During post landing taxi aircraft leaves the paved ramp area in 2 inches of snow.

Attributes
ACN	301349
Time
Date	199504
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lse
State Reference	WI
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 17000 flight time type : 13000
ASRS Report	301349
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical conflict : ground critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

During low visibility snow conditions, aircraft departed paved ramp into grass. Aircraft was extricated under own power. Aircraft was visually inspected by both pilots and no damage found. Dispatch was contacted and told nature of incident. Dispatcher told pilot no log entry was necessary. Upon daylight inspection, maintenance found foreign object damage in left engine. Engine was changed before flight. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states they had made a successful landing and were taxiing to the ramp. The edge of the ramp area has no markings and with 2 inches of snow one could not tell where the edge was. Reporter checked very carefully for landing gear and engine foreign object damage and found none. He says he would have had no problem taking the aircraft out the next morning had he been scheduled. He informed maintenance control of the situation and as stated, further inspection did indicate engine foreign object damage. The FAA is conducting an inquiry, but it is being handled by his union.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DURING POST LNDG TAXI ACFT LEAVES THE PAVED RAMP AREA IN 2 INCHES OF SNOW.

Narrative: DURING LOW VISIBILITY SNOW CONDITIONS, ACFT DEPARTED PAVED RAMP INTO GRASS. ACFT WAS EXTRICATED UNDER OWN PWR. ACFT WAS VISUALLY INSPECTED BY BOTH PLTS AND NO DAMAGE FOUND. DISPATCH WAS CONTACTED AND TOLD NATURE OF INCIDENT. DISPATCHER TOLD PLT NO LOG ENTRY WAS NECESSARY. UPON DAYLIGHT INSPECTION, MAINT FOUND FOREIGN OBJECT DAMAGE IN L ENG. ENG WAS CHANGED BEFORE FLT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THEY HAD MADE A SUCCESSFUL LNDG AND WERE TAXIING TO THE RAMP. THE EDGE OF THE RAMP AREA HAS NO MARKINGS AND WITH 2 INCHES OF SNOW ONE COULD NOT TELL WHERE THE EDGE WAS. RPTR CHKED VERY CAREFULLY FOR LNDG GEAR AND ENG FOREIGN OBJECT DAMAGE AND FOUND NONE. HE SAYS HE WOULD HAVE HAD NO PROB TAKING THE ACFT OUT THE NEXT MORNING HAD HE BEEN SCHEDULED. HE INFORMED MAINT CTL OF THE SIT AND AS STATED, FURTHER INSPECTION DID INDICATE ENG FOREIGN OBJECT DAMAGE. THE FAA IS CONDUCTING AN INQUIRY, BUT IT IS BEING HANDLED BY HIS UNION.

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.