Narrative:

I did a flight recently to ZZZ and decided not to continue the flight due to unsafe runway conditions. Before my flight, I called my company's dispatcher to inquire about the runway condition up in ZZZ. I was informed that ZZZ runway was clear and dry with braking action of good. ZZZ at around XA30Z, was expecting freezing rain, snow pellets, and ice pellets. I asked my dispatcher to contact me if conditions changed. I departed to ZZZ soon thereafter and received a call from my dispatcher informing me of the changing conditions in ZZZ. Radio communication was extremely bad due to the WX outside. I took from his report that snow pellets had started to fall and that there was a thin layer of snow and ice on all surfaces including txwys and ramp areas. I decided that the runway conditions indicated a condition of ice on the runway. Given these conditions, I decided after looking up charts for ice covered runway, that the available runway distance and the required runway distance, didn't match. In other words, I only had 7001 ft of runway in ZZZ with a required 8800 ft per my contaminated runway charts. I informed my dispatcher, but he disagreed with me along with the duty pilot. They said it should be considered to be a dry runway. I overrode their decision and returned to departure airport. It appears after I landed, that I didn't get all the information. The runway had been brushed, but I didn't hear that. Regardless, a plane 10 mins later after I diverted, reported a braking action of nil. Bad radio communication and the failure of my dispatcher and duty pilot to give me their reasoning behind their decision contributed to this error.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CL65 FLT CREW OVERRIDES DISPATCHER AND DUTY PLT INSTRUCTIONS AND DIVERTS TO ALTERNATE DUE TO RWY CONDITIONS AT LEX.

Narrative: I DID A FLT RECENTLY TO ZZZ AND DECIDED NOT TO CONTINUE THE FLT DUE TO UNSAFE RWY CONDITIONS. BEFORE MY FLT, I CALLED MY COMPANY'S DISPATCHER TO INQUIRE ABOUT THE RWY CONDITION UP IN ZZZ. I WAS INFORMED THAT ZZZ RWY WAS CLR AND DRY WITH BRAKING ACTION OF GOOD. ZZZ AT AROUND XA30Z, WAS EXPECTING FREEZING RAIN, SNOW PELLETS, AND ICE PELLETS. I ASKED MY DISPATCHER TO CONTACT ME IF CONDITIONS CHANGED. I DEPARTED TO ZZZ SOON THEREAFTER AND RECEIVED A CALL FROM MY DISPATCHER INFORMING ME OF THE CHANGING CONDITIONS IN ZZZ. RADIO COM WAS EXTREMELY BAD DUE TO THE WX OUTSIDE. I TOOK FROM HIS RPT THAT SNOW PELLETS HAD STARTED TO FALL AND THAT THERE WAS A THIN LAYER OF SNOW AND ICE ON ALL SURFACES INCLUDING TXWYS AND RAMP AREAS. I DECIDED THAT THE RWY CONDITIONS INDICATED A CONDITION OF ICE ON THE RWY. GIVEN THESE CONDITIONS, I DECIDED AFTER LOOKING UP CHARTS FOR ICE COVERED RWY, THAT THE AVAILABLE RWY DISTANCE AND THE REQUIRED RWY DISTANCE, DIDN'T MATCH. IN OTHER WORDS, I ONLY HAD 7001 FT OF RWY IN ZZZ WITH A REQUIRED 8800 FT PER MY CONTAMINATED RWY CHARTS. I INFORMED MY DISPATCHER, BUT HE DISAGREED WITH ME ALONG WITH THE DUTY PLT. THEY SAID IT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED TO BE A DRY RWY. I OVERRODE THEIR DECISION AND RETURNED TO DEP ARPT. IT APPEARS AFTER I LANDED, THAT I DIDN'T GET ALL THE INFO. THE RWY HAD BEEN BRUSHED, BUT I DIDN'T HEAR THAT. REGARDLESS, A PLANE 10 MINS LATER AFTER I DIVERTED, RPTED A BRAKING ACTION OF NIL. BAD RADIO COM AND THE FAILURE OF MY DISPATCHER AND DUTY PLT TO GIVE ME THEIR REASONING BEHIND THEIR DECISION CONTRIBUTED TO THIS ERROR.

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.