ARPT OPEN.

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.