Narrative:

Possible jetblast. Pushed back from the gate at phl. Started engines. Started to taxi out, but aircraft wouldn't move because of snow, slush, ice contaminating ramp area. Contacted ramp control to get approval for more thrust to break away. Ramp advised there was another erj inbound to park at adjacent gate. Advised ramp control we would wait for the erj to clear since greater than normal breakaway thrust would be required due to the snow, slush, ice contaminating the ramp area. The pilot of the inbound erj stated that he would wait until we turned out, and that we were clear to add thrust to taxi out. I looked and saw that the inbound erj had stopped, and was clear of our jetblast area. We then received clearance from ramp control to taxi out using more than normal thrust. The aircraft was difficult to keep moving, and required greater than normal thrust to break away. I stopped the aircraft and cycled the parking brake to make sure it wasn't stuck. I slowly added thrust, and the aircraft seemed to taxi normal once we cleared the contaminated area. We were later advised our jetblast may have caused a problem. A possible solution would be to put only the dhc-8's and dorniers in the gates on inside corners, such as, xy, xz, etc. Also, ramp should be trained to use extra care when planes are pushed from these gates. Another technique could be to require jets pushing from gate xy to be then towed to abeam gate xz prior to disconnect to avoid any chance of jetblast to personnel and equipment on gates xx, yy, etc. A major cause to this is the poor condition of the ramp on dec/fri/02. There was no precipitation all day, yet no one cleaned off the ramp. Obviously, more men and equipment were required, but unavailable to clean the ramp.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: E-145 CREW RPTEDLY CAUSED BLAST DAMAGE AFTER BEING CLRED FOR HIGH PWRED TAXI THRUST IN ORDER TO BRAKE FREE ON A RAMP CONTAMINATED WITH ICE AND SNOW.

Narrative: POSSIBLE JETBLAST. PUSHED BACK FROM THE GATE AT PHL. STARTED ENGS. STARTED TO TAXI OUT, BUT ACFT WOULDN'T MOVE BECAUSE OF SNOW, SLUSH, ICE CONTAMINATING RAMP AREA. CONTACTED RAMP CTL TO GET APPROVAL FOR MORE THRUST TO BREAK AWAY. RAMP ADVISED THERE WAS ANOTHER ERJ INBOUND TO PARK AT ADJACENT GATE. ADVISED RAMP CTL WE WOULD WAIT FOR THE ERJ TO CLR SINCE GREATER THAN NORMAL BREAKAWAY THRUST WOULD BE REQUIRED DUE TO THE SNOW, SLUSH, ICE CONTAMINATING THE RAMP AREA. THE PLT OF THE INBOUND ERJ STATED THAT HE WOULD WAIT UNTIL WE TURNED OUT, AND THAT WE WERE CLR TO ADD THRUST TO TAXI OUT. I LOOKED AND SAW THAT THE INBOUND ERJ HAD STOPPED, AND WAS CLR OF OUR JETBLAST AREA. WE THEN RECEIVED CLRNC FROM RAMP CTL TO TAXI OUT USING MORE THAN NORMAL THRUST. THE ACFT WAS DIFFICULT TO KEEP MOVING, AND REQUIRED GREATER THAN NORMAL THRUST TO BREAK AWAY. I STOPPED THE ACFT AND CYCLED THE PARKING BRAKE TO MAKE SURE IT WASN'T STUCK. I SLOWLY ADDED THRUST, AND THE ACFT SEEMED TO TAXI NORMAL ONCE WE CLRED THE CONTAMINATED AREA. WE WERE LATER ADVISED OUR JETBLAST MAY HAVE CAUSED A PROB. A POSSIBLE SOLUTION WOULD BE TO PUT ONLY THE DHC-8'S AND DORNIERS IN THE GATES ON INSIDE CORNERS, SUCH AS, XY, XZ, ETC. ALSO, RAMP SHOULD BE TRAINED TO USE EXTRA CARE WHEN PLANES ARE PUSHED FROM THESE GATES. ANOTHER TECHNIQUE COULD BE TO REQUIRE JETS PUSHING FROM GATE XY TO BE THEN TOWED TO ABEAM GATE XZ PRIOR TO DISCONNECT TO AVOID ANY CHANCE OF JETBLAST TO PERSONNEL AND EQUIP ON GATES XX, YY, ETC. A MAJOR CAUSE TO THIS IS THE POOR CONDITION OF THE RAMP ON DEC/FRI/02. THERE WAS NO PRECIP ALL DAY, YET NO ONE CLEANED OFF THE RAMP. OBVIOUSLY, MORE MEN AND EQUIP WERE REQUIRED, BUT UNAVAILABLE TO CLEAN THE RAMP.

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.