(True/False) A runway that is reporting contaminates as "Patchy" is considered to be contaminated runway.

(True/False) A runway that is reporting contaminates as "Patchy" is considered to be contaminated runway.

• A. True
• B. False
• C. Cannot determine
• D. Depends on operator

Answer: (B)

Understanding runway surface condition reporting means looking at how much of the surface is covered by a contaminant. Patchy means the contaminant appears in some areas but not across the entire runway. A runway is labeled contaminated only when the contaminant coverage meets the defined threshold for contamination. Because patchy indicates partial, not full, coverage, it does not automatically meet that threshold, so the runway isn’t classified as contaminated. The determination isn’t left to the operator; it follows standardized criteria. You would still pay attention to the contaminated patches for braking action, but overall classification remains not contaminated if the coverage is below the required threshold.

Understanding runway surface condition reporting means looking at how much of the surface is covered by a contaminant. Patchy means the contaminant appears in some areas but not across the entire runway. A runway is labeled contaminated only when the contaminant coverage meets the defined threshold for contamination. Because patchy indicates partial, not full, coverage, it does not automatically meet that threshold, so the runway isn’t classified as contaminated. The determination isn’t left to the operator; it follows standardized criteria. You would still pay attention to the contaminated patches for braking action, but overall classification remains not contaminated if the coverage is below the required threshold.