Flight crew of BA3200 lands at roc with braking action reported at nil.

Attributes
ACN	425645
Time
Date	199901
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : roc
State Reference	NY
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : atl
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Jetstream 32
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	landing other
Route In Use	approach : straight in arrival other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer flight crew : captain
Qualification	pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 175 flight time total : 3100 flight time type : 800
ASRS Report	425645
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Roc, ny, on landing. The previous aircraft was a DC8 freighter that landed and taxied off the runway onto the grass. Apparently he missed the taxiway. We were on the approach at about 1000 ft to decision ht. It was snowing with low visibility. He reported to the tower that he was in the grass and we were instructed to go around. On the second approach at around 1000 ft to decision ht, the tower said braking first 2/3 runway 'fair to poor,' last 1/3 reported 'nil' from DC8 that missed the taxiway. I said to the captain, 'we can't land with a 'nil' report,' and he said, 'we'll never see the last 1/3 of the runway from that report.' I wasn't gonna argue at 500 ft AGL, so we landed without incident, and braking was fair to poor. It is now my understanding that the tower should have shut down the runway with a nil report. I would have gone around myself, and asked for a better report. 500 ft AGL is no time to be deciding politics of landing, so we landed. The correct procedure would have been to get a better brake report, or go to our alternate.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF BA3200 LANDS AT ROC WITH BRAKING ACTION RPTED AT NIL.

Narrative: ROC, NY, ON LNDG. THE PREVIOUS ACFT WAS A DC8 FREIGHTER THAT LANDED AND TAXIED OFF THE RWY ONTO THE GRASS. APPARENTLY HE MISSED THE TXWY. WE WERE ON THE APCH AT ABOUT 1000 FT TO DECISION HT. IT WAS SNOWING WITH LOW VISIBILITY. HE RPTED TO THE TWR THAT HE WAS IN THE GRASS AND WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO GO AROUND. ON THE SECOND APCH AT AROUND 1000 FT TO DECISION HT, THE TWR SAID BRAKING FIRST 2/3 RWY 'FAIR TO POOR,' LAST 1/3 RPTED 'NIL' FROM DC8 THAT MISSED THE TXWY. I SAID TO THE CAPT, 'WE CAN'T LAND WITH A 'NIL' RPT,' AND HE SAID, 'WE'LL NEVER SEE THE LAST 1/3 OF THE RWY FROM THAT RPT.' I WASN'T GONNA ARGUE AT 500 FT AGL, SO WE LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT, AND BRAKING WAS FAIR TO POOR. IT IS NOW MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE TWR SHOULD HAVE SHUT DOWN THE RWY WITH A NIL RPT. I WOULD HAVE GONE AROUND MYSELF, AND ASKED FOR A BETTER RPT. 500 FT AGL IS NO TIME TO BE DECIDING POLITICS OF LNDG, SO WE LANDED. THE CORRECT PROC WOULD HAVE BEEN TO GET A BETTER BRAKE RPT, OR GO TO OUR ALTERNATE.

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.