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Metropolitan ii taxi for takeoff on snow covered, icy crusted taxiway. Aircraft began to pull to the left and unable to stop. Left engine struck snowbank. Aircraft has had previous history of nose steering problems. Passenger was not exempt from restrs as stated in part 135.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 357151 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199701 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : pln |
| State Reference | MI |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air taxi |
| Make Model Name | SA-226 TC Metro II |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 135 |
| Flight Phase | ground other : taxi other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air taxi |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : cfi pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 3900 flight time type : 900 |
| ASRS Report | 357151 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | observation : passenger |
| Qualification | other pilot : commercial |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : declared emergency none taken : unable |
| Consequence | faa : investigated other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
The conditions on the ground at the time were 1 inch of snow over ice. Taxied out on taxiway B towards runway 14. While on taxiway B past runways 5 and 23, the aircraft, a metropolitan ii, began pulling to the left. Even with right rudder input the aircraft did not respond before the left engine came into contact with the snowbanks which were full length on both sides of the taxiway. Most of the taxiway lights were covered by the snowbanks. The aircraft has a past history of nosewheel deflections without input. As a result several service bulletins have been issued by fairchild. Even within our company, we have had previous nosewheel deflections, which could not be duplicated by maintenance. On board was 1 passenger, a commercial pilot and aircraft dispatcher. Although the company is exempt from the passenger carrying provisions as stated in far part 135, this person did not meet those criteria to be considered exempt.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: METRO II TAXI FOR TKOF ON SNOW COVERED, ICY CRUSTED TXWY. ACFT BEGAN TO PULL TO THE L AND UNABLE TO STOP. L ENG STRUCK SNOWBANK. ACFT HAS HAD PREVIOUS HISTORY OF NOSE STEERING PROBS. PAX WAS NOT EXEMPT FROM RESTRS AS STATED IN PART 135.
Narrative: THE CONDITIONS ON THE GND AT THE TIME WERE 1 INCH OF SNOW OVER ICE. TAXIED OUT ON TXWY B TOWARDS RWY 14. WHILE ON TXWY B PAST RWYS 5 AND 23, THE ACFT, A METRO II, BEGAN PULLING TO THE L. EVEN WITH R RUDDER INPUT THE ACFT DID NOT RESPOND BEFORE THE L ENG CAME INTO CONTACT WITH THE SNOWBANKS WHICH WERE FULL LENGTH ON BOTH SIDES OF THE TXWY. MOST OF THE TXWY LIGHTS WERE COVERED BY THE SNOWBANKS. THE ACFT HAS A PAST HISTORY OF NOSEWHEEL DEFLECTIONS WITHOUT INPUT. AS A RESULT SEVERAL SVC BULLETINS HAVE BEEN ISSUED BY FAIRCHILD. EVEN WITHIN OUR COMPANY, WE HAVE HAD PREVIOUS NOSEWHEEL DEFLECTIONS, WHICH COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED BY MAINT. ON BOARD WAS 1 PAX, A COMMERCIAL PLT AND ACFT DISPATCHER. ALTHOUGH THE COMPANY IS EXEMPT FROM THE PAX CARRYING PROVISIONS AS STATED IN FAR PART 135, THIS PERSON DID NOT MEET THOSE CRITERIA TO BE CONSIDERED EXEMPT.
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.