An air carrier DC9 flight crew flying into a snow covered airport finds that there is snow removal e...

Attributes
ACN	387846
Time
Date	199712
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mso
State Reference	MT
Altitude	agl bound lower : 1300 agl bound upper : 1300
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
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	descent : approach landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 160 flight time total : 18000 flight time type : 11200
ASRS Report	387846
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

First officer initially flying. Just before center cleared us for an ILS approach to runway 11 in mso, we heard a commuter give a braking report as poor. I began the approach, but was getting a computer steering flag, got a little too involved with problem, went above GS. I gave the airplane to the captain. He connected our flight data and made a coupled approach. I was a little late in making transmission in the blind on 118.4. We were inside 5 mi from touchdown when we broke out around 1300 ft AGL, and we could see someone on the runway. I made 2 calls on 118.4 as we thought it was an aircraft. It was snow removal equipment and they did clear the runway as we were prepared for a go around. Uneventful landing with poor braking which we were prepared for. We were never notified of snow removal in progress. ATCT was closed, unicom was unmonitored, there was a NOTAM out about snow removal and prior clearance was needed to land on 118.4. We never got this NOTAM, it was not in our company NOTAMS. The airport cop was working monitoring 118.4 and then he was coordinating the snow removal and would advise equipment to get off runway. Our station personnel did not advise airport cop that we were inbound and we did not know there was snow removal equipment on runway. This is not an acceptable practice for scheduled air carrier operation into a mountain station with the FAA control tower closed.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR DC9 FLC FLYING INTO A SNOW COVERED ARPT FINDS THAT THERE IS SNOW REMOVAL EQUIP ON THE RWY WHEN THEY BREAK OUT OF THE CLOUDS. THE EQUIP CLRED BEFORE THEY LANDED.

Narrative: FO INITIALLY FLYING. JUST BEFORE CTR CLRED US FOR AN ILS APCH TO RWY 11 IN MSO, WE HEARD A COMMUTER GIVE A BRAKING RPT AS POOR. I BEGAN THE APCH, BUT WAS GETTING A COMPUTER STEERING FLAG, GOT A LITTLE TOO INVOLVED WITH PROB, WENT ABOVE GS. I GAVE THE AIRPLANE TO THE CAPT. HE CONNECTED OUR FLT DATA AND MADE A COUPLED APCH. I WAS A LITTLE LATE IN MAKING XMISSION IN THE BLIND ON 118.4. WE WERE INSIDE 5 MI FROM TOUCHDOWN WHEN WE BROKE OUT AROUND 1300 FT AGL, AND WE COULD SEE SOMEONE ON THE RWY. I MADE 2 CALLS ON 118.4 AS WE THOUGHT IT WAS AN ACFT. IT WAS SNOW REMOVAL EQUIP AND THEY DID CLR THE RWY AS WE WERE PREPARED FOR A GAR. UNEVENTFUL LNDG WITH POOR BRAKING WHICH WE WERE PREPARED FOR. WE WERE NEVER NOTIFIED OF SNOW REMOVAL IN PROGRESS. ATCT WAS CLOSED, UNICOM WAS UNMONITORED, THERE WAS A NOTAM OUT ABOUT SNOW REMOVAL AND PRIOR CLRNC WAS NEEDED TO LAND ON 118.4. WE NEVER GOT THIS NOTAM, IT WAS NOT IN OUR COMPANY NOTAMS. THE ARPT COP WAS WORKING MONITORING 118.4 AND THEN HE WAS COORDINATING THE SNOW REMOVAL AND WOULD ADVISE EQUIP TO GET OFF RWY. OUR STATION PERSONNEL DID NOT ADVISE ARPT COP THAT WE WERE INBOUND AND WE DID NOT KNOW THERE WAS SNOW REMOVAL EQUIP ON RWY. THIS IS NOT AN ACCEPTABLE PRACTICE FOR SCHEDULED ACR OP INTO A MOUNTAIN STATION WITH THE FAA CTL TWR CLOSED.

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.

An air carrier DC9 flight crew flying into a snow covered airport finds that there is snow removal equipment on the runway when they break out of the clouds. The equipment cleared before they landed.