BA41 PIC is distracted by responding to ATC request for WX report and braking action.

Attributes
ACN	534748
Time
Date	200101
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bmi.airport
State Reference	IL
Altitude	msl single value : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Weather Elements	Snow Ice
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : pia.tracon tower : bmi.tower
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Jetstream 41
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Navigation In Use	ils localizer only : 20
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : instrument precision
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 3300 flight time type : 2200
ASRS Report	534748
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Weather ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance

Narrative:

During approach in IMC into bmi, the WX was down to minimums, with snow on the runway. The approach controller switched us over to the tower and cleared us for the approach. When I switched over to the tower, the controller asked us to report over the marker. During the approach, we were contacted by the tower at least 2 more times -- once to give him a PIREP on the ceiling, and the other time was for a braking action report for the runway. During the approach, the first officer and I were busy with the approach we were doing. So, the communications between the tower and us dealing with ceiling and braking report were unnecessary. Both report requests were made by the tower occurring one before and the other after the OM. I did make the report over the OM and was cleared to land. But after landing, the tower was surprised that we were already on the ground when we contacted him with his report for braking and ceilings. His words were 'oh, you guys are already on the ground?' with this, the first officer and I were not even sure that he gave us our clearance to land. It took us about 2-3 mins of taxi time to try to remember if he did or did not. (Tower just gave us clearance to taxi to the gate.) but, after a while, we did recall that we were cleared to land. A major factor in the problem we had was with the unnecessary communication between us and the tower for the report. This led to a distraction to the crew in our duties. The tower could just ask us for the report once we reached the ground, especially when a crew is shooting an approach in IMC in minimum WX.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BA41 PIC IS DISTRACTED BY RESPONDING TO ATC REQUEST FOR WX RPT AND BRAKING ACTION.

Narrative: DURING APCH IN IMC INTO BMI, THE WX WAS DOWN TO MINIMUMS, WITH SNOW ON THE RWY. THE APCH CTLR SWITCHED US OVER TO THE TWR AND CLRED US FOR THE APCH. WHEN I SWITCHED OVER TO THE TWR, THE CTLR ASKED US TO RPT OVER THE MARKER. DURING THE APCH, WE WERE CONTACTED BY THE TWR AT LEAST 2 MORE TIMES -- ONCE TO GIVE HIM A PIREP ON THE CEILING, AND THE OTHER TIME WAS FOR A BRAKING ACTION RPT FOR THE RWY. DURING THE APCH, THE FO AND I WERE BUSY WITH THE APCH WE WERE DOING. SO, THE COMS BTWN THE TWR AND US DEALING WITH CEILING AND BRAKING RPT WERE UNNECESSARY. BOTH RPT REQUESTS WERE MADE BY THE TWR OCCURRING ONE BEFORE AND THE OTHER AFTER THE OM. I DID MAKE THE RPT OVER THE OM AND WAS CLRED TO LAND. BUT AFTER LNDG, THE TWR WAS SURPRISED THAT WE WERE ALREADY ON THE GND WHEN WE CONTACTED HIM WITH HIS RPT FOR BRAKING AND CEILINGS. HIS WORDS WERE 'OH, YOU GUYS ARE ALREADY ON THE GND?' WITH THIS, THE FO AND I WERE NOT EVEN SURE THAT HE GAVE US OUR CLRNC TO LAND. IT TOOK US ABOUT 2-3 MINS OF TAXI TIME TO TRY TO REMEMBER IF HE DID OR DID NOT. (TWR JUST GAVE US CLRNC TO TAXI TO THE GATE.) BUT, AFTER A WHILE, WE DID RECALL THAT WE WERE CLRED TO LAND. A MAJOR FACTOR IN THE PROB WE HAD WAS WITH THE UNNECESSARY COM BTWN US AND THE TWR FOR THE RPT. THIS LED TO A DISTR TO THE CREW IN OUR DUTIES. THE TWR COULD JUST ASK US FOR THE RPT ONCE WE REACHED THE GND, ESPECIALLY WHEN A CREW IS SHOOTING AN APCH IN IMC IN MINIMUM WX.

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.