Narrative:

On a sunny snow covered afternoon an all white airport vehicle came out to do work on the ski strip. The ski strip is maintained as a snow covered landing surface for planes during the winter months at fai. This all white vehicle was not visible from the tower against the snow covered background. This all white vehicle is regularly operated on the runways at fai. The vehicle is very difficult to see; even on the dry runways because the surfaces surrounding the runways are snow covered for months on end here. AC150/5210-20 states: 'vehicles that routinely operate on the airside should be marked/flagged for high daytime visibility.' I submit that operating an all white vehicle on the runways here during the winter months is creating an unnecessary hazard for the vehicle operator and aircraft operators.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FAI CTLR EXPRESSED CONCERN REGARDING A WHITE ARPT VEHICLE; CITING FREQUENT SNOW CONDITIONS AND SIGHTING DIFFICULTIES.

Narrative: ON A SUNNY SNOW COVERED AFTERNOON AN ALL WHITE ARPT VEHICLE CAME OUT TO DO WORK ON THE SKI STRIP. THE SKI STRIP IS MAINTAINED AS A SNOW COVERED LANDING SURFACE FOR PLANES DURING THE WINTER MONTHS AT FAI. THIS ALL WHITE VEHICLE WAS NOT VISIBLE FROM THE TWR AGAINST THE SNOW COVERED BACKGROUND. THIS ALL WHITE VEHICLE IS REGULARLY OPERATED ON THE RWYS AT FAI. THE VEHICLE IS VERY DIFFICULT TO SEE; EVEN ON THE DRY RWYS BECAUSE THE SURFACES SURROUNDING THE RWYS ARE SNOW COVERED FOR MONTHS ON END HERE. AC150/5210-20 STATES: 'VEHICLES THAT ROUTINELY OPERATE ON THE AIRSIDE SHOULD BE MARKED/FLAGGED FOR HIGH DAYTIME VISIBILITY.' I SUBMIT THAT OPERATING AN ALL WHITE VEHICLE ON THE RWYS HERE DURING THE WINTER MONTHS IS CREATING AN UNNECESSARY HAZARD FOR THE VEHICLE OPERATOR AND ACFT OPERATORS.

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.