Narrative:

We were cleared to taxi to runway 23L from the ramp to runway 23L via txwys C and a. For some reason, the ground controller assigned taxiway C instead of taxiway D which intersects with taxiway a in a much larger paved area. Field conditions were packed snow and ice. Taxiway a was plowed 50 ft wide. Txwys C and D were plowed but centerline markings were not visible on any taxiway. Braking action on the taxiway was described as poor. Blue taxiway lights were sticking out of the snow unknown to me. The taxiway a 50 ft plowed strip was not down the centerline but to the west side of the taxiway. As the turn from taxiway C to taxiway a was attempted, the nosewheel was against snow which also appeared to be the crown. The aircraft appeared to slide to the left and reasonable power would not move the aircraft. An aircraft ground vehicle confirmed that the left main gear was off the pavement, but inside blue taxi lights which were several feet off pavement. There is no mention of this fact in airport diagram. Aircraft engines were shut down, stairs and buses brought to aircraft. Passenger and crew deplaned. No injuries and no damage. Aircraft towed out by maintenance. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter flies the B767. He has flown it through rdu 'hundreds of times' and knows the airport well, but he had never noticed that the blue taxiway lights are well off the side of the taxiway. There was no warning from the airport that the taxiway was not plowed down the centerline. The reporter has sent this same report to his air carrier. He is now aware of the FAA safety hotline, but has severe reservations about talking to the FAA, even anonymously.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TXWY EXCURSION FROM A SNOW COVERED TXWY.

Narrative: WE WERE CLRED TO TAXI TO RWY 23L FROM THE RAMP TO RWY 23L VIA TXWYS C AND A. FOR SOME REASON, THE GND CTLR ASSIGNED TXWY C INSTEAD OF TXWY D WHICH INTERSECTS WITH TXWY A IN A MUCH LARGER PAVED AREA. FIELD CONDITIONS WERE PACKED SNOW AND ICE. TXWY A WAS PLOWED 50 FT WIDE. TXWYS C AND D WERE PLOWED BUT CTRLINE MARKINGS WERE NOT VISIBLE ON ANY TXWY. BRAKING ACTION ON THE TXWY WAS DESCRIBED AS POOR. BLUE TXWY LIGHTS WERE STICKING OUT OF THE SNOW UNKNOWN TO ME. THE TXWY A 50 FT PLOWED STRIP WAS NOT DOWN THE CTRLINE BUT TO THE W SIDE OF THE TXWY. AS THE TURN FROM TXWY C TO TXWY A WAS ATTEMPTED, THE NOSEWHEEL WAS AGAINST SNOW WHICH ALSO APPEARED TO BE THE CROWN. THE ACFT APPEARED TO SLIDE TO THE L AND REASONABLE PWR WOULD NOT MOVE THE ACFT. AN ACFT GND VEHICLE CONFIRMED THAT THE L MAIN GEAR WAS OFF THE PAVEMENT, BUT INSIDE BLUE TAXI LIGHTS WHICH WERE SEVERAL FEET OFF PAVEMENT. THERE IS NO MENTION OF THIS FACT IN ARPT DIAGRAM. ACFT ENGS WERE SHUT DOWN, STAIRS AND BUSES BROUGHT TO ACFT. PAX AND CREW DEPLANED. NO INJURIES AND NO DAMAGE. ACFT TOWED OUT BY MAINT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR FLIES THE B767. HE HAS FLOWN IT THROUGH RDU 'HUNDREDS OF TIMES' AND KNOWS THE ARPT WELL, BUT HE HAD NEVER NOTICED THAT THE BLUE TXWY LIGHTS ARE WELL OFF THE SIDE OF THE TXWY. THERE WAS NO WARNING FROM THE ARPT THAT THE TXWY WAS NOT PLOWED DOWN THE CTRLINE. THE RPTR HAS SENT THIS SAME RPT TO HIS ACR. HE IS NOW AWARE OF THE FAA SAFETY HOTLINE, BUT HAS SEVERE RESERVATIONS ABOUT TALKING TO THE FAA, EVEN ANONYMOUSLY.

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.