MD88 flight crew has to use extremely high power to move aircraft out of the rut at the B4 hold line...

Attributes
ACN	350237
Time
Date	199610
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lga
State Reference	NY
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
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 : holding 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 : 150 flight time total : 9000 flight time type : 270
ASRS Report	350237
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Airport
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
Airport	other physical facility

Narrative:

We were light weight and it was cool enough to single engine taxi to runway 4. When we stopped at B4 hold point, aircraft felt like it rocked to a stop in a rut. When #2 for takeoff, started other engine. When cleared into position, aircraft would not move with up to 70 percent N2 on both engines. (Should have moved at idle 55-57 percent.) after tower cleared area behind us, it took 77-78 percent N2 to break free. Reported same to tower who said they would contact port authority/authorized. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that it was a very strange sensation when the aircraft was stopped at B4 hold line. The aircraft sort of rocked back and forth in the rut. He has not been back to lga to know if the rut has been fixed. Often on hot days the tarmac is very soft and taxiing is difficult, but this was a cool day and the aircraft was light so that was not the cause.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD88 FLC HAS TO USE EXTREMELY HIGH PWR TO MOVE ACFT OUT OF THE RUT AT THE B4 HOLD LINE.

Narrative: WE WERE LIGHT WT AND IT WAS COOL ENOUGH TO SINGLE ENG TAXI TO RWY 4. WHEN WE STOPPED AT B4 HOLD POINT, ACFT FELT LIKE IT ROCKED TO A STOP IN A RUT. WHEN #2 FOR TKOF, STARTED OTHER ENG. WHEN CLRED INTO POS, ACFT WOULD NOT MOVE WITH UP TO 70 PERCENT N2 ON BOTH ENGS. (SHOULD HAVE MOVED AT IDLE 55-57 PERCENT.) AFTER TWR CLRED AREA BEHIND US, IT TOOK 77-78 PERCENT N2 TO BREAK FREE. RPTED SAME TO TWR WHO SAID THEY WOULD CONTACT PORT AUTH. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT IT WAS A VERY STRANGE SENSATION WHEN THE ACFT WAS STOPPED AT B4 HOLD LINE. THE ACFT SORT OF ROCKED BACK AND FORTH IN THE RUT. HE HAS NOT BEEN BACK TO LGA TO KNOW IF THE RUT HAS BEEN FIXED. OFTEN ON HOT DAYS THE TARMAC IS VERY SOFT AND TAXIING IS DIFFICULT, BUT THIS WAS A COOL DAY AND THE ACFT WAS LIGHT SO THAT WAS NOT THE CAUSE.

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.