E120 crew experiences nil braking after landing at azo.

Attributes
ACN	430648
Time
Date	199903
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : azo.airport
State Reference	MI
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Weather Elements	Turbulence Ice Fog Snow
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Brasilia EMB-120 All Series
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	landing : roll
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 80 flight time total : 7500 flight time type : 5500
ASRS Report	430648
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : regained aircraft control
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Weather Airport
Primary Problem	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Upon touchdown at azo runway 35 found braking action to be nil. I was aware that there was snow, but have landed in and with snow many times. There was no warning from the tower as to any braking action advisories nor was there any information on my dispatch release to warn of a possibly slick runway. The aircraft settled onto the runway. I very quickly realized that the brakes did nothing (had no effect). There was a crosswind from the right at approximately 10-12 KTS gusting to 18 KTS. The airplane went to left and the nose wanted to wxvane into the wind. I managed to keep the aircraft on the runway and when we finally came to a stop it was very difficult to find a taxiway due to the amount of snow. Azo tower gave me no clue as to how poor (nil) the runway surface was. I was to turn the aircraft and fly back, which I refused to do because the single snow plow at azo could not keep ahead of snow accumulation. This was in my judgement a very unsafe situation. I should have been warned about the nil braking action. Upon contact with azo tower, I called the braking action nil to close the airport to any other unsuspecting crews.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: E120 CREW EXPERIENCES NIL BRAKING AFTER LNDG AT AZO.

Narrative: UPON TOUCHDOWN AT AZO RWY 35 FOUND BRAKING ACTION TO BE NIL. I WAS AWARE THAT THERE WAS SNOW, BUT HAVE LANDED IN AND WITH SNOW MANY TIMES. THERE WAS NO WARNING FROM THE TWR AS TO ANY BRAKING ACTION ADVISORIES NOR WAS THERE ANY INFO ON MY DISPATCH RELEASE TO WARN OF A POSSIBLY SLICK RWY. THE ACFT SETTLED ONTO THE RWY. I VERY QUICKLY REALIZED THAT THE BRAKES DID NOTHING (HAD NO EFFECT). THERE WAS A XWIND FROM THE R AT APPROX 10-12 KTS GUSTING TO 18 KTS. THE AIRPLANE WENT TO L AND THE NOSE WANTED TO WXVANE INTO THE WIND. I MANAGED TO KEEP THE ACFT ON THE RWY AND WHEN WE FINALLY CAME TO A STOP IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO FIND A TXWY DUE TO THE AMOUNT OF SNOW. AZO TWR GAVE ME NO CLUE AS TO HOW POOR (NIL) THE RWY SURFACE WAS. I WAS TO TURN THE ACFT AND FLY BACK, WHICH I REFUSED TO DO BECAUSE THE SINGLE SNOW PLOW AT AZO COULD NOT KEEP AHEAD OF SNOW ACCUMULATION. THIS WAS IN MY JUDGEMENT A VERY UNSAFE SIT. I SHOULD HAVE BEEN WARNED ABOUT THE NIL BRAKING ACTION. UPON CONTACT WITH AZO TWR, I CALLED THE BRAKING ACTION NIL TO CLOSE THE ARPT TO ANY OTHER UNSUSPECTING CREWS.

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.