Narrative:

At approximately XA10 we were cleared for an ILS DME runway 02 approach to the durango la plata co airport. Standard calls and procedures were followed per the flight standards manual. After the first approach was conducted, I elected to reject the landing due to reduced runway visibility. The published missed approach procedure was executed. Since the first officer and I both had the runway in sight well above minimums and braking action reported good by a departing air carrier medium large transport I decided that a second approach and subsequent landing could be safely conducted. The second ILS approach was conducted exactly the same as the first. All parameters and guidelines for an ILS were closely adhered to from the inception of both approachs. At the DH both needles of the ILS were centered, airspeed at 110 KTS, and the aircraft was on the VASI. After touchdown, I instructed the first officer to hold the yoke foreward for positive nose wheel steering. At that point the aircraft seemed to drift to the left side of the runway. I applied full right rudder with no apparent effect and the aircraft turned 90 degree to the left and came to rest on the northwest side of the runway. WX as reported by the weather observer west 4 ovc 1/2 s-f 34//0000. Runway conditions reported.'1/2 inch slush braking action good.' snow on the runway after the incident 1 1/2 inch. Snow on the approach appeared to be light to moderate. Reduced visibility form light reflected by landing light off the snow. All runway markings and centerline completely obscured by snow. Under these conditions, '1/2 inch slush braking action good', the crew fully expected to see runway markings and the centerline. This incident is the latest in a series of three or four that have occurred in the recent past possibly under the same or near same conditions. Although these and other incidents at this and other airports in the rocky mountain region have not as of yet been researched by this pilot I feel that there is a pattern developing to indicate that there may be a problem with aligning the aircraft to the runway while on the visual part of the approach and landing under the types of conditions. I would like to note further that it is my recommendation that when slush and snow is present on the runway surface in such quantities so as to obscure centerline from view by the crew that action should be taken by the appropriate authority to perform snow removal from the runway close that runway until such time that snow removal operations are completed, proceed to an airport where an approach and landing may be made under more favorable conditions.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MDT LNDG ON SLICK RWY WITH CROSS WIND WEATHER COCKED AND ENDED UP CROSSWAYS ON RWY.

Narrative: AT APPROX XA10 WE WERE CLRED FOR AN ILS DME RWY 02 APCH TO THE DURANGO LA PLATA CO ARPT. STANDARD CALLS AND PROCEDURES WERE FOLLOWED PER THE FLT STANDARDS MANUAL. AFTER THE FIRST APCH WAS CONDUCTED, I ELECTED TO REJECT THE LANDING DUE TO REDUCED RWY VISIBILITY. THE PUBLISHED MISSED APCH PROCEDURE WAS EXECUTED. SINCE THE FIRST OFFICER AND I BOTH HAD THE RWY IN SIGHT WELL ABOVE MINIMUMS AND BRAKING ACTION REPORTED GOOD BY A DEPARTING ACR MLG I DECIDED THAT A SECOND APCH AND SUBSEQUENT LNDG COULD BE SAFELY CONDUCTED. THE SECOND ILS APCH WAS CONDUCTED EXACTLY THE SAME AS THE FIRST. ALL PARAMETERS AND GUIDELINES FOR AN ILS WERE CLOSELY ADHERED TO FROM THE INCEPTION OF BOTH APCHS. AT THE DH BOTH NEEDLES OF THE ILS WERE CENTERED, AIRSPEED AT 110 KTS, AND THE ACFT WAS ON THE VASI. AFTER TOUCHDOWN, I INSTRUCTED THE FIRST OFFICER TO HOLD THE YOKE FOREWARD FOR POSITIVE NOSE WHEEL STEERING. AT THAT POINT THE ACFT SEEMED TO DRIFT TO THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RWY. I APPLIED FULL RIGHT RUDDER WITH NO APPARENT EFFECT AND THE ACFT TURNED 90 DEG TO THE LEFT AND CAME TO REST ON THE NORTHWEST SIDE OF THE RWY. WX AS REPORTED BY THE WEATHER OBSERVER W 4 OVC 1/2 S-F 34//0000. RWY CONDITIONS REPORTED.'1/2 INCH SLUSH BRAKING ACTION GOOD.' SNOW ON THE RWY AFTER THE INCIDENT 1 1/2 INCH. SNOW ON THE APCH APPEARED TO BE LIGHT TO MODERATE. REDUCED VISIBILITY FORM LIGHT REFLECTED BY LANDING LIGHT OFF THE SNOW. ALL RWY MARKINGS AND CENTERLINE COMPLETELY OBSCURED BY SNOW. UNDER THESE CONDITIONS, '1/2 INCH SLUSH BRAKING ACTION GOOD', THE CREW FULLY EXPECTED TO SEE RWY MARKINGS AND THE CENTERLINE. THIS INCIDENT IS THE LATEST IN A SERIES OF THREE OR FOUR THAT HAVE OCCURRED IN THE RECENT PAST POSSIBLY UNDER THE SAME OR NEAR SAME CONDITIONS. ALTHOUGH THESE AND OTHER INCIDENTS AT THIS AND OTHER ARPTS IN THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN REGION HAVE NOT AS OF YET BEEN RESEARCHED BY THIS PLT I FEEL THAT THERE IS A PATTERN DEVELOPING TO INDICATE THAT THERE MAY BE A PROBLEM WITH ALIGNING THE ACFT TO THE RWY WHILE ON THE VISUAL PART OF THE APCH AND LANDING UNDER THE TYPES OF CONDITIONS. I WOULD LIKE TO NOTE FURTHER THAT IT IS MY RECOMMENDATION THAT WHEN SLUSH AND SNOW IS PRESENT ON THE RWY SURFACE IN SUCH QUANTITIES SO AS TO OBSCURE CENTERLINE FROM VIEW BY THE CREW THAT ACTION SHOULD BE TAKEN BY THE APPROPRIATE AUTHORITY TO PERFORM SNOW REMOVAL FROM THE RWY CLOSE THAT RWY UNTIL SUCH TIME THAT SNOW REMOVAL OPERATIONS ARE COMPLETED, PROCEED TO AN ARPT WHERE AN APCH AND LANDING MAY BE MADE UNDER MORE FAVORABLE CONDITIONS.

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.