A commercial fixed wing light aircraft on taxi to the gate encountered glare ice and the right main gear departed the taxiway, with no aircraft damage incurred.
Synopsis
A commercial fixed wing light aircraft on taxi to the gate encountered glare ice and the right main gear departed the taxiway, with no aircraft damage incurred.
Narrative
Rewritten in plain English from NASA’s original all-caps telegraphic report — facts, figures, and terminology preserved.
Flight departed EWR to YMX airport during the hours of darkness and winter conditions. Weather was thoroughly reviewed prior to departure and sequence/forecast reports were good with no mention of taxi or ramp conditions.
During cruise/descent phase into Montreal, the ATIS recording reported weather for approach, landing, and taxi conditions. Runway 2SO was reported as the active runway with good braking action. All taxiways were reported as rough ice condition, some taxiways sanded, and none closed.
Upon landing, braking on runway 24 was good and the aircraft was slowed to a very slow speed and cleared at the nearest taxiway B4. Taxiway B4 did not have the appearance of any rough ice or snow on its surface at all. Taxi lighting shined bright on the black asphalt surface giving it the appearance of a clean and ice free surface/taxiway.
As the aircraft traveled a few yards on taxiway B4 it began to slide parallel and to the right of centerline at a very slow speed (less than 3 knots). Throttles were at idle, braking applied, nosewheel steering and differential braking could not stop the aircraft on the taxiway even at this slow speed. The aircraft drifted to the right side of taxiway B4 and the right main wheels entered the right shoulder. Packed snow in front of the right main wheels brought the aircraft to a stop. Left main wheels and nosewheel tires remained on the pavement.
Airport tower, company personnel were contacted for assistance. Airport tower dispatched a team of trucks to sand taxiway B4. After further coordination with company operations and maintenance, it was determined that the snow could be removed from the right main wheels and the aircraft powered back to the pavement before safely -- as was done. No damage to aircraft or airfield equipment was noted. Also noted ATIS info continued to report all taxiways were rough ice conditions, some sanded, but no mention of glare ice on its taxiways or ramps.
Show the original NASA report (verbatim, telegraphic)
FLT DEPARTED EWR TO YMX ARPT DURING THE HRS OF DARKNESS AND WINTER CONDITIONS. WX WAS THOROUGHLY REVIEWED PRIOR TO DEP AND SEQUENCE/FORECAST RPTS WERE GOOD WITH NO MENTION OF TAXI OR RAMP CONDITIONS. DURING CRUISE/DSCNT PHASE INTO MONTREAL; THE ATIS RECORDING RPTED WX FOR APCH; LNDG; AND TAXI CONDITIONS. RWY 24 WAS RPTED AS THE ACTIVE RWY WITH GOOD BRAKING ACTION. ALL TXWYS WERE RPTED AS ROUGH ICE CONDITION; SOME TXWYS SANDED; AND NONE CLOSED. UPON LNDG; BRAKING ON RWY 24 WAS GOOD AND THE ACFT WAS SLOWED TO A VERY SLOW SPD AND CLRED AT THE NEAREST TXWY B4. TXWY B4 DID NOT HAVE THE APPEARANCE OF ANY ROUGH ICE OR SNOW ON ITS SURFACE AT ALL. TAXI LIGHTING SHINED BRIGHT ON THE BLACK ASPHALT SURFACE GIVING IT THE APPEARANCE OF A CLEAN AND ICE FREE SURFACE/TXWY. AS THE ACFT TRAVELED A FEW YARDS ON TXWY B4 IT BEGAN TO SLIDE PARALLEL AND TO THE R OF CTRLINE AT A VERY SLOW SPD (LESS THAN 3 KTS). THROTTLES WERE AT IDLE; BRAKING APPLIED; NOSEWHEEL STEERING AND DIFFERENTIAL BRAKING COULD NOT STOP THE ACFT ON THE TXWY EVEN AT THIS SLOW SPD. THE ACFT DRIFTED TO THE R SIDE OF TXWY B4 AND THE R MAIN WHEELS ENTERED THE R SHOULDER. PACKED SNOW IN FRONT OF THE R MAIN WHEELS BROUGHT THE ACFT TO A STOP. L MAIN WHEELS AND NOSEWHEEL TIRES REMAINED ON THE PAVEMENT. ARPT TWR; COMPANY PERSONNEL WERE CONTACTED FOR ASSISTANCE. ARPT TWR DISPATCHED A TEAM OF TRUCKS TO SAND TXWY B4. AFTER FURTHER COORD WITH COMPANY OPS AND MAINT; IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE SNOW COULD BE REMOVED FROM THE R MAIN WHEELS AND THE ACFT PWRED BACK TO THE PAVEMENT B4 SAFELY -- AS WAS DONE. NO DAMAGE TO ACFT OR AIRFIELD EQUIP WAS NOTED. ALSO NOTED ATIS INFO CONTINUED TO RPT ALL TXWYS WERE ROUGH ICE CONDITIONS; SOME SANDED; BUT NO MENTION OF GLARE ICE ON ITS TXWYS OR RAMPS.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.