Unable to turn aircraft onto runway 11 account icy taxiway. Struck taxi light.

Attributes
ACN	104044
Time
Date	198902
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : pwm
State Reference	ME
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 2 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 1800
ASRS Report	104044
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : ground
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

My left engine struck a taxi light when I slid off the taxiway due to ice. I was slowly taxiing south from FBO when I applied the nose wheel steering to turn right to get to runway 11. Instead of turning, the aircraft slid off the taxiway enough for the left blade to strike one of the taxi lights. The time between the slide and the propeller strike was about 2 seconds. I immediately applied the brakes and cut the left engine, but neither solution prevented the occurrence from happening. I believe the factors related to this were due to the ice on the taxiway: snow on top of the ice, limited information about the dangerous conditions on the current ATIS and ground frequency, poor conditions (blowing snow, 800' overcast). Prevent a recurrence: 1) better ice/snow removal, 2) more accurate field conditions, 3) shorter taxiway lights.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNABLE TO TURN ACFT ONTO RWY 11 ACCOUNT ICY TXWY. STRUCK TAXI LIGHT.

Narrative: MY LEFT ENG STRUCK A TAXI LIGHT WHEN I SLID OFF THE TXWY DUE TO ICE. I WAS SLOWLY TAXIING S FROM FBO WHEN I APPLIED THE NOSE WHEEL STEERING TO TURN RIGHT TO GET TO RWY 11. INSTEAD OF TURNING, THE ACFT SLID OFF THE TXWY ENOUGH FOR THE LEFT BLADE TO STRIKE ONE OF THE TAXI LIGHTS. THE TIME BTWN THE SLIDE AND THE PROP STRIKE WAS ABOUT 2 SECS. I IMMEDIATELY APPLIED THE BRAKES AND CUT THE LEFT ENG, BUT NEITHER SOLUTION PREVENTED THE OCCURRENCE FROM HAPPENING. I BELIEVE THE FACTORS RELATED TO THIS WERE DUE TO THE ICE ON THE TXWY: SNOW ON TOP OF THE ICE, LIMITED INFO ABOUT THE DANGEROUS CONDITIONS ON THE CURRENT ATIS AND GND FREQ, POOR CONDITIONS (BLOWING SNOW, 800' OVCST). PREVENT A RECURRENCE: 1) BETTER ICE/SNOW REMOVAL, 2) MORE ACCURATE FIELD CONDITIONS, 3) SHORTER TXWY LIGHTS.

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.