MANEUVERING AROUND 4 FT SNOWBANK; RPTR CONTACTED A SNOWPLOW WHICH WAS ON THE RAMP CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE #1 ENG COWLING.

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WHILE TAXIING ON TXWY A ENRTE TO A DEP ON RWY 14R AT ILN; WE MADE CONTACT WITH A SNOWPLOW WHICH WAS WORKING THE B RAMP AREA. WHILE TAXIING S ON TXWY A; WE HAD TO DEVIATE TO THE L OF CTRLINE AROUND A 4 FT SNOWBANK LOCATED ON THE CORNER OF THE TXWY BTWN TXWY A3 AND TXWY A. ONCE CLR OF THE SNOWBANK WE RETURNED TO THE CTRLINE AND EVALUATED THE HT OF THE SNOWBANK ON TXWY A TO BE ABOUT 1 1/2 FT AND CLR OF THE ENGS. AS I TURNED MY HEAD BACK TO THE L I SAW MOVEMENT OUT OF THE CORNER OF MY EYE WHICH DREW MY ATTN TO THE SNOWPLOW AT ABOUT THE 9-10 O'CLOCK POS WHICH WAS MOVING TOWARDS US. I APPLIED THE BRAKES; BUT CONTACT WITH THE TRUCK OCCURRED AT THE #1 ENG AREA. THE FORCE OF IMPACT SEEMED VERY LIGHT; BUT THE DAMAGE WAS EXTENSIVE TO THE ENG COWLING. CRASH TRUCKS WERE CALLED IMMEDIATELY. NO INJURIES OCCURRED. THE PRESENCE OF HIGH SNOWBANKS ON THE TXWYS CAUSED THE PLT'S ATTN TO BE DIVERTED FROM AN OVERALL GENERAL SCAN PATTERN DURING TAXI. ALSO; THE TAXI CHKLIST WAS BEING CONDUCTED AND THE CTL CHK WAS BEING CONCLUDED BY THE FO. THE ENGINEER WAS PREPARING TO WARM UP THE CONTACTS AT THE TIME THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR CAPT HAD BLOCKED OUT OF THE 'A' RAMP AND WAS TAXIING SW ON TXWY A AND AT TXWY A3 HAD TO MANEUVER AROUND A SNOWBANK WHICH WAS HIGHER THAN THE OUTBOARD ENG POD. WHILE GOING AROUND THE SNOWBANK HE SAW THE SNOWPLOW OUT OF THE CORNER OF HIS EYE; BECAUSE HE WAS WATCHING THE SNOWBANK; AND DIDN'T REALIZE THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH CLRNC TO MISS THE SNOWPLOW. RPTR SAYS THE SNOWPLOW PROBABLY WAS STOPPED AND HASN'T HAD ANY FEEDBACK FROM THE DRIVER. RPTR SAYS THAT HE IS SO USED TO SEEING LOTS OF GND EQUIP MOVING AROUND THE ARPT; THAT WHEN HE FIRST SAW THE SNOWPLOW IT DIDN'T REGISTER IMMEDIATELY TO STOP AND BY THE TIME IT DID; HE BRAKED TOO LATE. 'LOOKING BACK;' HE SAYS; 'I WOULD STOP AND HAVE THE TXWY CLRED BEFORE CONTINUING.' ALSO; DEBRIEFING WITH HIS OTHER 2 CREW MEMBERS; TO UNDERSTAND WHY NOBODY SAW THE TRUCK; THE FO WAS DOING THE TKOF CHKLIST AND WAS CHKING THE ELEVATORS. USUALLY THE CAPT AIDS THE FO WHEN CHKING THE ELEVATORS BECAUSE OF THE STRENGTH REQUIRED TO MOVE THEM THROUGH FULL TRAVEL WHILE WATCHING THE POS INDICATORS IN THE COCKPIT. THE SO WAS INVOLVED WITH HIS PANEL AND WASN'T LOOKING OUTSIDE. THOUGH RPTR SAYS HE WAS DISTURBED THAT HE HIT THE SNOWPLOW; HE DID SAY THAT HE HAS NEVER BEEN AT ANOTHER ARPT THAT HAD SUCH HIGH SNOWBANKS TO HAVE TO MANEUVER AROUND AND; THOUGH IT WAS FULLY HIS FAULT; THE SNOWBANK CONTRIBUTED TO THE INCIDENT. THE INCIDENT IS UNDER INVESTIGATION BY THE FAA. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 331282: ILN IS UNCTLED DURING THE DAY. PLTS USE CTAF FOR ADVISORIES. THERE DOES NOT SEEM TO BE ANY COMS BTWN THE PLOWS AND ANYBODY ELSE. BASICALLY IT'S A FREE FOR ALL. TO CORRECT THIS SIT; THERE SHOULD BE A PERSON IN THE TWR WHO CAN COMMUNICATE WITH SNOWPLOWS AND LAWN MOWING EQUIP AND PROVIDE PLTS WITH THIS INFO. ANYTIME PLOWS OR MOWERS ARE IN USE; THE TWR SHOULD BE MANNED -- AT LEAST HAVE GND CTL!