Narrative:

40 mins out of dtw, braking action report for runway 4L was reported fair. On approach, braking action reported good. Landed normally. Wasted no time slowing down. Runway mostly clear within 15-20 ft of centerline either side, until approaching A7. From A7 to the end, runway was covered in about 4 inches of snow. Nothing had been done to the runway. Coming up to cross runway 4R we noticed the same thing from the intersection of runway 9L to the departure end. I reported this to dispatch, and asked if it was going to be plowed. We turned the airplane, and during deicing, noticed snow plows clearing the ramp. When cleared to taxi, we were instructed to runway 3L. We had data for runway 3L, but requested runway 4R. We were told it would be at least a 15 min delay. We were holdover time limited at that point and assumed runway 3L had been plowed, since they were plowing runway 4R, so we accepted runway 3L. As we approached runway 3L, we noticed the center 40 ft or so was mostly clear -- maybe 1/4 - 1/2 inch of patchy snow/slush. Visibility was 1/4 mi and conditions looked acceptable for takeoff, so we went. As we passed 80 KIAS, we heard the tower issue a braking action report of poor. As we reached 100 KIAS, I saw that none of the remaining runway had been treated -- cleared or anything. Bad deal. An abort would have been disastrous. You would think an airport like dtw would have its act together for winter operations. I am angry for assuming this, and I feel they deliberately withheld critical information from crews. This led me, and others, to believe conditions were better than they were. I should have been more aggressive in ensuring I had the whole picture.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FOKKER 100 CAPT COMPLAINT REGARDING DTW ARPT TWR NOT ADVISING THAT THE RWY ON WHICH THEY WERE CLRED FOR TKOF HAD NOT BEEN COMPLETELY CLRED OF SNOW CAUSING A RPT OF POOR BRAKING STATUS. A LATE TKOF OR ABORT WOULD HAVE BEEN DIFFICULT.

Narrative: 40 MINS OUT OF DTW, BRAKING ACTION RPT FOR RWY 4L WAS RPTED FAIR. ON APCH, BRAKING ACTION RPTED GOOD. LANDED NORMALLY. WASTED NO TIME SLOWING DOWN. RWY MOSTLY CLR WITHIN 15-20 FT OF CTRLINE EITHER SIDE, UNTIL APCHING A7. FROM A7 TO THE END, RWY WAS COVERED IN ABOUT 4 INCHES OF SNOW. NOTHING HAD BEEN DONE TO THE RWY. COMING UP TO CROSS RWY 4R WE NOTICED THE SAME THING FROM THE INTXN OF RWY 9L TO THE DEP END. I RPTED THIS TO DISPATCH, AND ASKED IF IT WAS GOING TO BE PLOWED. WE TURNED THE AIRPLANE, AND DURING DEICING, NOTICED SNOW PLOWS CLRING THE RAMP. WHEN CLRED TO TAXI, WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO RWY 3L. WE HAD DATA FOR RWY 3L, BUT REQUESTED RWY 4R. WE WERE TOLD IT WOULD BE AT LEAST A 15 MIN DELAY. WE WERE HOLDOVER TIME LIMITED AT THAT POINT AND ASSUMED RWY 3L HAD BEEN PLOWED, SINCE THEY WERE PLOWING RWY 4R, SO WE ACCEPTED RWY 3L. AS WE APCHED RWY 3L, WE NOTICED THE CTR 40 FT OR SO WAS MOSTLY CLR -- MAYBE 1/4 - 1/2 INCH OF PATCHY SNOW/SLUSH. VISIBILITY WAS 1/4 MI AND CONDITIONS LOOKED ACCEPTABLE FOR TKOF, SO WE WENT. AS WE PASSED 80 KIAS, WE HEARD THE TWR ISSUE A BRAKING ACTION RPT OF POOR. AS WE REACHED 100 KIAS, I SAW THAT NONE OF THE REMAINING RWY HAD BEEN TREATED -- CLRED OR ANYTHING. BAD DEAL. AN ABORT WOULD HAVE BEEN DISASTROUS. YOU WOULD THINK AN ARPT LIKE DTW WOULD HAVE ITS ACT TOGETHER FOR WINTER OPS. I AM ANGRY FOR ASSUMING THIS, AND I FEEL THEY DELIBERATELY WITHHELD CRITICAL INFO FROM CREWS. THIS LED ME, AND OTHERS, TO BELIEVE CONDITIONS WERE BETTER THAN THEY WERE. I SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE AGGRESSIVE IN ENSURING I HAD THE WHOLE PICTURE.

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.