Air carrier turbojet observes jfk maintenance personnel on runway end on takeoff.

Attributes
ACN	504062
Time
Date	200103
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : jfk.airport
State Reference	NY
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Weather Elements	Ice Snow
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : jfk.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 230 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 700
ASRS Report	504062
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground less severe ground encounters : person incursion : runway inflight encounter : weather non adherence : company policies non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Miss Distance	horizontal : 4000 vertical : 800
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Maintenance Human Performance Company Airport ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	Maintenance Human Performance
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : jfk.tower
Airport	procedure or policy : jfk.airport snow removal : jfk.airport

Narrative:

Jfk ground control was trying to get us off of runway 31L before the port authority/authorized closed the runway for snow removal. Switching to tower, we were cleared for takeoff on runway 31L from intersection ka. There was moderate snow falling with a snow covered runway. Unknown to tower or ourselves, there were numerous men and vehicles on the end of runway 31L. We lifted off about 4000 ft prior and overflew them at roughly 800 ft. The port authority/authorized had previously been clearing snow from runway 31L. They took a lunch break and then returned to the runway to complete their job. They thought the runway was still closed, it was not. The aircraft that landed on runway 31L roughly 5 mins prior to our departure was a B747. As you can see, the potential for catastrophe was high.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR TURBOJET OBSERVES JFK MAINT PERSONNEL ON RWY END ON TKOF.

Narrative: JFK GND CTL WAS TRYING TO GET US OFF OF RWY 31L BEFORE THE PORT AUTH CLOSED THE RWY FOR SNOW REMOVAL. SWITCHING TO TWR, WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF ON RWY 31L FROM INTXN KA. THERE WAS MODERATE SNOW FALLING WITH A SNOW COVERED RWY. UNKNOWN TO TWR OR OURSELVES, THERE WERE NUMEROUS MEN AND VEHICLES ON THE END OF RWY 31L. WE LIFTED OFF ABOUT 4000 FT PRIOR AND OVERFLEW THEM AT ROUGHLY 800 FT. THE PORT AUTH HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN CLRING SNOW FROM RWY 31L. THEY TOOK A LUNCH BREAK AND THEN RETURNED TO THE RWY TO COMPLETE THEIR JOB. THEY THOUGHT THE RWY WAS STILL CLOSED, IT WAS NOT. THE ACFT THAT LANDED ON RWY 31L ROUGHLY 5 MINS PRIOR TO OUR DEP WAS A B747. AS YOU CAN SEE, THE POTENTIAL FOR CATASTROPHE WAS HIGH.

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.