A B737 pilot is concerned that there are crash fire rescue equipment equipment placed on a taxiway d...

Attributes
ACN	604183
Time
Date	200401
Day	Fri
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sea.airport
State Reference	WA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
ASRS Report	604183
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Independent Detector	other other : 3
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Weather ATC Human Performance Airport Chart Or Publication Company
Primary Problem	Ambiguous

Narrative:

A note on the sea 20-9 A1 page states that txwys M and north are not available when the RVR is below 600 ft. The chart gives no reason for the unavailability of these txwys. It is possible that in an emergency, a pilot might attempt to utilize one of these txwys thinking that the reason they are not available is due to taxi flow restrs during low visibility operations. In fact, the txwys are not available because crash/fire/rescue units are located on these txwys when the visibility is less than 600 ft RVR. I would recommend adding the information about the vehicles on the txwys to the note that states they are not available. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter revealed that this was second hand information. The reporter heard through a training captain that the procedure for low visibility at sea was to place crash fire rescue equipment equipment on the closed txwys of M and north, and that this was the reason that the txwys were closed. The reason for this was explained that it would provide direct access to the runway if there were an accident.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737 PLT IS CONCERNED THAT THERE ARE CFR EQUIP PLACED ON A TXWY DURING LOW VISIBILITY OPS AT SEA.

Narrative: A NOTE ON THE SEA 20-9 A1 PAGE STATES THAT TXWYS M AND N ARE NOT AVAILABLE WHEN THE RVR IS BELOW 600 FT. THE CHART GIVES NO REASON FOR THE UNAVAILABILITY OF THESE TXWYS. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT IN AN EMER, A PLT MIGHT ATTEMPT TO UTILIZE ONE OF THESE TXWYS THINKING THAT THE REASON THEY ARE NOT AVAILABLE IS DUE TO TAXI FLOW RESTRS DURING LOW VISIBILITY OPS. IN FACT, THE TXWYS ARE NOT AVAILABLE BECAUSE CRASH/FIRE/RESCUE UNITS ARE LOCATED ON THESE TXWYS WHEN THE VISIBILITY IS LESS THAN 600 FT RVR. I WOULD RECOMMEND ADDING THE INFO ABOUT THE VEHICLES ON THE TXWYS TO THE NOTE THAT STATES THEY ARE NOT AVAILABLE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR REVEALED THAT THIS WAS SECOND HAND INFO. THE RPTR HEARD THROUGH A TRAINING CAPT THAT THE PROC FOR LOW VISIBILITY AT SEA WAS TO PLACE CFR EQUIP ON THE CLOSED TXWYS OF M AND N, AND THAT THIS WAS THE REASON THAT THE TXWYS WERE CLOSED. THE REASON FOR THIS WAS EXPLAINED THAT IT WOULD PROVIDE DIRECT ACCESS TO THE RWY IF THERE WERE AN ACCIDENT.

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.

A B737 pilot is concerned that there are crash fire rescue equipment equipment placed on a taxiway during low visibility operations at sea.