Narrative:

After being deiced, we started the left engine then we were pushed back from the gate. We had to do a xbleed start which required running up the left engine to start the right (APU was inoperative at the time). We taxied to a place where it was not so slippery and stopped. We started the right engine and then proceeded to taxi to runway 32L. After about 10 seconds of taxi the left engine failed. We taxied back to the gate not knowing what caused the failure. At the gate we were informed the left engine had a large amount of snow in the inlet. The txwys were nearly 100 percent snow covered and snow plowing was in progress. It was snowing at the time. Temperature was 6 degrees F. Wind was from the northwest at 20 KTS with 1/4 mi visibility. Ground control or ATIS did not advise us about snow plowing in progress which would cause areas to be drifted up more than others or that snow was drifting because of the wind. We feel that we should have been better advised as to the amount of snow on txwys and their condition. We did have braking action reports, however. The aircraft involved was B-737-300. We are not sure at what point we picked up the snow, whether we gradually picked it up or crossed over a snow drift and collected it all at once.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ENG FAILURE DUE TO SNOW INGESTION DURING TAXI OUT OF RAMP AREA.

Narrative: AFTER BEING DEICED, WE STARTED THE L ENG THEN WE WERE PUSHED BACK FROM THE GATE. WE HAD TO DO A XBLEED START WHICH REQUIRED RUNNING UP THE L ENG TO START THE R (APU WAS INOP AT THE TIME). WE TAXIED TO A PLACE WHERE IT WAS NOT SO SLIPPERY AND STOPPED. WE STARTED THE R ENG AND THEN PROCEEDED TO TAXI TO RWY 32L. AFTER ABOUT 10 SECONDS OF TAXI THE L ENG FAILED. WE TAXIED BACK TO THE GATE NOT KNOWING WHAT CAUSED THE FAILURE. AT THE GATE WE WERE INFORMED THE L ENG HAD A LARGE AMOUNT OF SNOW IN THE INLET. THE TXWYS WERE NEARLY 100 PERCENT SNOW COVERED AND SNOW PLOWING WAS IN PROGRESS. IT WAS SNOWING AT THE TIME. TEMP WAS 6 DEGS F. WIND WAS FROM THE NW AT 20 KTS WITH 1/4 MI VISIBILITY. GND CTL OR ATIS DID NOT ADVISE US ABOUT SNOW PLOWING IN PROGRESS WHICH WOULD CAUSE AREAS TO BE DRIFTED UP MORE THAN OTHERS OR THAT SNOW WAS DRIFTING BECAUSE OF THE WIND. WE FEEL THAT WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER ADVISED AS TO THE AMOUNT OF SNOW ON TXWYS AND THEIR CONDITION. WE DID HAVE BRAKING ACTION RPTS, HOWEVER. THE ACFT INVOLVED WAS B-737-300. WE ARE NOT SURE AT WHAT POINT WE PICKED UP THE SNOW, WHETHER WE GRADUALLY PICKED IT UP OR CROSSED OVER A SNOW DRIFT AND COLLECTED IT ALL AT ONCE.

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.