Narrative:

While taxiing wbound on taxiway east en route to runway 13 at mdt (harrisburg international airport) the left wing of our B-727 contacted the upper portions of a snow bank that had not been properly cleared away from the taxi area. Conditions (WX) were night time and WX better than 5000 ft and while taxiing from the cargo ramp to runway 13 at mdt I noticed that there was very little snow at the beginning of taxiway east. As we progressed about another mi down the taxiway on the taxiway centerline, I noticed that a snow bank was ahead and that a significant portion of this snow bank protruded into taxiway east. Traveling wbound, from the taxiway centerline southward it appeared that staying strictly on the taxiway centerline would place us uncomfortably close to this unclred snow bank. I therefore adjusted my path 15 ft to the right (north) to allow extra clearance. The area to the right of the taxiway centerline is dark, unlit, and unmarked (black top). 15 ft right of centerline is as far as I felt comfortable being displaced from the centerline. This additional displacement was not enough as our left wing impacted the snow/ice bank damaging #1 and #2 leading edge devices. The aircraft was returned to the gate for inspection without further incident. This mishap occurred because the harrisburg international (mdt) authority/authorized did not clear the taxiway sufficiently of snow and ice such that normal taxi would be safe or possible.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TAXIING TFC IN NIGHT OP, A 727 FREIGHTER HITS L WING AGAINST SNOW BERM THAT WAS INFRINGING UPON THE TXWY.

Narrative: WHILE TAXIING WBOUND ON TXWY E ENRTE TO RWY 13 AT MDT (HARRISBURG INTL ARPT) THE L WING OF OUR B-727 CONTACTED THE UPPER PORTIONS OF A SNOW BANK THAT HAD NOT BEEN PROPERLY CLRED AWAY FROM THE TAXI AREA. CONDITIONS (WX) WERE NIGHT TIME AND WX BETTER THAN 5000 FT AND WHILE TAXIING FROM THE CARGO RAMP TO RWY 13 AT MDT I NOTICED THAT THERE WAS VERY LITTLE SNOW AT THE BEGINNING OF TXWY E. AS WE PROGRESSED ABOUT ANOTHER MI DOWN THE TXWY ON THE TXWY CTRLINE, I NOTICED THAT A SNOW BANK WAS AHEAD AND THAT A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF THIS SNOW BANK PROTRUDED INTO TXWY E. TRAVELING WBOUND, FROM THE TXWY CTRLINE SOUTHWARD IT APPEARED THAT STAYING STRICTLY ON THE TXWY CTRLINE WOULD PLACE US UNCOMFORTABLY CLOSE TO THIS UNCLRED SNOW BANK. I THEREFORE ADJUSTED MY PATH 15 FT TO THE R (N) TO ALLOW EXTRA CLRNC. THE AREA TO THE R OF THE TXWY CTRLINE IS DARK, UNLIT, AND UNMARKED (BLACK TOP). 15 FT R OF CTRLINE IS AS FAR AS I FELT COMFORTABLE BEING DISPLACED FROM THE CTRLINE. THIS ADDITIONAL DISPLACEMENT WAS NOT ENOUGH AS OUR L WING IMPACTED THE SNOW/ICE BANK DAMAGING #1 AND #2 LEADING EDGE DEVICES. THE ACFT WAS RETURNED TO THE GATE FOR INSPECTION WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. THIS MISHAP OCCURRED BECAUSE THE HARRISBURG INTL (MDT) AUTH DID NOT CLR THE TXWY SUFFICIENTLY OF SNOW AND ICE SUCH THAT NORMAL TAXI WOULD BE SAFE OR POSSIBLE.

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.