Narrative:

Planned IFR flight to ogden (ogd) airport. En route, contacted flight watch for update of weather and requested they contact ogd tower to determine runway conditions. Tower advised runways were not discernible due to snow and no plowing effect. Airport manager would not authorize overtime to plow crews. Snow had fallen all morning, but no NOTAM issued by airport to FSS to show runway conditions. We then changed our destination to our filed alternate slc and landed there. If a NOTAM had been issued when runway conditions deteriorated prior to our departure from wichita, we would have never filed to ogd. Contacted ogden tower, and they said it was up to the airport manager to issue NOTAM. Ogden tower could have issued the NOTAM, but it was out of their jurisdiction. They advised it was up to the manager of the airport. This was a saturday by where the manager does not often come into the airport. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: tower and another airport employee alleged that this was the airport manager's way of 'doing business.' the reporter alleges 'airport talk' is that funding exists for snow removal, but approval beyond 'business hours' will not be approved. At the time of the pilot's request, tower advised that 4 to 5 inches of snow had accumulated on the runway and landing would be at 'your own risk.' the reporter believes that the airport manager's unwillingness to send an airport condition NOTAM causes user delays, causes additional fuel and transportation costs for his company and passenger, and is 'generally an unsafe way' to run an airport.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C525 INBND TO OGD LEARNS THAT THE RWY IS COVERED WITH SNOW AND NO SNOW REMOVAL EFFORT UNDERWAY. FLT CREW DIVERT TO SLC. NO NOTAM ON RWY CONDITION ISSUED.

Narrative: PLANNED IFR FLT TO OGDEN (OGD) ARPT. ENRTE, CONTACTED FLT WATCH FOR UPDATE OF WEATHER AND REQUESTED THEY CONTACT OGD TWR TO DETERMINE RWY CONDITIONS. TWR ADVISED RWYS WERE NOT DISCERNIBLE DUE TO SNOW AND NO PLOWING EFFECT. ARPT MANAGER WOULD NOT AUTHORIZE OVERTIME TO PLOW CREWS. SNOW HAD FALLEN ALL MORNING, BUT NO NOTAM ISSUED BY ARPT TO FSS TO SHOW RWY CONDITIONS. WE THEN CHANGED OUR DESTINATION TO OUR FILED ALTERNATE SLC AND LANDED THERE. IF A NOTAM HAD BEEN ISSUED WHEN RWY CONDITIONS DETERIORATED PRIOR TO OUR DEP FROM WICHITA, WE WOULD HAVE NEVER FILED TO OGD. CONTACTED OGDEN TWR, AND THEY SAID IT WAS UP TO THE ARPT MANAGER TO ISSUE NOTAM. OGDEN TWR COULD HAVE ISSUED THE NOTAM, BUT IT WAS OUT OF THEIR JURISDICTION. THEY ADVISED IT WAS UP TO THE MANAGER OF THE ARPT. THIS WAS A SATURDAY BY WHERE THE MANAGER DOES NOT OFTEN COME INTO THE ARPT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: TWR AND ANOTHER ARPT EMPLOYEE ALLEGED THAT THIS WAS THE ARPT MANAGER'S WAY OF 'DOING BUSINESS.' THE RPTR ALLEGES 'ARPT TALK' IS THAT FUNDING EXISTS FOR SNOW REMOVAL, BUT APPROVAL BEYOND 'BUSINESS HOURS' WILL NOT BE APPROVED. AT THE TIME OF THE PLT'S REQUEST, TWR ADVISED THAT 4 TO 5 INCHES OF SNOW HAD ACCUMULATED ON THE RWY AND LNDG WOULD BE AT 'YOUR OWN RISK.' THE RPTR BELIEVES THAT THE ARPT MANAGER'S UNWILLINGNESS TO SEND AN ARPT CONDITION NOTAM CAUSES USER DELAYS, CAUSES ADDITIONAL FUEL AND TRANSPORTATION COSTS FOR HIS COMPANY AND PAX, AND IS 'GENERALLY AN UNSAFE WAY' TO RUN AN ARPT.

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.