Air carrier DC9 taxiing to runway for takeoff strikes an airport snow truck.

Attributes
ACN	425505
Time
Date	199901
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dtw
State Reference	MI
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : cmh
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-9 30
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 215 flight time total : 5700 flight time type : 525
ASRS Report	425505
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
Airport	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

Airport dtw pushed from gate to spot X. Issued red 1 to runway 21C. Taxied swbound on taxiway K. Many semi trucks were also moving south and north on west end of taxiway K as they were filled with snow. While taxiing past approximately 10 of these trucks (front loaders were used to fill the trucks), we felt a thud that we initially thought was an ice chunk that may have been dropped by the trucks/front loaders. We stopped and informed dtw ground control. Another taxiing aircraft reported our right wing position light was damaged. We contacted ground control and turned right onto taxiway K12 and taxiway Y and returned to gate for inspection. Visibility was good. We had current ATIS information. We were following another DC9 favoring the east side of the taxiway centerline when the incident occurred. The semi trucks were facing southwest and moving northeast and southwest on west side of taxiway. The taxiway had patches of compacted ice/snow/slush. Recommendations: 1) position marshalers to aid in taxi flow. 2) have truck facing oncoming traffic to improve situational awareness of drivers. 3) position more supervisors out there to keep operation safe.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR DC9 TAXIING TO RWY FOR TKOF STRIKES AN ARPT SNOW TRUCK.

Narrative: ARPT DTW PUSHED FROM GATE TO SPOT X. ISSUED RED 1 TO RWY 21C. TAXIED SWBOUND ON TXWY K. MANY SEMI TRUCKS WERE ALSO MOVING S AND N ON W END OF TXWY K AS THEY WERE FILLED WITH SNOW. WHILE TAXIING PAST APPROX 10 OF THESE TRUCKS (FRONT LOADERS WERE USED TO FILL THE TRUCKS), WE FELT A THUD THAT WE INITIALLY THOUGHT WAS AN ICE CHUNK THAT MAY HAVE BEEN DROPPED BY THE TRUCKS/FRONT LOADERS. WE STOPPED AND INFORMED DTW GND CTL. ANOTHER TAXIING ACFT RPTED OUR R WING POS LIGHT WAS DAMAGED. WE CONTACTED GND CTL AND TURNED R ONTO TXWY K12 AND TXWY Y AND RETURNED TO GATE FOR INSPECTION. VISIBILITY WAS GOOD. WE HAD CURRENT ATIS INFO. WE WERE FOLLOWING ANOTHER DC9 FAVORING THE E SIDE OF THE TXWY CTRLINE WHEN THE INCIDENT OCCURRED. THE SEMI TRUCKS WERE FACING SW AND MOVING NE AND SW ON W SIDE OF TXWY. THE TXWY HAD PATCHES OF COMPACTED ICE/SNOW/SLUSH. RECOMMENDATIONS: 1) POS MARSHALERS TO AID IN TAXI FLOW. 2) HAVE TRUCK FACING ONCOMING TFC TO IMPROVE SITUATIONAL AWARENESS OF DRIVERS. 3) POS MORE SUPVRS OUT THERE TO KEEP OP SAFE.

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.