Narrative:

On taxi out to runway 20 at cou, tower closed, field uncontrolled, DC9 ahead of us got stuck in snow whilst taxiing onto runway 20 for departure. We taxied onto runway 20 and back-taxied to the end to see if we could depart. Asked the DC9 if it was ok to depart, as we had full length. They said fine, and we departed. Later learned the DC9 was stuck all day and airport closed. My concern was we had departed without a takeoff alternate, because we could not have returned to the airport with the DC9 still stuck. Did I need an alternate? Even though at the time I thought the DC9 would have left shortly after us! Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter in the departing aircraft has had second thoughts about his action and can see that he did not perform in the safest way possible. In afterthought he said he should have just done an intersection takeoff for which his performance was adequate. He also has concluded that he should have filed a takeoff alternate since an approach to an occupied runway would preclude a return to land. Supplemental information from acn 499494: on the airport surface at cou, mo, I was taxiing for departure. Used taxiway a to runway 13/31. Turned right on runway 13/31 and received release from missouri arrival/departure controller to depart on runway 20. While taxiing onto runway 20 from runway 13/31 the left main tires became stuck in the mud at the intersection of the 2 runways (runway 13/31 and runway 2/20). Snow obscured the runway edges.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AT AN UNCTLED ARPT, AN ACR GETS STUCK IN THE MUD AND IS ENCROACHING ON THE RWY. ANOTHER ACR ELECTS TO BACK TAXI. THEY COORDINATE WITH THE STUCK ACFT CREW AND DEPART.

Narrative: ON TAXI OUT TO RWY 20 AT COU, TWR CLOSED, FIELD UNCTLED, DC9 AHEAD OF US GOT STUCK IN SNOW WHILST TAXIING ONTO RWY 20 FOR DEP. WE TAXIED ONTO RWY 20 AND BACK-TAXIED TO THE END TO SEE IF WE COULD DEPART. ASKED THE DC9 IF IT WAS OK TO DEPART, AS WE HAD FULL LENGTH. THEY SAID FINE, AND WE DEPARTED. LATER LEARNED THE DC9 WAS STUCK ALL DAY AND ARPT CLOSED. MY CONCERN WAS WE HAD DEPARTED WITHOUT A TKOF ALTERNATE, BECAUSE WE COULD NOT HAVE RETURNED TO THE ARPT WITH THE DC9 STILL STUCK. DID I NEED AN ALTERNATE? EVEN THOUGH AT THE TIME I THOUGHT THE DC9 WOULD HAVE LEFT SHORTLY AFTER US! CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR IN THE DEPARTING ACFT HAS HAD SECOND THOUGHTS ABOUT HIS ACTION AND CAN SEE THAT HE DID NOT PERFORM IN THE SAFEST WAY POSSIBLE. IN AFTERTHOUGHT HE SAID HE SHOULD HAVE JUST DONE AN INTXN TKOF FOR WHICH HIS PERFORMANCE WAS ADEQUATE. HE ALSO HAS CONCLUDED THAT HE SHOULD HAVE FILED A TKOF ALTERNATE SINCE AN APCH TO AN OCCUPIED RWY WOULD PRECLUDE A RETURN TO LAND. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 499494: ON THE ARPT SURFACE AT COU, MO, I WAS TAXIING FOR DEP. USED TXWY A TO RWY 13/31. TURNED R ON RWY 13/31 AND RECEIVED RELEASE FROM MISSOURI ARR/DEP CTLR TO DEPART ON RWY 20. WHILE TAXIING ONTO RWY 20 FROM RWY 13/31 THE L MAIN TIRES BECAME STUCK IN THE MUD AT THE INTXN OF THE 2 RWYS (RWY 13/31 AND RWY 2/20). SNOW OBSCURED THE RWY EDGES.

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.