Commuter aircraft taxiing on centerline hits snowbank.

Attributes
ACN	295304
Time
Date	199501
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : swf
State Reference	NY
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Jetstream 32
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 3200 flight time type : 1650
ASRS Report	295304
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Airport
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
Airport	other physical facility procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

Aircraft departed gate on taxiway 'C' to runway 9. Visibility was reported as 3/8 mi snow/fog. After a short taxi, aircraft struck a snowbank, invisible to both crew members!! Resulting in the #2 engine to flameout. Snowbank was also invisible to operations vehicle, as they also ran into it. The airport closed and aircraft was deplaned and towed to a hangar. Heavy snowfall was direct cause, also swf operations was not able to keep up with snowfall. 'Whiteout' was reported also. Taxiway 'C' was poorly marked especially in covered snow. Aircraft was on centerline. But apparently snowplow personnel did not know how to properly remove snowfall amounts.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMUTER ACFT TAXIING ON CTRLINE HITS SNOWBANK.

Narrative: ACFT DEPARTED GATE ON TXWY 'C' TO RWY 9. VISIBILITY WAS RPTED AS 3/8 MI SNOW/FOG. AFTER A SHORT TAXI, ACFT STRUCK A SNOWBANK, INVISIBLE TO BOTH CREW MEMBERS!! RESULTING IN THE #2 ENG TO FLAMEOUT. SNOWBANK WAS ALSO INVISIBLE TO OPS VEHICLE, AS THEY ALSO RAN INTO IT. THE ARPT CLOSED AND ACFT WAS DEPLANED AND TOWED TO A HANGAR. HVY SNOWFALL WAS DIRECT CAUSE, ALSO SWF OPS WAS NOT ABLE TO KEEP UP WITH SNOWFALL. 'WHITEOUT' WAS RPTED ALSO. TXWY 'C' WAS POORLY MARKED ESPECIALLY IN COVERED SNOW. ACFT WAS ON CTRLINE. BUT APPARENTLY SNOWPLOW PERSONNEL DID NOT KNOW HOW TO PROPERLY REMOVE SNOWFALL AMOUNTS.

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.