Narrative:

Our aircraft was number 2 for departure out of jackson hole; wy (jac). Salt lake center was controling all arrivals and departures; as the weather was IFR; and the tower had closed 20 mins or so prior to our departure. We were monitoring the CTAF frequency and (slc) center. In about a ten min span corporate aircraft Y had arrived; corporate aircraft Z was cleared to departure before us. After aircraft Z had departed 2 to 3 mins later (slc) had cleared us to depart ahead of another aircraft on the approach to ILS 19. After receiving our departure we announced on CTAF that we were departing runway 19 (jac). After reaching our V1 (decision) speed; the aircraft snow removal equipment for (jac) announced that they were on the runway. We continued our takeoff; veering off to the right side (away from trucks) of the runway. I do not believe the truck ever exited the runway. No accident occurred. The voice modulation on the trucks was very weak; as you would get from a hand held radio. We never heard any report from the vehicle's being on the runway other than the above mentioned call. That does not mean there wasn't one prior to that. We could have missed it; but the copilot was exclusively monitoring the CTAF and I was monitoring the CTAF and slc. It does surprise me that snow removal would choose to occupy an active runway; at night; in IFR conditions; with 4 arrivals/departures in a 10 min span. Also that they did not appear to immediately vacate the runway. On our arrival in to jac (45 mins prior) the airport was closed for 40 mins for snow removal. (Slc) had held 5 to 7 aircraft; including an air carrier B757. So communication and procedures seem in place when the tower is in operation; but failed when they closed. Possible solutions: 1) better coordination with slc during snow removal operations. 2) imposing a 10 to 15 min prior permission for aircraft with the airport management. 3) stronger radios in the snow removal equipment.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CORPORATE JET ON TAKEOFF FROM JAC ON A SNOWY NIGHT IN IFR CONDITION RPTED VEERING RIGHT TO AVOID A SNOW PLOW OPERATING ON THE RWY.

Narrative: OUR ACFT WAS NUMBER 2 FOR DEP OUT OF JACKSON HOLE; WY (JAC). SALT LAKE CTR WAS CTLING ALL ARRIVALS AND DEPS; AS THE WEATHER WAS IFR; AND THE TWR HAD CLOSED 20 MINS OR SO PRIOR TO OUR DEP. WE WERE MONITORING THE CTAF FREQ AND (SLC) CTR. IN ABOUT A TEN MIN SPAN CORPORATE ACFT Y HAD ARRIVED; CORPORATE ACFT Z WAS CLRED TO DEP BEFORE US. AFTER ACFT Z HAD DEPARTED 2 TO 3 MINS LATER (SLC) HAD CLRED US TO DEPART AHEAD OF ANOTHER ACFT ON THE APCH TO ILS 19. AFTER RECEIVING OUR DEP WE ANNOUNCED ON CTAF THAT WE WERE DEPARTING RWY 19 (JAC). AFTER REACHING OUR V1 (DECISION) SPD; THE ACFT SNOW REMOVAL EQUIPMENT FOR (JAC) ANNOUNCED THAT THEY WERE ON THE RWY. WE CONTINUED OUR TAKEOFF; VEERING OFF TO THE RIGHT SIDE (AWAY FROM TRUCKS) OF THE RWY. I DO NOT BELIEVE THE TRUCK EVER EXITED THE RWY. NO ACCIDENT OCCURRED. THE VOICE MODULATION ON THE TRUCKS WAS VERY WEAK; AS YOU WOULD GET FROM A HAND HELD RADIO. WE NEVER HEARD ANY RPT FROM THE VEHICLE'S BEING ON THE RWY OTHER THAN THE ABOVE MENTIONED CALL. THAT DOES NOT MEAN THERE WASN'T ONE PRIOR TO THAT. WE COULD HAVE MISSED IT; BUT THE COPLT WAS EXCLUSIVELY MONITORING THE CTAF AND I WAS MONITORING THE CTAF AND SLC. IT DOES SURPRISE ME THAT SNOW REMOVAL WOULD CHOOSE TO OCCUPY AN ACTIVE RWY; AT NIGHT; IN IFR CONDITIONS; WITH 4 ARRIVALS/DEPS IN A 10 MIN SPAN. ALSO THAT THEY DID NOT APPEAR TO IMMEDIATELY VACATE THE RWY. ON OUR ARR IN TO JAC (45 MINS PRIOR) THE ARPT WAS CLOSED FOR 40 MINS FOR SNOW REMOVAL. (SLC) HAD HELD 5 TO 7 ACFT; INCLUDING AN ACR B757. SO COM AND PROCS SEEM IN PLACE WHEN THE TWR IS IN OPERATION; BUT FAILED WHEN THEY CLOSED. POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS: 1) BETTER COORDINATION WITH SLC DURING SNOW REMOVAL OPS. 2) IMPOSING A 10 TO 15 MIN PRIOR PERMISSION FOR ACFT WITH THE ARPT MANAGEMENT. 3) STRONGER RADIOS IN THE SNOW REMOVAL EQUIPMENT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.