Hold short signs obscured by snow piled up during snow removal.

Attributes
ACN	80417
Time
Date	198801
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bos
State Reference	MA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : txk
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	ground : holding ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 255 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 4500
ASRS Report	80417
Person 2
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Airport
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
Airport	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

Boston's logan airport is very conscientious in their taxi instructions, always requesting acknowledgements in their hold short instructions. This is all very commendable. However, they then take one giant step backwards in the area of unauthorized runway incursions. They do this by means of a very inefficient snow removal program. Today, 4 days after a foot of snow hit boston, we were instructed to taxi to runway 9 via the outer taxiway and to hold short of runway 4L. As we neared a point which we perceived to be runway 4L we realized that almost all visual cues were obliterated by snow. The taxiway (painted) markings as well as the runway 4L sideline a markings were under snow. In addition, the multiple sign posts for runway 4L were all above the snow bank, but the snow removal equipment had pushed up a drift so that they were unrecognizable. 5 mins with a shovel on these signs could have changed an unsafe hold short environment to a safe one.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HOLD SHORT SIGNS OBSCURED BY SNOW PILED UP DURING SNOW REMOVAL.

Narrative: BOSTON'S LOGAN ARPT IS VERY CONSCIENTIOUS IN THEIR TAXI INSTRUCTIONS, ALWAYS REQUESTING ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS IN THEIR HOLD SHORT INSTRUCTIONS. THIS IS ALL VERY COMMENDABLE. HOWEVER, THEY THEN TAKE ONE GIANT STEP BACKWARDS IN THE AREA OF UNAUTH RWY INCURSIONS. THEY DO THIS BY MEANS OF A VERY INEFFICIENT SNOW REMOVAL PROGRAM. TODAY, 4 DAYS AFTER A FOOT OF SNOW HIT BOSTON, WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO TAXI TO RWY 9 VIA THE OUTER TXWY AND TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 4L. AS WE NEARED A POINT WHICH WE PERCEIVED TO BE RWY 4L WE REALIZED THAT ALMOST ALL VISUAL CUES WERE OBLITERATED BY SNOW. THE TXWY (PAINTED) MARKINGS AS WELL AS THE RWY 4L SIDELINE A MARKINGS WERE UNDER SNOW. IN ADDITION, THE MULTIPLE SIGN POSTS FOR RWY 4L WERE ALL ABOVE THE SNOW BANK, BUT THE SNOW REMOVAL EQUIP HAD PUSHED UP A DRIFT SO THAT THEY WERE UNRECOGNIZABLE. 5 MINS WITH A SHOVEL ON THESE SIGNS COULD HAVE CHANGED AN UNSAFE HOLD SHORT ENVIRONMENT TO A SAFE ONE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.