Narrative:

The airport uses a city and unicom radio when snow plows are on the airport grounds. Aircraft radio and personel call the city and advised them of the inbound aircraft. I am the ramp supervisor there and was needed at the hanger to pull an aircraft out. When I was done with the job the driver of the snowplow came over and informed me of a near miss with an aircraft. I went in the FBO, where my boss was supposed to be monitoring the radio in my absence, and she was on the phone oblivious to the situation. I went and talked to the pilots of the emb-120 and they informed me that the snowplow exited the runway and then backed up onto the active while they were landing. The pilot initiated a go around and missed the plow by an estimated 5 ft. When I went back in the office and talked to my boss she was aware of the problem and tried to transfer blame to me saying that the radio was turned down (it was still turned 'way up' I could hear it 20FT away through a door). The radio for the city was also turned up and prior to going out I blatantly told my boss to monitor the radio, as is common practice. No one was injured however the EMB120 took evasive action and initiated a go around to miss the vehicle. City plows are not equipped with an aviation radio and when my boss was asked about this she said 'it doesn't do any good because they don't understand aviation jargon.' this isn't the first time this has happened however this is the closest we have come to an accident and it is obvious that the current standards of advising aircraft and SN0W plows does not work. This is deferred by my boss by her stating that if we would monitor the radio closer it would not be an issue. As this shows, even when the radio is 'monitored' there is still a problem. No NOTAM was filed about plows and equipment on the runways. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter had nothing new to add to his original report.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT X TAKES EVASIVE ACTION AND EXECUTED A GAR TO AVOID A SNOW PLOW THAT BLUNDERS ON THE ACTIVE RWY.

Narrative: THE ARPT USES A CITY AND UNICOM RADIO WHEN SNOW PLOWS ARE ON THE ARPT GROUNDS. ACFT RADIO AND PERSONEL CALL THE CITY AND ADVISED THEM OF THE INBOUND ACFT. I AM THE RAMP SUPERVISOR THERE AND WAS NEEDED AT THE HANGER TO PULL AN ACFT OUT. WHEN I WAS DONE WITH THE JOB THE DRIVER OF THE SNOWPLOW CAME OVER AND INFORMED ME OF A NEAR MISS WITH AN ACFT. I WENT IN THE FBO, WHERE MY BOSS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE MONITORING THE RADIO IN MY ABSENCE, AND SHE WAS ON THE PHONE OBLIVIOUS TO THE SIT. I WENT AND TALKED TO THE PLTS OF THE EMB-120 AND THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE SNOWPLOW EXITED THE RWY AND THEN BACKED UP ONTO THE ACTIVE WHILE THEY WERE LNDG. THE PLT INITIATED A GAR AND MISSED THE PLOW BY AN ESTIMATED 5 FT. WHEN I WENT BACK IN THE OFFICE AND TALKED TO MY BOSS SHE WAS AWARE OF THE PROB AND TRIED TO TRANSFER BLAME TO ME SAYING THAT THE RADIO WAS TURNED DOWN (IT WAS STILL TURNED 'WAY UP' I COULD HEAR IT 20FT AWAY THROUGH A DOOR). THE RADIO FOR THE CITY WAS ALSO TURNED UP AND PRIOR TO GOING OUT I BLATANTLY TOLD MY BOSS TO MONITOR THE RADIO, AS IS COMMON PRACTICE. NO ONE WAS INJURED HOWEVER THE EMB120 TOOK EVASIVE ACTION AND INITIATED A GAR TO MISS THE VEHICLE. CITY PLOWS ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AN AVIATION RADIO AND WHEN MY BOSS WAS ASKED ABOUT THIS SHE SAID 'IT DOESN'T DO ANY GOOD BECAUSE THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND AVIATION JARGON.' THIS ISN'T THE FIRST TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED HOWEVER THIS IS THE CLOSEST WE HAVE COME TO AN ACCIDENT AND IT IS OBVIOUS THAT THE CURRENT STANDARDS OF ADVISING ACFT AND SN0W PLOWS DOES NOT WORK. THIS IS DEFERRED BY MY BOSS BY HER STATING THAT IF WE WOULD MONITOR THE RADIO CLOSER IT WOULD NOT BE AN ISSUE. AS THIS SHOWS, EVEN WHEN THE RADIO IS 'MONITORED' THERE IS STILL A PROBLEM. NO NOTAM WAS FILED ABOUT PLOWS AND EQUIP ON THE RWYS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR HAD NOTHING NEW TO ADD TO HIS ORIGINAL RPT.

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.