Narrative:

Airport management refuses to plow the runway for less than 3 inches of snow. The WX was good and there was a lot of training activity. After a training flight with a student, I noticed a build-up of ice on the tail surfaces that had been blown there by the propeller blast during taxi and takeoff. Temperatures were below freezing and the ice had not melted in-flight. Had the ice been any worse, a very dangerous situation could have developed. I believe airport management's decision not to plow the txwys and runways when there was a great deal of flying occurring contributed to a potentially very dangerous situation for many people. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: sch has a non federal control tower manned by county employees. It has a lot of training activity, both based locally and as a popular destination for cross country students. It is the policy of the airport manager, another county employee, not to plow the runways and txwys if the snow is less than 3 inches deep or if there is another storm on the way. The reporter does not know if this a budgetary problem or if there are other considerations. There is no air carrier traffic through sch. The reporter has convinced his flight school to suspend operations when there is snow on the ground. The reporter is a friend of the ASRS, having given talks on the system at several safety seminars.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A FLT INSTRUCTOR COMPLAINS ABOUT THE SNOW REMOVAL POLICY AT SCH. ARPT MAINT POLICY SNOW REMOVAL, THERE IS NO PLOWING TO BE DONE WITH SNOW LESS THAN 3 INCHES DEEP. ARPT PROB SNOW REMOVAL.

Narrative: ARPT MGMNT REFUSES TO PLOW THE RWY FOR LESS THAN 3 INCHES OF SNOW. THE WX WAS GOOD AND THERE WAS A LOT OF TRAINING ACTIVITY. AFTER A TRAINING FLT WITH A STUDENT, I NOTICED A BUILD-UP OF ICE ON THE TAIL SURFACES THAT HAD BEEN BLOWN THERE BY THE PROP BLAST DURING TAXI AND TKOF. TEMPS WERE BELOW FREEZING AND THE ICE HAD NOT MELTED INFLT. HAD THE ICE BEEN ANY WORSE, A VERY DANGEROUS SIT COULD HAVE DEVELOPED. I BELIEVE ARPT MGMNT'S DECISION NOT TO PLOW THE TXWYS AND RWYS WHEN THERE WAS A GREAT DEAL OF FLYING OCCURRING CONTRIBUTED TO A POTENTIALLY VERY DANGEROUS SIT FOR MANY PEOPLE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: SCH HAS A NON FEDERAL CTL TWR MANNED BY COUNTY EMPLOYEES. IT HAS A LOT OF TRAINING ACTIVITY, BOTH BASED LOCALLY AND AS A POPULAR DEST FOR XCOUNTRY STUDENTS. IT IS THE POLICY OF THE ARPT MGR, ANOTHER COUNTY EMPLOYEE, NOT TO PLOW THE RWYS AND TXWYS IF THE SNOW IS LESS THAN 3 INCHES DEEP OR IF THERE IS ANOTHER STORM ON THE WAY. THE RPTR DOES NOT KNOW IF THIS A BUDGETARY PROB OR IF THERE ARE OTHER CONSIDERATIONS. THERE IS NO ACR TFC THROUGH SCH. THE RPTR HAS CONVINCED HIS FLT SCHOOL TO SUSPEND OPS WHEN THERE IS SNOW ON THE GND. THE RPTR IS A FRIEND OF THE ASRS, HAVING GIVEN TALKS ON THE SYS AT SEVERAL SAFETY SEMINARS.

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.