An air carrier B737-800 flight crew reports that as he turned onto runway 8, during a light rain, th...

Narrative:

WX in area was rain showers, and it had been raining lightly for about 1 hour. I was cleared for takeoff while on the parallel taxiway. I taxied onto the runway with slightly more than minimum power. At approximately a 45 degree angle to the runway centerline, as I reached the runway centerline and turned the nosewheel handle I received no response, and the aircraft continued at the 45 degree angle toward the edge of the runway. I applied maximum braking and could feel the aircraft skidding as the anti-skid operated. The aircraft continued traveling toward the side of the runway, and I applied reverse thrust to the engines. The aircraft was skidding and shuddering, but stopped on the runway approximately 10-15 ft from the edge. I brought the engines to idle, and then slowly corrected the aircraft to the runway centerline, and a normal takeoff and departure ensued. The runway was asphalt, and I do not think it is grooved. The rain, in combination with oils from the asphalt and aircraft, tire, rubber, made a normal taxi onto runway for takeoff a very slippery situation. It has made me very wary of all wet runway and taxiway taxi/takeoff/landing evolutions. During the winter I tend to focus on snow and ice, but this situation occurs yr round, and could put you off a runway or taxiway when you are not expecting to slip. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter said that he operates into sju fairly often, but this was the first time that he had encountered a slippery runway condition there. He has since studied the runway surface, and although it is grooved, in this area on the takeoff end of runway 8 the grooves appear to be filled with rubber, grease, or other dark colored debris that, with a coating of water, made the surface very slippery. He said that he noticed that the painted lines on the runway surface were partially obscured by this coating. The runway is crowned, and dry traction in this area is good. The captain did not mention this incident to the tower controller.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR B737-800 FLC RPTS THAT AS HE TURNED ONTO RWY 8, DURING A LIGHT RAIN, THE ACFT SKIDDED ON THE WET SURFACE, BUT STOPPED BEFORE LEAVING THE RWY.

Narrative: WX IN AREA WAS RAIN SHOWERS, AND IT HAD BEEN RAINING LIGHTLY FOR ABOUT 1 HR. I WAS CLRED FOR TKOF WHILE ON THE PARALLEL TXWY. I TAXIED ONTO THE RWY WITH SLIGHTLY MORE THAN MINIMUM PWR. AT APPROX A 45 DEG ANGLE TO THE RWY CTRLINE, AS I REACHED THE RWY CTRLINE AND TURNED THE NOSEWHEEL HANDLE I RECEIVED NO RESPONSE, AND THE ACFT CONTINUED AT THE 45 DEG ANGLE TOWARD THE EDGE OF THE RWY. I APPLIED MAX BRAKING AND COULD FEEL THE ACFT SKIDDING AS THE ANTI-SKID OPERATED. THE ACFT CONTINUED TRAVELING TOWARD THE SIDE OF THE RWY, AND I APPLIED REVERSE THRUST TO THE ENGS. THE ACFT WAS SKIDDING AND SHUDDERING, BUT STOPPED ON THE RWY APPROX 10-15 FT FROM THE EDGE. I BROUGHT THE ENGS TO IDLE, AND THEN SLOWLY CORRECTED THE ACFT TO THE RWY CTRLINE, AND A NORMAL TKOF AND DEP ENSUED. THE RWY WAS ASPHALT, AND I DO NOT THINK IT IS GROOVED. THE RAIN, IN COMBINATION WITH OILS FROM THE ASPHALT AND ACFT, TIRE, RUBBER, MADE A NORMAL TAXI ONTO RWY FOR TKOF A VERY SLIPPERY SIT. IT HAS MADE ME VERY WARY OF ALL WET RWY AND TXWY TAXI/TKOF/LNDG EVOLUTIONS. DURING THE WINTER I TEND TO FOCUS ON SNOW AND ICE, BUT THIS SIT OCCURS YR ROUND, AND COULD PUT YOU OFF A RWY OR TXWY WHEN YOU ARE NOT EXPECTING TO SLIP. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR SAID THAT HE OPERATES INTO SJU FAIRLY OFTEN, BUT THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT HE HAD ENCOUNTERED A SLIPPERY RWY CONDITION THERE. HE HAS SINCE STUDIED THE RWY SURFACE, AND ALTHOUGH IT IS GROOVED, IN THIS AREA ON THE TKOF END OF RWY 8 THE GROOVES APPEAR TO BE FILLED WITH RUBBER, GREASE, OR OTHER DARK COLORED DEBRIS THAT, WITH A COATING OF WATER, MADE THE SURFACE VERY SLIPPERY. HE SAID THAT HE NOTICED THAT THE PAINTED LINES ON THE RWY SURFACE WERE PARTIALLY OBSCURED BY THIS COATING. THE RWY IS CROWNED, AND DRY TRACTION IN THIS AREA IS GOOD. THE CAPT DID NOT MENTION THIS INCIDENT TO THE TWR CTLR.

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.

Attributes
ACN	429839
Time
Date	199903
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sju
State Reference	PR
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 230 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 9430
ASRS Report	429839
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
Airport	other physical facility

An air carrier B737-800 flight crew reports that as he turned onto runway 8, during a light rain, the aircraft skidded on the wet surface, but stopped before leaving the runway.