Narrative:

As aircraft began taxi, left turn was initiated and aircraft slid to right due to snow and ice on ramp. Aircraft right navigation light grazed deice tower which was placed in a position not originally located during preflight and right before taxi. We had clearance from deice tower before taxi was begun. I feel that procedures should be written on placing any type of equipment near wings or tails of aircraft during any conditions less than fair braking action reports. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states the incident was very minor, he was not even aware of bumping the deice tower. The windshield was covered with glycol and it was snowing so it was difficult to judge the outside world. The flight crew shut down the aircraft and had it checked by maintenance. The navigation light was not even broken. The tower operator apologized for leaving the tower so close, about 10 ft away, and indicated the fault was his, not the flight crew's. Reporter feels there should be a standard distance for moving and parking such equipment when aircraft will be taxiing away. His suggestion is a minimum of 20 ft from aircraft position. This is a regional carrier and they were at an out station. Reporter feels the procedures will improve along with new regulations and equipment. A report was made to his company and the FAA has investigated with no further follow up.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: JETSTREAM 32 TAXIING AFTER DEICE SLIDES ON RAMP AND BUMPS DEICE TWR. NAV LIGHT HIT BUT NOT DAMAGED.

Narrative: AS ACFT BEGAN TAXI, L TURN WAS INITIATED AND ACFT SLID TO R DUE TO SNOW AND ICE ON RAMP. ACFT R NAV LIGHT GRAZED DEICE TWR WHICH WAS PLACED IN A POS NOT ORIGINALLY LOCATED DURING PREFLT AND RIGHT BEFORE TAXI. WE HAD CLRNC FROM DEICE TWR BEFORE TAXI WAS BEGUN. I FEEL THAT PROCS SHOULD BE WRITTEN ON PLACING ANY TYPE OF EQUIP NEAR WINGS OR TAILS OF ACFT DURING ANY CONDITIONS LESS THAN FAIR BRAKING ACTION RPTS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THE INCIDENT WAS VERY MINOR, HE WAS NOT EVEN AWARE OF BUMPING THE DEICE TWR. THE WINDSHIELD WAS COVERED WITH GLYCOL AND IT WAS SNOWING SO IT WAS DIFFICULT TO JUDGE THE OUTSIDE WORLD. THE FLC SHUT DOWN THE ACFT AND HAD IT CHKED BY MAINT. THE NAV LIGHT WAS NOT EVEN BROKEN. THE TWR OPERATOR APOLOGIZED FOR LEAVING THE TWR SO CLOSE, ABOUT 10 FT AWAY, AND INDICATED THE FAULT WAS HIS, NOT THE FLC'S. RPTR FEELS THERE SHOULD BE A STANDARD DISTANCE FOR MOVING AND PARKING SUCH EQUIP WHEN ACFT WILL BE TAXIING AWAY. HIS SUGGESTION IS A MINIMUM OF 20 FT FROM ACFT POS. THIS IS A REGIONAL CARRIER AND THEY WERE AT AN OUT STATION. RPTR FEELS THE PROCS WILL IMPROVE ALONG WITH NEW REGS AND EQUIP. A RPT WAS MADE TO HIS COMPANY AND THE FAA HAS INVESTIGATED WITH NO FURTHER FOLLOW UP.

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.