Narrative:

Pulling up the release for this flight at ord, the field report was indicating that the runway pavements were dry even though, for hours prior to the report, the WX reports were indicating either drizzle or light rain. Also, the swf field report was indicating that their mu measuring device was OTS. We departed after working with dispatch so that they would be checking to have us obtain a fresh (ie, under 30 min old) runway condition report prior to us landing at swf. As we began our descent into swf, dispatch learned that with the mu meter out, the tower could only give runway condition reports from another aircraft landing and reporting conditions. As it was, there had been another aircraft landing prior to us starting the approach and giving braking action as good. When we landed, as suspected, the runway condition was beyond a doubt very wet. Ordinarily, this would not be a big deal but swf had been reporting either freezing drizzle or light freezing rain and we had very real concerns about problems with braking action. When it has been raining for hours and swf is reporting dry surfaces, you wonder if they are even checking the conditions or just pencil-whipping on the runway condition reporting system at swf. If their mu system is down, it would be nice if someone from the airport operations could at least do a vehicle check. While not that precise, at least they could give flight crews an idea if braking action was going towards the nil side.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT RPTS THAT THE SWF FIELD CONDITION RPTING IS INACCURATE. BRAKING ACTION EQUIP INOP.

Narrative: PULLING UP THE RELEASE FOR THIS FLT AT ORD, THE FIELD RPT WAS INDICATING THAT THE RWY PAVEMENTS WERE DRY EVEN THOUGH, FOR HRS PRIOR TO THE RPT, THE WX RPTS WERE INDICATING EITHER DRIZZLE OR LIGHT RAIN. ALSO, THE SWF FIELD RPT WAS INDICATING THAT THEIR MU MEASURING DEVICE WAS OTS. WE DEPARTED AFTER WORKING WITH DISPATCH SO THAT THEY WOULD BE CHKING TO HAVE US OBTAIN A FRESH (IE, UNDER 30 MIN OLD) RWY CONDITION RPT PRIOR TO US LNDG AT SWF. AS WE BEGAN OUR DSCNT INTO SWF, DISPATCH LEARNED THAT WITH THE MU METER OUT, THE TWR COULD ONLY GIVE RWY CONDITION RPTS FROM ANOTHER ACFT LNDG AND RPTING CONDITIONS. AS IT WAS, THERE HAD BEEN ANOTHER ACFT LNDG PRIOR TO US STARTING THE APCH AND GIVING BRAKING ACTION AS GOOD. WHEN WE LANDED, AS SUSPECTED, THE RWY CONDITION WAS BEYOND A DOUBT VERY WET. ORDINARILY, THIS WOULD NOT BE A BIG DEAL BUT SWF HAD BEEN RPTING EITHER FREEZING DRIZZLE OR LIGHT FREEZING RAIN AND WE HAD VERY REAL CONCERNS ABOUT PROBS WITH BRAKING ACTION. WHEN IT HAS BEEN RAINING FOR HRS AND SWF IS RPTING DRY SURFACES, YOU WONDER IF THEY ARE EVEN CHKING THE CONDITIONS OR JUST PENCIL-WHIPPING ON THE RWY CONDITION RPTING SYS AT SWF. IF THEIR MU SYS IS DOWN, IT WOULD BE NICE IF SOMEONE FROM THE ARPT OPS COULD AT LEAST DO A VEHICLE CHK. WHILE NOT THAT PRECISE, AT LEAST THEY COULD GIVE FLT CREWS AN IDEA IF BRAKING ACTION WAS GOING TOWARDS THE NIL SIDE.

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.