Aircraft taxiing on icy taxiway, slid to side when attempting a turn on to another taxiway. Aircraft was stopped and towed back to taxiway by ground tug.

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Attributes
ACN	324289
Time
Date	199512
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : abe
State Reference	PA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dawn
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-88
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 13000 flight time type : 200
ASRS Report	324289
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 140 flight time total : 6500 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	324283
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Normal boarding and engine start. Due to parking and snowbanks, taxied A2 to a (150 degrees turn between snowbanks) on to taxiway B for runway 31. Txwys had 4-6 ft snowbanks on either side and strong winds blew snow across all txwys. Halfway through turn from taxiway a to taxiway B, aircraft slid on large patch of snow covered ice. With brakes and reversers, aircraft was stopped in snow prior to snowbank. Situation was discussed and determined we could not complete turn due to unseen ice and proximity of snowbank. Ground control and abe station notified of request for tug to get aircraft off ice. Due to snow plows in operation, mobile ground (car with radio) and plows came to help. Though 3 emergency vehicles responded, they were not requested by crew. Upon arrival, ground crew removed snow around nose tires, hooked up tow bar and connected to tug. Because of extremely slick snow covered ice, the snow removal tractor was used to pull the tug and plane off the ice. The aircraft was pulled to centerline of taxiway B in seconds. An inspection revealed no damage or snow/ice to nose gear. Taxi and takeoff completed successfully. Follow up inspection in cvg revealed no damage.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT TAXIING ON ICY TXWY, SLID TO SIDE WHEN ATTEMPTING A TURN ON TO ANOTHER TXWY. ACFT WAS STOPPED AND TOWED BACK TO TXWY BY GND TUG.

Narrative: NORMAL BOARDING AND ENG START. DUE TO PARKING AND SNOWBANKS, TAXIED A2 TO A (150 DEGS TURN BTWN SNOWBANKS) ON TO TXWY B FOR RWY 31. TXWYS HAD 4-6 FT SNOWBANKS ON EITHER SIDE AND STRONG WINDS BLEW SNOW ACROSS ALL TXWYS. HALFWAY THROUGH TURN FROM TXWY A TO TXWY B, ACFT SLID ON LARGE PATCH OF SNOW COVERED ICE. WITH BRAKES AND REVERSERS, ACFT WAS STOPPED IN SNOW PRIOR TO SNOWBANK. SIT WAS DISCUSSED AND DETERMINED WE COULD NOT COMPLETE TURN DUE TO UNSEEN ICE AND PROXIMITY OF SNOWBANK. GND CTL AND ABE STATION NOTIFIED OF REQUEST FOR TUG TO GET ACFT OFF ICE. DUE TO SNOW PLOWS IN OP, MOBILE GND (CAR WITH RADIO) AND PLOWS CAME TO HELP. THOUGH 3 EMER VEHICLES RESPONDED, THEY WERE NOT REQUESTED BY CREW. UPON ARR, GND CREW REMOVED SNOW AROUND NOSE TIRES, HOOKED UP TOW BAR AND CONNECTED TO TUG. BECAUSE OF EXTREMELY SLICK SNOW COVERED ICE, THE SNOW REMOVAL TRACTOR WAS USED TO PULL THE TUG AND PLANE OFF THE ICE. THE ACFT WAS PULLED TO CTRLINE OF TXWY B IN SECONDS. AN INSPECTION REVEALED NO DAMAGE OR SNOW/ICE TO NOSE GEAR. TAXI AND TKOF COMPLETED SUCCESSFULLY. FOLLOW UP INSPECTION IN CVG REVEALED NO DAMAGE.

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.