COMMUTER SMT GOT STUCK IN SNOW ON HIGH SPD TAXIWAY AT DTW.

Narrative

FLYING WITH A PROP TO GND CLRNC OF 8 INCHES; AND DUE TO THE HVY SNOW FALLS IN DETROIT IN THE PAST DAY WE REQUESTED TO LAND ON 3L IN ORDER TO HAVE THE SHORTEST POSSIBLE TAXI TO AVOID A PROP STRIKE. WE REQUESTED THIS FROM CLEVELAND CENTER ON 135.1 AND ALSO FROM DETROIT APCH ON 124.25; NORMALLY WE WOULD HAVE BEEN GIVEN 3R DUE TO ARR-SEQUENCING FROM OUR DEP ARPT (COLUMBUS; OH); BUT DUE TO OUR REQUESTS WE WERE GIVEN VECTORS FOR 3L; AND SUBSEQUENTLY CLRED TO LAND ON 3L; WE MADE A NORMAL LNDG AND SLOWED DOWN; AND I (SIC) MADE A CALL TO TWR ASKING 'WHICH EXITS ARE PLOWED' AND TWR REPLIED 'THE DIAGONAL' SO WE PROCEEDED TO SLOW TO A SLOWER THAN NORMAL 'EXIT SPD' DUE TO THE ICY CONDITIONS; AND TURNED TOWARDS THE 'HIGH SPD' TAXI TURNOFF; ENTERED THE TURNOFF AND BEFORE ANY OF US COULD REACT WE ENTERED A SNOW BANK ON THAT TAXIWAY AND GOT STUCK. WE TOLD TWR 'WE ARE STUCK OUT HERE' AND THEY ASKED IF WE NEEDED ANY ASSISTANCE; TO WHICH WE REPLIED 'NEGATIVE'. THEN A PAX YELLED 'THE R ENG IS ON FIRE' AND WE THEN PROCEEDED WITH THE 'ENG FIRE FAILURE ON GND CHKLIST.' THEN WE CALLED THE TWR FOR CFR AND I WENT BACK IN THE CABIN TO SEE IF THERE WAS A FIRE SINCE WE NEVER GOT ANY INDICATION OF ANY TROUBLE ON THE INST PANEL (NO FIRE WARNING). I THEN PROCEEDED WITH AN EVACUATION USING THE FORWARD AIRSTAIR ONLY (NO EMER EXITS WERE USED). I MADE THE PAXS STAND ABOUT 100 FT FROM THE AIRPLANE AND WENT BACK TO THE R ENG TO VERIFY THAT THERE STILL WAS NO FIRE; THEN CFR ARRIVED AND I TURNED THE PAXS OVER TO THEM AND MY CAPT AND I WERE TAKEN TO OUR OFFICE BY THE ARPT OFFICIALS. WE FEEL THIS COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF: 1) THE TWR DID NOT KNOW THE STATUS OF THE TAXIWAYS; BUT TOLD US THAT THEY WERE PLOWED EVEN THOUGH THERE WAS BTWN 16-24 INCHES OF SNOW ON THAT TAXIWAY. 2) THE SNOW REMOVAL AT THE DETROIT METRO ARPT IS MEDIOCRE AT BEST. I FLEW A WEEK LATER IN JANUARY AFTER THIS MISHAP; AND THE SNOW HAS STILL NOT BEEN COMPLETELY REMOVED FROM THE TAXIWAYS EVEN THOUGH IT HAD NOW SNOWED SINCE. (I LIVE ON A GRAVEL ROAD AND THAT WAS EVEN CLRED FASTER THAN DTW). KEEP IN MIND THAT THIS WAS NOT A SURPRISE SNOW STORM THAT HIT DTW. IT WAS FORECAST TO GIVE UP TO A FT OF SNOW; AND THE ARPT RPTED THAT THEY RECEIVED 11.5 INCHES. OUR COMPANY HAD 2 OTHER SMTS GET STUCK ON TAXIWAYS THAT SAME AFTERNOON; AND THE MECHS WHO DUG THEM FREE CALLED OUR DISPATCHERS IN MINNEAPOLIS URGING THEM TO STOP ALL SMT OPS OR 'SOMEBODY IS GOING TO HAVE A PROP STRIKE.' THIS TOOK PLACE 2 HOURS BEFORE WE GOT STUCK. ALSO ONE OF THE SMTS THAT GOT STUCK OVERHEARD AN ACR LGT EXIT 3L AT Y5 AND TELLING TWR 'YOU BETTER GET THIS TAXIWAY PLOWED; IT IS PRETTY DEEP OUT HERE' TO WHICH THE TWR REPLIED.