Narrative:

On taxi out at bos, taxiway K was blocked by 2 surveyor stakes. I attempted to taxi around stakes by going through what I thought was a small snowbank. When the aircraft bogged down in the snow I stopped the taxi. Aircraft did not leave the pavement nor did engines come in contact with snowbank. We contacted company operations for a tug to pull us clear of snowbank. After some snow removal and 30-40 mins delay aircraft was pulled clear. Maintenance inspected aircraft and found no damage. Continued taxi out and flight with no further events. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter captain didn't know why the surveyor stakes were placed where they were on taxiway K. There had just been a major snow storm and it was evident that the ground equipment had been working to plow the runways and txwys. Probably the stakes had been placed as a visual reference for the airport snow removal crews, and they just forgot to remove them. Reporter admits that, rather than try to taxi around the stakes, he should have stopped and had the airport personnel remove them.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WITH SNOWBANKS BORDERING TXWYS, RPTR TRIED TO TAXI AROUND STAKES BLOCKING THE TXWY AND GOT STUCK IN A SNOWBANK. COMPANY TUG PULLED THEM OUT AND THEY CONTINUED TAXIING FOR TKOF.

Narrative: ON TAXI OUT AT BOS, TXWY K WAS BLOCKED BY 2 SURVEYOR STAKES. I ATTEMPTED TO TAXI AROUND STAKES BY GOING THROUGH WHAT I THOUGHT WAS A SMALL SNOWBANK. WHEN THE ACFT BOGGED DOWN IN THE SNOW I STOPPED THE TAXI. ACFT DID NOT LEAVE THE PAVEMENT NOR DID ENGS COME IN CONTACT WITH SNOWBANK. WE CONTACTED COMPANY OPS FOR A TUG TO PULL US CLR OF SNOWBANK. AFTER SOME SNOW REMOVAL AND 30-40 MINS DELAY ACFT WAS PULLED CLR. MAINT INSPECTED ACFT AND FOUND NO DAMAGE. CONTINUED TAXI OUT AND FLT WITH NO FURTHER EVENTS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR CAPT DIDN'T KNOW WHY THE SURVEYOR STAKES WERE PLACED WHERE THEY WERE ON TXWY K. THERE HAD JUST BEEN A MAJOR SNOW STORM AND IT WAS EVIDENT THAT THE GND EQUIP HAD BEEN WORKING TO PLOW THE RWYS AND TXWYS. PROBABLY THE STAKES HAD BEEN PLACED AS A VISUAL REF FOR THE ARPT SNOW REMOVAL CREWS, AND THEY JUST FORGOT TO REMOVE THEM. RPTR ADMITS THAT, RATHER THAN TRY TO TAXI AROUND THE STAKES, HE SHOULD HAVE STOPPED AND HAD THE ARPT PERSONNEL REMOVE THEM.

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.