Narrative:

We never received any information written, or radio xmissions indicating there was clutter on the runway, even though clutter was present for at least 1 1/2 hour prior to our arrival. I talked to dispatch before I pushed to get an update, and dispatch called us airborne to update WX. Neither our WX package nor dispatch information noted any clutter. We got 2 ATIS's in the terminal area and it did not note clutter, braking action, or the fact that the bwi VOR azimuth was OTS. ATIS was only 10-15 mins old and reported visibility of a few mi. Arrival also did not mention any of the missing information. When we had off flags for bwi VOR azimuth, we asked approach if the VOR was working and he said no -- surprise #1. Checked in with tower on 10 mi final -- first officer was flying, it was his leg. Tower cleared us to land and did not give us winds, RVR, braking action or fact of clutter on runway. During the approach, it became apparent that visibility was significantly less than reported. I, the PNF, asked tower for the winds, visibility and braking action reports. He gave the winds, reported 3500 ft RVR and braking action of good. At decision ht, I took the aircraft and executed the landing. The braking action was poor to fair with the anti-skid cycling many times. There was at least 100% slush on the runway at a depth of at least 1 inch. The only place where there was no slush was the few tire tracks on the runway. It was pretty obvious the slush had been there a while. I reported the slush to tower along with the braking action, and they said the airport was going to close at that time for at least 1 hour. I feel that someone must have known about the clutter. In the bwi pilot lounge, I called and talked to the same dispatcher I had been working with all day. He checked all his paperwork and could find no report of either clutter or VOR azimuth OTS. Later, I talked with airport senior operations manager, and he said the clutter was reported to bwi company operations at XA00, estimated via a 'snowgram.' I talked to the bwi operations manager on duty, and he said he knew nothing of clutter on the runway. Another operations agent reached into the trash in operations and showed me a crumpled 'snowgram #1,' which said 'all surfaces wet snow depth less than 1/2 inch.' the time on the 'snowgram 1' was XA00 EST. There was another 'snowgram #2' with a time of XC00 EST reporting 1/2 inch slush wet snow. Somebody needs to get the word out to the guy (me) at the end of the food chain. I feel that I was set up. As the captain, I had incomplete information with which to make a lot of quick critical decisions. I was never told about clutter from any agency, never told about the bwi VOR azimuth being OTS, and practically had to beg for RVR information. I believe the bwi airport dropped the ball. We do a lot of flts into and out of bwi, we need to demand the best out of them before someone gets hurt or an airplane bent. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter's concerns are that bwi airport information was available prior to departure by the company; that although bwi approach had issued runway condition airport alerts, ATC missed communicating important information to the flight crew for timely review for operational resolution prior to landing; and because none of this information had been passed along, they were 'hanging out there.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 FLC CONCERNED WITH UNCOORD WX FACTORS WHEN LNDG AT BWI THAT WERE NOT PASSED FOR CREW EVALUATION PRIOR TO ARR.

Narrative: WE NEVER RECEIVED ANY INFO WRITTEN, OR RADIO XMISSIONS INDICATING THERE WAS CLUTTER ON THE RWY, EVEN THOUGH CLUTTER WAS PRESENT FOR AT LEAST 1 1/2 HR PRIOR TO OUR ARR. I TALKED TO DISPATCH BEFORE I PUSHED TO GET AN UPDATE, AND DISPATCH CALLED US AIRBORNE TO UPDATE WX. NEITHER OUR WX PACKAGE NOR DISPATCH INFO NOTED ANY CLUTTER. WE GOT 2 ATIS'S IN THE TERMINAL AREA AND IT DID NOT NOTE CLUTTER, BRAKING ACTION, OR THE FACT THAT THE BWI VOR AZIMUTH WAS OTS. ATIS WAS ONLY 10-15 MINS OLD AND RPTED VISIBILITY OF A FEW MI. ARR ALSO DID NOT MENTION ANY OF THE MISSING INFO. WHEN WE HAD OFF FLAGS FOR BWI VOR AZIMUTH, WE ASKED APCH IF THE VOR WAS WORKING AND HE SAID NO -- SURPRISE #1. CHKED IN WITH TWR ON 10 MI FINAL -- FO WAS FLYING, IT WAS HIS LEG. TWR CLRED US TO LAND AND DID NOT GIVE US WINDS, RVR, BRAKING ACTION OR FACT OF CLUTTER ON RWY. DURING THE APCH, IT BECAME APPARENT THAT VISIBILITY WAS SIGNIFICANTLY LESS THAN RPTED. I, THE PNF, ASKED TWR FOR THE WINDS, VISIBILITY AND BRAKING ACTION RPTS. HE GAVE THE WINDS, RPTED 3500 FT RVR AND BRAKING ACTION OF GOOD. AT DECISION HT, I TOOK THE ACFT AND EXECUTED THE LNDG. THE BRAKING ACTION WAS POOR TO FAIR WITH THE ANTI-SKID CYCLING MANY TIMES. THERE WAS AT LEAST 100% SLUSH ON THE RWY AT A DEPTH OF AT LEAST 1 INCH. THE ONLY PLACE WHERE THERE WAS NO SLUSH WAS THE FEW TIRE TRACKS ON THE RWY. IT WAS PRETTY OBVIOUS THE SLUSH HAD BEEN THERE A WHILE. I RPTED THE SLUSH TO TWR ALONG WITH THE BRAKING ACTION, AND THEY SAID THE ARPT WAS GOING TO CLOSE AT THAT TIME FOR AT LEAST 1 HR. I FEEL THAT SOMEONE MUST HAVE KNOWN ABOUT THE CLUTTER. IN THE BWI PLT LOUNGE, I CALLED AND TALKED TO THE SAME DISPATCHER I HAD BEEN WORKING WITH ALL DAY. HE CHKED ALL HIS PAPERWORK AND COULD FIND NO RPT OF EITHER CLUTTER OR VOR AZIMUTH OTS. LATER, I TALKED WITH ARPT SENIOR OPS MGR, AND HE SAID THE CLUTTER WAS RPTED TO BWI COMPANY OPS AT XA00, ESTIMATED VIA A 'SNOWGRAM.' I TALKED TO THE BWI OPS MGR ON DUTY, AND HE SAID HE KNEW NOTHING OF CLUTTER ON THE RWY. ANOTHER OPS AGENT REACHED INTO THE TRASH IN OPS AND SHOWED ME A CRUMPLED 'SNOWGRAM #1,' WHICH SAID 'ALL SURFACES WET SNOW DEPTH LESS THAN 1/2 INCH.' THE TIME ON THE 'SNOWGRAM 1' WAS XA00 EST. THERE WAS ANOTHER 'SNOWGRAM #2' WITH A TIME OF XC00 EST RPTING 1/2 INCH SLUSH WET SNOW. SOMEBODY NEEDS TO GET THE WORD OUT TO THE GUY (ME) AT THE END OF THE FOOD CHAIN. I FEEL THAT I WAS SET UP. AS THE CAPT, I HAD INCOMPLETE INFO WITH WHICH TO MAKE A LOT OF QUICK CRITICAL DECISIONS. I WAS NEVER TOLD ABOUT CLUTTER FROM ANY AGENCY, NEVER TOLD ABOUT THE BWI VOR AZIMUTH BEING OTS, AND PRACTICALLY HAD TO BEG FOR RVR INFO. I BELIEVE THE BWI ARPT DROPPED THE BALL. WE DO A LOT OF FLTS INTO AND OUT OF BWI, WE NEED TO DEMAND THE BEST OUT OF THEM BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT OR AN AIRPLANE BENT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR'S CONCERNS ARE THAT BWI ARPT INFO WAS AVAILABLE PRIOR TO DEP BY THE COMPANY; THAT ALTHOUGH BWI APCH HAD ISSUED RWY CONDITION ARPT ALERTS, ATC MISSED COMMUNICATING IMPORTANT INFO TO THE FLC FOR TIMELY REVIEW FOR OPERATIONAL RESOLUTION PRIOR TO LNDG; AND BECAUSE NONE OF THIS INFO HAD BEEN PASSED ALONG, THEY WERE 'HANGING OUT THERE.'

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.