Narrative:

Before departing for a repositioning leg I checked the weather for mdw; which was IFR and expected to stay that way. I was concerned about braking action as snow had been falling for several hours. None was available from the telephone ASOS; so I called airport operations. I received no official report; but was told the runway was 90% bare and dry with some patches of ice and snow. No official braking action report was issued; but I was told that one would be issued with mu values shortly. I watched for these on standard NOTAM information sources (wsi; duats) but none appeared even up to my departure time. Weather at mdw on arrival was as forecast (IFR with low ceilings and visibility in snow); however; the ATIS gave no mention of braking action reports; just that advisories were in effect. The only braking action advisory we received was a report of 'fair' by a previously-landed aircraft. We touched down on runway 31C in the touchdown zone. Our landing weight was slightly heavier than normal. We were instructed to turn left at taxiway a. We applied moderate thrust reversers and moderate braking but began to feel the operation of the antiskid system. We were unable to turn at taxiway a; normally quite easy; and continued to taxiway B; where we exited the runway. We determined that the braking action was marginally fair; almost poor; but did not issue a report immediately due to the high volume of radio traffic. An aircraft immediately following us; an airbus; however; reported the braking action at the north end of the runway to be poor. The controller acknowledged the report. During our lengthy taxi to the FBO; however; we never heard the report given to other arriving aircraft; nor was it ever heard on the ATIS during the following hour when we were preparing for our next flight. No mu values were ever given at any time. I was very surprised at this. I had not operated from mdw for quite some time in poor conditions and had expected that mu values and braking action reports would now be routinely and rigorously disseminated. The high volume of large aircraft operating into relatively short runways would seem to mandate this. Nonetheless; I found runway condition reports arriving at mdw to be very difficult to obtain and not particularly adequate or reliable when received. What little information was available was rarely given to arriving aircraft. The whole thing seemed like a big crap shoot: 'well; the guy ahead of me made it; it must be okay.' again; I was especially surprised at this.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE40 CAPT REPORTS NOT BEING ABLE TO OBTAIN A BRAKING ACTION REPORT FOR MDW PRIOR TO LANDING WITH SNOW FALLING.

Narrative: BEFORE DEPARTING FOR A REPOSITIONING LEG I CHECKED THE WEATHER FOR MDW; WHICH WAS IFR AND EXPECTED TO STAY THAT WAY. I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT BRAKING ACTION AS SNOW HAD BEEN FALLING FOR SEVERAL HOURS. NONE WAS AVAILABLE FROM THE TELEPHONE ASOS; SO I CALLED AIRPORT OPERATIONS. I RECEIVED NO OFFICIAL REPORT; BUT WAS TOLD THE RUNWAY WAS 90% BARE AND DRY WITH SOME PATCHES OF ICE AND SNOW. NO OFFICIAL BRAKING ACTION REPORT WAS ISSUED; BUT I WAS TOLD THAT ONE WOULD BE ISSUED WITH MU VALUES SHORTLY. I WATCHED FOR THESE ON STANDARD NOTAM INFORMATION SOURCES (WSI; DUATS) BUT NONE APPEARED EVEN UP TO MY DEPARTURE TIME. WEATHER AT MDW ON ARRIVAL WAS AS FORECAST (IFR WITH LOW CEILINGS AND VISIBILITY IN SNOW); HOWEVER; THE ATIS GAVE NO MENTION OF BRAKING ACTION REPORTS; JUST THAT ADVISORIES WERE IN EFFECT. THE ONLY BRAKING ACTION ADVISORY WE RECEIVED WAS A REPORT OF 'FAIR' BY A PREVIOUSLY-LANDED AIRCRAFT. WE TOUCHED DOWN ON RUNWAY 31C IN THE TOUCHDOWN ZONE. OUR LANDING WEIGHT WAS SLIGHTLY HEAVIER THAN NORMAL. WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO TURN LEFT AT TAXIWAY A. WE APPLIED MODERATE THRUST REVERSERS AND MODERATE BRAKING BUT BEGAN TO FEEL THE OPERATION OF THE ANTISKID SYSTEM. WE WERE UNABLE TO TURN AT TAXIWAY A; NORMALLY QUITE EASY; AND CONTINUED TO TAXIWAY B; WHERE WE EXITED THE RUNWAY. WE DETERMINED THAT THE BRAKING ACTION WAS MARGINALLY FAIR; ALMOST POOR; BUT DID NOT ISSUE A REPORT IMMEDIATELY DUE TO THE HIGH VOLUME OF RADIO TRAFFIC. AN AIRCRAFT IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING US; AN AIRBUS; HOWEVER; REPORTED THE BRAKING ACTION AT THE NORTH END OF THE RUNWAY TO BE POOR. THE CONTROLLER ACKNOWLEDGED THE REPORT. DURING OUR LENGTHY TAXI TO THE FBO; HOWEVER; WE NEVER HEARD THE REPORT GIVEN TO OTHER ARRIVING AIRCRAFT; NOR WAS IT EVER HEARD ON THE ATIS DURING THE FOLLOWING HOUR WHEN WE WERE PREPARING FOR OUR NEXT FLIGHT. NO MU VALUES WERE EVER GIVEN AT ANY TIME. I WAS VERY SURPRISED AT THIS. I HAD NOT OPERATED FROM MDW FOR QUITE SOME TIME IN POOR CONDITIONS AND HAD EXPECTED THAT MU VALUES AND BRAKING ACTION REPORTS WOULD NOW BE ROUTINELY AND RIGOROUSLY DISSEMINATED. THE HIGH VOLUME OF LARGE AIRCRAFT OPERATING INTO RELATIVELY SHORT RUNWAYS WOULD SEEM TO MANDATE THIS. NONETHELESS; I FOUND RUNWAY CONDITION REPORTS ARRIVING AT MDW TO BE VERY DIFFICULT TO OBTAIN AND NOT PARTICULARLY ADEQUATE OR RELIABLE WHEN RECEIVED. WHAT LITTLE INFORMATION WAS AVAILABLE WAS RARELY GIVEN TO ARRIVING AIRCRAFT. THE WHOLE THING SEEMED LIKE A BIG CRAP SHOOT: 'WELL; THE GUY AHEAD OF ME MADE IT; IT MUST BE OKAY.' AGAIN; I WAS ESPECIALLY SURPRISED AT THIS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.