Narrative:

I was the PF on the trip to jackson hole. We departed telluride at XA32. We were in VMC. When ATC gave us vectors for the approach, we entered IMC at that time and remained IMC for the rest of the approach. The captain asked for clarification and ATC cleared us then to the VOR and from there for the ILS approach. The captain contacted the tower and was told to call a certain fix inbound. I was concentrating on the instruments and flying the airplane while the captain was calling out altitudes above decision ht. I was mentally going over the missed approach procedure and preparing myself for the approach landing transition when the captain acquired visual reference with the runway at about 250 ft above decision ht and about 1 1/4 mi forward visibility. I looked outside and also saw the runway. I then disconnected the autoplt and landed. Once we touched down, I saw 2 objects on either side of the runway at a distance in front of us. The captain told me to keep the airplane straight on the centerline and to slowdown using propeller reverse. When we passed the objects, which turned out to be snow plows, the aircraft had slowed down considerably. In my opinion, there were several factors contributing to the failure by the captain/PNF to report the fix inbound. It was the first trip the crew members flew together. Up to the FAF, I can recall the radio xmissions quite clearly. Thereafter, I tuned out the radio somewhat and assumed the captain/PNF reported the fix and obtained landing clearance. I was concentrating, during the last segment of the approach, primarily on the instruments and approach progression. The captain monitored my flying the approach closely since it was my first time as PF with him, taking some attention away from his duties as PNF. I also think there was a lack of awareness by the control tower. Why didn't the tower investigate/call us after failing to hear from us? The tower knew we were on the approach inbound for landing. Why was the snow plow equipment on the runway while instrument approachs were in progress? Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter advised that they did in fact landing without clearance. The snow plows, at the time they passed them, were operating on the side of the runway and not on the runway surface. When they parked the aircraft, they were met by a sheriff's deputy who stated they had landing without clearance and that he was there both to gather information regarding a potential violation as well as to 'protect them from the snow plow operators -- who are kind of hot heads and were upset with the crew.' the deputy reviewed their flight bags, charts and plates, and took down personal information. The captain has subsequently received a 'letter of investigation' from the FAA. Reporter emphasized he felt the ATCT local controller was lax in not monitoring their arrival more closely and for never advising them regarding the plowing in progress. He further speculates that the operation of snow plows on or in the vicinity of the ILS antennas might well disrupt signal propagation and is likely not an authority/authorized activity.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF PIAGGIO P180 ON ILS APCH FORGETS TO RPT AT FIX INBND, AND LWOC AT JAC IN IMC AND SNOW WITH SNOW PLOWS STILL ON RWY.

Narrative: I WAS THE PF ON THE TRIP TO JACKSON HOLE. WE DEPARTED TELLURIDE AT XA32. WE WERE IN VMC. WHEN ATC GAVE US VECTORS FOR THE APCH, WE ENTERED IMC AT THAT TIME AND REMAINED IMC FOR THE REST OF THE APCH. THE CAPT ASKED FOR CLARIFICATION AND ATC CLRED US THEN TO THE VOR AND FROM THERE FOR THE ILS APCH. THE CAPT CONTACTED THE TWR AND WAS TOLD TO CALL A CERTAIN FIX INBOUND. I WAS CONCENTRATING ON THE INSTS AND FLYING THE AIRPLANE WHILE THE CAPT WAS CALLING OUT ALTS ABOVE DECISION HT. I WAS MENTALLY GOING OVER THE MISSED APCH PROC AND PREPARING MYSELF FOR THE APCH LNDG TRANSITION WHEN THE CAPT ACQUIRED VISUAL REF WITH THE RWY AT ABOUT 250 FT ABOVE DECISION HT AND ABOUT 1 1/4 MI FORWARD VISIBILITY. I LOOKED OUTSIDE AND ALSO SAW THE RWY. I THEN DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT AND LANDED. ONCE WE TOUCHED DOWN, I SAW 2 OBJECTS ON EITHER SIDE OF THE RWY AT A DISTANCE IN FRONT OF US. THE CAPT TOLD ME TO KEEP THE AIRPLANE STRAIGHT ON THE CTRLINE AND TO SLOWDOWN USING PROP REVERSE. WHEN WE PASSED THE OBJECTS, WHICH TURNED OUT TO BE SNOW PLOWS, THE ACFT HAD SLOWED DOWN CONSIDERABLY. IN MY OPINION, THERE WERE SEVERAL FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THE FAILURE BY THE CAPT/PNF TO RPT THE FIX INBOUND. IT WAS THE FIRST TRIP THE CREW MEMBERS FLEW TOGETHER. UP TO THE FAF, I CAN RECALL THE RADIO XMISSIONS QUITE CLRLY. THEREAFTER, I TUNED OUT THE RADIO SOMEWHAT AND ASSUMED THE CAPT/PNF RPTED THE FIX AND OBTAINED LNDG CLRNC. I WAS CONCENTRATING, DURING THE LAST SEGMENT OF THE APCH, PRIMARILY ON THE INSTS AND APCH PROGRESSION. THE CAPT MONITORED MY FLYING THE APCH CLOSELY SINCE IT WAS MY FIRST TIME AS PF WITH HIM, TAKING SOME ATTN AWAY FROM HIS DUTIES AS PNF. I ALSO THINK THERE WAS A LACK OF AWARENESS BY THE CTL TWR. WHY DIDN'T THE TWR INVESTIGATE/CALL US AFTER FAILING TO HEAR FROM US? THE TWR KNEW WE WERE ON THE APCH INBOUND FOR LNDG. WHY WAS THE SNOW PLOW EQUIP ON THE RWY WHILE INST APCHS WERE IN PROGRESS? CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR ADVISED THAT THEY DID IN FACT LWOC. THE SNOW PLOWS, AT THE TIME THEY PASSED THEM, WERE OPERATING ON THE SIDE OF THE RWY AND NOT ON THE RWY SURFACE. WHEN THEY PARKED THE ACFT, THEY WERE MET BY A SHERIFF'S DEPUTY WHO STATED THEY HAD LWOC AND THAT HE WAS THERE BOTH TO GATHER INFO REGARDING A POTENTIAL VIOLATION AS WELL AS TO 'PROTECT THEM FROM THE SNOW PLOW OPERATORS -- WHO ARE KIND OF HOT HEADS AND WERE UPSET WITH THE CREW.' THE DEPUTY REVIEWED THEIR FLT BAGS, CHARTS AND PLATES, AND TOOK DOWN PERSONAL INFO. THE CAPT HAS SUBSEQUENTLY RECEIVED A 'LETTER OF INVESTIGATION' FROM THE FAA. RPTR EMPHASIZED HE FELT THE ATCT LCL CTLR WAS LAX IN NOT MONITORING THEIR ARR MORE CLOSELY AND FOR NEVER ADVISING THEM REGARDING THE PLOWING IN PROGRESS. HE FURTHER SPECULATES THAT THE OP OF SNOW PLOWS ON OR IN THE VICINITY OF THE ILS ANTENNAS MIGHT WELL DISRUPT SIGNAL PROPAGATION AND IS LIKELY NOT AN AUTH ACTIVITY.

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.