Air carrier B757-200 WX vanes in strong wind on a slick surface and slides off of taxiway.

Attributes
ACN	327235
Time
Date	199602
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : pdx
State Reference	OR
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	B757-200
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 : atp
Experience	flight time total : 15000
ASRS Report	327235
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 16000 flight time type : 600
ASRS Report	327479
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

While taxiing to runway 10L at pdx aircraft slid off into the grass. Taxiway was extremely icy, wind was 110 degrees at 27 KTS. I believe the aircraft WX cocked into the wind. This in combination with what appears to be a slight slope into the grass caused the aircraft to slide. The airport was extremely icy due to freezing rain. There were no field condition reports given when we were cleared to taxi. The airport should have been closed until deiced. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: this flight crew was flying a B757-200 when they slid off of the taxiway. The reporter said that the airport maintenance crews had been scraping and sanding for almost 2 hours when he decided to depart and he thinks that they simply missed this section of taxiway. Another factor in his decision to go was that the company was attempting to relocate the international route aircraft to lax because of the storm and that he was running out of duty time. The reporter further said that he thought the primary factors were the slick surface and the strong winds that caused him to WX vane and slide sideways onto the grass. There was no damage or injury just inconvenience for the passenger he said.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR B757-200 WX VANES IN STRONG WIND ON A SLICK SURFACE AND SLIDES OFF OF TXWY.

Narrative: WHILE TAXIING TO RWY 10L AT PDX ACFT SLID OFF INTO THE GRASS. TXWY WAS EXTREMELY ICY, WIND WAS 110 DEGS AT 27 KTS. I BELIEVE THE ACFT WX COCKED INTO THE WIND. THIS IN COMBINATION WITH WHAT APPEARS TO BE A SLIGHT SLOPE INTO THE GRASS CAUSED THE ACFT TO SLIDE. THE ARPT WAS EXTREMELY ICY DUE TO FREEZING RAIN. THERE WERE NO FIELD CONDITION RPTS GIVEN WHEN WE WERE CLRED TO TAXI. THE ARPT SHOULD HAVE BEEN CLOSED UNTIL DEICED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THIS FLC WAS FLYING A B757-200 WHEN THEY SLID OFF OF THE TXWY. THE RPTR SAID THAT THE ARPT MAINT CREWS HAD BEEN SCRAPING AND SANDING FOR ALMOST 2 HRS WHEN HE DECIDED TO DEPART AND HE THINKS THAT THEY SIMPLY MISSED THIS SECTION OF TXWY. ANOTHER FACTOR IN HIS DECISION TO GO WAS THAT THE COMPANY WAS ATTEMPTING TO RELOCATE THE INTL ROUTE ACFT TO LAX BECAUSE OF THE STORM AND THAT HE WAS RUNNING OUT OF DUTY TIME. THE RPTR FURTHER SAID THAT HE THOUGHT THE PRIMARY FACTORS WERE THE SLICK SURFACE AND THE STRONG WINDS THAT CAUSED HIM TO WX VANE AND SLIDE SIDEWAYS ONTO THE GRASS. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE OR INJURY JUST INCONVENIENCE FOR THE PAX HE SAID.

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.