Narrative:

Aircraft was pushed back straight from gate onto ice covered ramp. I elected to make a left turn out of the ramp area since it was the shortest radius of turn. The ramp area was covered with a coat of ice. Upon adding power and commencing turn, the aircraft nosewheel started skidding in a cocked-to-left position. The aircraft skidded for 15 to 20 ft with the nosewheel cocked. I could not return nosewheel to centered position. I had to stop aircraft and center nosewheel and then had to use differential main wheel brakes to turn airplane. I recommended to the company that aircraft should be pushed back from that gate and turned into taxi direction when ramp is covered with ice. This would prevent the need for a hard pwred turn out of the ramp area.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PUSHED BACK FROM GATE ONTO ICE COVERED TXWY. UNABLE TO MAINTAIN ACFT CTL.

Narrative: ACFT WAS PUSHED BACK STRAIGHT FROM GATE ONTO ICE COVERED RAMP. I ELECTED TO MAKE A L TURN OUT OF THE RAMP AREA SINCE IT WAS THE SHORTEST RADIUS OF TURN. THE RAMP AREA WAS COVERED WITH A COAT OF ICE. UPON ADDING PWR AND COMMENCING TURN, THE ACFT NOSEWHEEL STARTED SKIDDING IN A COCKED-TO-L POS. THE ACFT SKIDDED FOR 15 TO 20 FT WITH THE NOSEWHEEL COCKED. I COULD NOT RETURN NOSEWHEEL TO CTRED POS. I HAD TO STOP ACFT AND CTR NOSEWHEEL AND THEN HAD TO USE DIFFERENTIAL MAIN WHEEL BRAKES TO TURN AIRPLANE. I RECOMMENDED TO THE COMPANY THAT ACFT SHOULD BE PUSHED BACK FROM THAT GATE AND TURNED INTO TAXI DIRECTION WHEN RAMP IS COVERED WITH ICE. THIS WOULD PREVENT THE NEED FOR A HARD PWRED TURN OUT OF THE RAMP AREA.

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.