Flight crew of air carrier medium large transport unable to control aircraft on icy taxiway.

Attributes
ACN	108648
Time
Date	198904
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : grr
State Reference	MI
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	ground : holding ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 105 flight time total : 10000
ASRS Report	108648
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : regained aircraft control
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Airport
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Flight from grr taxied out on schedule toward runway 26 and was given an ATC flow delay to ord of 9 min. Ground advised to just hold in small holding area at departure end of 26. Turn into holding area was at a slow taxi speed due to icy surfaces. When initiating turn to parallel taxiway, aircraft continued to turn toward edge of taxiway. Aircraft stopped and turn to right attempted 2 more times with same result, ie, turning toward edge of pad. A ground crew was called, the crew of 3 determined the aircraft was on a sheet of ice and with a strong left tail wind pushing against the the tail made the nose wheel to be ineffective. With all safety precautions considered, aircraft was pwred back to center of main taxiway which had patchy ice, and turn to main taxiway completed. Rest of flight uneventful. Aircraft was light weight and has a very light nose wheel imprint when light. Suggestion: inform air crews to be aware of low of steering control when taxiing this aircraft in windy situations on icy surfaces.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF ACR MLG UNABLE TO CONTROL ACFT ON ICY TXWY.

Narrative: FLT FROM GRR TAXIED OUT ON SCHEDULE TOWARD RWY 26 AND WAS GIVEN AN ATC FLOW DELAY TO ORD OF 9 MIN. GND ADVISED TO JUST HOLD IN SMALL HOLDING AREA AT DEP END OF 26. TURN INTO HOLDING AREA WAS AT A SLOW TAXI SPD DUE TO ICY SURFACES. WHEN INITIATING TURN TO PARALLEL TXWY, ACFT CONTINUED TO TURN TOWARD EDGE OF TXWY. ACFT STOPPED AND TURN TO RIGHT ATTEMPTED 2 MORE TIMES WITH SAME RESULT, IE, TURNING TOWARD EDGE OF PAD. A GND CREW WAS CALLED, THE CREW OF 3 DETERMINED THE ACFT WAS ON A SHEET OF ICE AND WITH A STRONG LEFT TAIL WIND PUSHING AGAINST THE THE TAIL MADE THE NOSE WHEEL TO BE INEFFECTIVE. WITH ALL SAFETY PRECAUTIONS CONSIDERED, ACFT WAS PWRED BACK TO CENTER OF MAIN TXWY WHICH HAD PATCHY ICE, AND TURN TO MAIN TXWY COMPLETED. REST OF FLT UNEVENTFUL. ACFT WAS LIGHT WT AND HAS A VERY LIGHT NOSE WHEEL IMPRINT WHEN LIGHT. SUGGESTION: INFORM AIR CREWS TO BE AWARE OF LOW OF STEERING CONTROL WHEN TAXIING THIS ACFT IN WINDY SITUATIONS ON ICY SURFACES.

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.