Narrative:

Arrived ric just after front passed. Runway 16/34 was closed for routine maintenance during busy operational time. This forced several air carrier aircraft to land under very marginal conditions (wet runway, 20-25 KT cross-wind and short runway 6600') while this was legal it was a very marginal operation. Ric airport must understand that primary runways should not be closed for routine maintenance when these runways are needed to provide for safe operations. It appears that while ATC was aware that pilots were dissatisfied with this operation airport management was totally unaware that there was a potential problem. It should be up to airport management to see that WX conditions are monitored during periods of runway closure and that critical runways are returned to service if they are required to provide safe operations.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: REPORTER PROTESTS HAVING TO LAND ON WET RWY WITH CROSSWIND BECAUSE PREFERRED RWY WAS CLOSED FOR ROUNTINE MAINTENANCE.

Narrative: ARRIVED RIC JUST AFTER FRONT PASSED. RWY 16/34 WAS CLOSED FOR ROUTINE MAINT DURING BUSY OPERATIONAL TIME. THIS FORCED SEVERAL AIR CARRIER ACFT TO LAND UNDER VERY MARGINAL CONDITIONS (WET RWY, 20-25 KT CROSS-WIND AND SHORT RWY 6600') WHILE THIS WAS LEGAL IT WAS A VERY MARGINAL OPERATION. RIC ARPT MUST UNDERSTAND THAT PRIMARY RWYS SHOULD NOT BE CLOSED FOR ROUTINE MAINT WHEN THESE RWYS ARE NEEDED TO PROVIDE FOR SAFE OPS. IT APPEARS THAT WHILE ATC WAS AWARE THAT PLTS WERE DISSATISFIED WITH THIS OPERATION ARPT MGMNT WAS TOTALLY UNAWARE THAT THERE WAS A POTENTIAL PROB. IT SHOULD BE UP TO ARPT MGMNT TO SEE THAT WX CONDITIONS ARE MONITORED DURING PERIODS OF RWY CLOSURE AND THAT CRITICAL RWYS ARE RETURNED TO SVC IF THEY ARE REQUIRED TO PROVIDE SAFE OPS.

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.