Narrative:

After landing on runway 21L, we were told to follow the air carrier on taxiway T and taxiway K and hold short of closed runway 9L. This is a very long route around the new terminal construction. Approaching taxiway K, we observed several large snow scraper/blowers working near the area of closed runway 21R and taxiway Y. They were moving rapidly and in a very irregular pattern, hitting the areas of snow on the txwys. Our txwys were clear on the centerline with a band of snow on the right edge. No snow was falling and the visibility was good. We were 1/4 mi behind the air carrier and 1/4 mi in front of a company flight that witnessed the event. As we approached taxiway K4, a smaller snow blower who was working on taxiway Y made a turn onto taxiway K4 and without stopping or slowing down came directly at us at a high rate of speed and oblivious to our movement on the active taxiway. My first officer yelled 'I don't think he is going to stop' -- and he did not. I took evasive action to the right and slammed on the brakes. We did not depart the taxiway, but got near the edge into the snow. Luckily, the vehicle was small enough to go under the wingtip without colliding with us. Without our action, we believe he would have impacted us between the nose gear and #1 engine. At the gate, I called the airport manager who started an investigation into the event. Looking back, I do remember seeing an suv type truck with the snow plows, but he was definitely not in control of his equipment. Dtw is by far the most dangerous airport for taxi and complicated instructions in our system.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-300 WAS ALMOST HIT BY AN ARPT GND EQUIP SNOW REMOVAL TRUCK AT DTW.

Narrative: AFTER LNDG ON RWY 21L, WE WERE TOLD TO FOLLOW THE ACR ON TXWY T AND TXWY K AND HOLD SHORT OF CLOSED RWY 9L. THIS IS A VERY LONG RTE AROUND THE NEW TERMINAL CONSTRUCTION. APCHING TXWY K, WE OBSERVED SEVERAL LARGE SNOW SCRAPER/BLOWERS WORKING NEAR THE AREA OF CLOSED RWY 21R AND TXWY Y. THEY WERE MOVING RAPIDLY AND IN A VERY IRREGULAR PATTERN, HITTING THE AREAS OF SNOW ON THE TXWYS. OUR TXWYS WERE CLR ON THE CTRLINE WITH A BAND OF SNOW ON THE R EDGE. NO SNOW WAS FALLING AND THE VISIBILITY WAS GOOD. WE WERE 1/4 MI BEHIND THE ACR AND 1/4 MI IN FRONT OF A COMPANY FLT THAT WITNESSED THE EVENT. AS WE APCHED TXWY K4, A SMALLER SNOW BLOWER WHO WAS WORKING ON TXWY Y MADE A TURN ONTO TXWY K4 AND WITHOUT STOPPING OR SLOWING DOWN CAME DIRECTLY AT US AT A HIGH RATE OF SPD AND OBLIVIOUS TO OUR MOVEMENT ON THE ACTIVE TXWY. MY FO YELLED 'I DON'T THINK HE IS GOING TO STOP' -- AND HE DID NOT. I TOOK EVASIVE ACTION TO THE R AND SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES. WE DID NOT DEPART THE TXWY, BUT GOT NEAR THE EDGE INTO THE SNOW. LUCKILY, THE VEHICLE WAS SMALL ENOUGH TO GO UNDER THE WINGTIP WITHOUT COLLIDING WITH US. WITHOUT OUR ACTION, WE BELIEVE HE WOULD HAVE IMPACTED US BTWN THE NOSE GEAR AND #1 ENG. AT THE GATE, I CALLED THE ARPT MGR WHO STARTED AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE EVENT. LOOKING BACK, I DO REMEMBER SEEING AN SUV TYPE TRUCK WITH THE SNOW PLOWS, BUT HE WAS DEFINITELY NOT IN CTL OF HIS EQUIP. DTW IS BY FAR THE MOST DANGEROUS ARPT FOR TAXI AND COMPLICATED INSTRUCTIONS IN OUR SYS.

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.