Narrative:

Captain and I inspected the condition of the ramp on the way from operations to aircraft -- approximately 1/2 to 1 inch of relatively dry fresh powder was on the ramp, no snow under the aircraft, and small amounts on the aircraft. It appeared no portion of the airport had been plowed since the previous day. Deicing and clutter data was coordinated with ground personnel. After the passenger boarded, we buttoned up and deicing of the entire aircraft was accomplished. 3 engines were started. The crew discussed tight turn and possible taxi hazards. Captain briefed me to monitor the power. When taxi clearance was requested, we were told to hold for other air carrier mdt at our 2 O'clock position, who had just landed and was taxiing around behind us to park on our left. When cleared to taxi to runway 30, the copilot monitored the ramp space remaining to the right, and the captain monitored the nose wheel reflection off the terminal window ahead of us. The captain pushed 3 throttles up slowly until the fans kicked in and the aircraft started to move. Then the captain firmly turned the nose wheel steering full right. It was immediately obvious the aircraft was sliding/skidding, and the nose wheel steering was completely ineffective. We were sliding straight ahead towards the terminal building. The captain pulled #2 and #3 back to idle, and left #1 at 1.15 to 1.2 EPR, and braked differentially to try to get the nose to come around to the right to avoid the terminal if we didn't stop. Marshallers were initially signaling stop when they realized we were skidding, then signaled hard right turn. The aircraft finally answered the captain's inputs and came around to the right and then the captain reduced #1 to idle. The turn required was approximately 225 degrees. Someone (we believe it was one of the mdt pilots) made a radio call about, 'watching power.' when the tower cleared us for takeoff they advised us to contact our local company frequency. The company advised us we had blown out a window in the terminal, and 1 employee and a wife of one of our passenger had been injured by flying glass, caused by jet blast. Comments: tug is needed for pushback under slippery conditions. Suspect the deicing fluid may have turned what appeared to be a safe ramp condition prior to departure into unsafe ramp conditions at departure.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BUILDING DAMAGED AND OBSERVERS INJURED AFTER SUFFERING FROM JET BLAST ENCOUNTER PRODUCED BY DEPARTING ACR LGT IN RAMP OP ACFT DEP PROC.

Narrative: CAPT AND I INSPECTED THE CONDITION OF THE RAMP ON THE WAY FROM OPS TO ACFT -- APPROX 1/2 TO 1 INCH OF RELATIVELY DRY FRESH POWDER WAS ON THE RAMP, NO SNOW UNDER THE ACFT, AND SMALL AMOUNTS ON THE ACFT. IT APPEARED NO PORTION OF THE ARPT HAD BEEN PLOWED SINCE THE PREVIOUS DAY. DEICING AND CLUTTER DATA WAS COORDINATED WITH GND PERSONNEL. AFTER THE PAX BOARDED, WE BUTTONED UP AND DEICING OF THE ENTIRE ACFT WAS ACCOMPLISHED. 3 ENGS WERE STARTED. THE CREW DISCUSSED TIGHT TURN AND POSSIBLE TAXI HAZARDS. CAPT BRIEFED ME TO MONITOR THE PWR. WHEN TAXI CLRNC WAS REQUESTED, WE WERE TOLD TO HOLD FOR OTHER ACR MDT AT OUR 2 O'CLOCK POS, WHO HAD JUST LANDED AND WAS TAXIING AROUND BEHIND US TO PARK ON OUR L. WHEN CLRED TO TAXI TO RWY 30, THE COPLT MONITORED THE RAMP SPACE REMAINING TO THE R, AND THE CAPT MONITORED THE NOSE WHEEL REFLECTION OFF THE TERMINAL WINDOW AHEAD OF US. THE CAPT PUSHED 3 THROTTLES UP SLOWLY UNTIL THE FANS KICKED IN AND THE ACFT STARTED TO MOVE. THEN THE CAPT FIRMLY TURNED THE NOSE WHEEL STEERING FULL R. IT WAS IMMEDIATELY OBVIOUS THE ACFT WAS SLIDING/SKIDDING, AND THE NOSE WHEEL STEERING WAS COMPLETELY INEFFECTIVE. WE WERE SLIDING STRAIGHT AHEAD TOWARDS THE TERMINAL BUILDING. THE CAPT PULLED #2 AND #3 BACK TO IDLE, AND LEFT #1 AT 1.15 TO 1.2 EPR, AND BRAKED DIFFERENTIALLY TO TRY TO GET THE NOSE TO COME AROUND TO THE R TO AVOID THE TERMINAL IF WE DIDN'T STOP. MARSHALLERS WERE INITIALLY SIGNALING STOP WHEN THEY REALIZED WE WERE SKIDDING, THEN SIGNALED HARD R TURN. THE ACFT FINALLY ANSWERED THE CAPT'S INPUTS AND CAME AROUND TO THE R AND THEN THE CAPT REDUCED #1 TO IDLE. THE TURN REQUIRED WAS APPROX 225 DEGS. SOMEONE (WE BELIEVE IT WAS ONE OF THE MDT PLTS) MADE A RADIO CALL ABOUT, 'WATCHING PWR.' WHEN THE TWR CLRED US FOR TKOF THEY ADVISED US TO CONTACT OUR LCL COMPANY FREQ. THE COMPANY ADVISED US WE HAD BLOWN OUT A WINDOW IN THE TERMINAL, AND 1 EMPLOYEE AND A WIFE OF ONE OF OUR PAX HAD BEEN INJURED BY FLYING GLASS, CAUSED BY JET BLAST. COMMENTS: TUG IS NEEDED FOR PUSHBACK UNDER SLIPPERY CONDITIONS. SUSPECT THE DEICING FLUID MAY HAVE TURNED WHAT APPEARED TO BE A SAFE RAMP CONDITION PRIOR TO DEP INTO UNSAFE RAMP CONDITIONS AT DEP.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.