Narrative:

ATIS reported 1/2' wet snow runway 3R at dtw. Runway 3L closed for plowing. Runway 3R plowed/sanded 50' either side centerline. Braking action poor. Aircraft landed in what seemed to be slush estimated at greater than 1/2' (possibly 1' slush). Crew advised ground control that the runway contaminated was more like slush than wet snow as reported by ATIS. Upon arrival at gate crew noticed that trailing edge of left flap behind #1 main gear had been damaged approximately 10-12'. Maintenance advised that water deflector forward of APU air intake but aft of main gear (located on aircraft belly) had been damaged. Maintenance and crew suspect slush damage. Conclusion: incorrect runway condition report for runway 3R misled crew. Had crew known that runway contaminate was slush instead of wet snow and that contaminate depth was greater than 1/2' (this is a biased educated opinion), crew may have elected to wait for the freshly plowed 3L runway. In fact because it was raining and only the center of the runway had been plowed, there was probably standing water greater than 1/2' being held in the center of the runway by the greater depths of slush at the edges. At any rate we were not given the complete picture prior to making our decision to land on runway 3R at dtw. I have been told by the assistant chief pilot at dtw that runway 3R was eventually closed after several aircraft landed and reported engine flameouts due to water or slush ingestion.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: REPORTER PROTESTS RWY CONDITION NOT AS REPORTED BY ATIS.

Narrative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

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.