Narrative:

On arrival to kansas city, we were told by approach control to expect runway 1L and braking was fair. The ATIS was calling wind from the northwest at about 12 KTS, overcast and light freezing drizzle. As we approached the field, we experienced some radio problems and missed a few radio calls, we think. This was later traced to a bad microphone on the captain's side, which was apparently causing both of us to not hear all of the xmissions to whatever radio I had selected. We were eventually told that runway 1R was now open and we were changed to that runway along with a couple of air carrier Y flts. One of the air carrier Y flts was ahead of us on final. We landed flaps 40 degrees and were at taxi speed about 1/2 way down the runway. Aircraft Y exited at taxiway E5 off runway 1R. As we passed his aircraft, it appeared he was stopped just short of the grass with his thrust reverser buckets out and tower told us to go to the end. We heard him send the aircraft around behind us. As we approached the end of the runway, we were barely moving. Braking and steering on the runway was good. The runway had been sanded and chemicals put down and we had no problems while we were on it. We looked at taxiway E1 (the last exit) and it was very icy looking, taxiway E2 appeared to be a better choice and we told tower we were taking taxiway E2. As I made the turn at very slow speed and about 3/4 of the way around, I lost all ability to brake or steer. We did not exit the pavement but the #2 engine cowling struck a raised taxiway light near the edge of the taxiway. Fortunately, there was a large area of concrete in front of us as we continued to slide and the aircraft turned over 90 degrees back to the right before we were able to bring it to a stop and shut it down. We informed tower that braking was nil on the taxiway. I am not sure what we could have done differently in this, but I do think the kansas city airport opened runway 1R prematurely. The runway was indeed fair to good braking but the txwys were not usable and air carrier Y aircraft and ours should not have been used to figure that out. We called company and they sent a tug out with an airport vehicle escort. Company also sent one of our mechanics in a pickup truck. There were several airport vehicles around us during this time as the tug crew and mechanic checked out our aircraft and prepared to tow. These vehicles (appeared to be 4 wheel drive) were sliding all over the taxiway and our people were having to be very careful on foot as the ice made it difficult to walk. Each time the tug was hooked up to the aircraft, the tug itself could not get enough traction and they would have to unhook us and have the sanders and chemical laying equipment spray the area under the tug. We tried this several times with not much success. Eventually, they were able to get us out onto the runway and tugged us back to a main taxiway, which was more thoroughly sanded, and then to the gate. With all the slipping and sliding the ground vehicles were doing, it seems to me it should have been obvious that no aircraft should have been on those txwys. They apparently were so concentrated on getting the runway open that insufficient attention was paid to the txwys. As a flight crew, we have to assume that if the runway is open, then at least enough txwys are open to get us to our gate. Not true in this case. Fortunately, only minor damage to the aircraft (paint scratch on the engine) and the taxiway light resulted, but it could have been much worse with a large ditch just next to the taxiway tower wanted us to take. We need more accurate and timely braking reports from the ground during conditions like these to prevent future problems. Supplemental information from acn 575926: upon turning the corner and exiting the runway, I started my clear of runway flow, I noticed that we were getting very close to the right side taxi lights. As I started to tell the captain that he needed to turn more to the left, he informed me that he had no control of the aircraft movement and we were sliding. I told him I thought we were going to run over the taxi light. But as we passed, we did not note a bump. I heard tower clearing another company jet while this was taking place, so I contacted them before switching to ground and told them that the braking action on taxiway E2 was nil and we were sliding. I immediately switched to ground and gave them the same information. Shortly after that, we came to a stop parallel to the runway facing north. I looked back at taxiway E2 to see if any taxi lights were out and noticed a light that was on a pole approximately 2 ft high was down. I could also see 2 tire tracks and could tell that the tire had not run over the light and that the tires never left the taxiway. A later inspection found that the #2 cowl had hit the light.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-700 CREW LAND MCI WITH LITTLE DIFFICULTY BUT LOSE STEERING CTL ON THE TXWY DUE TO ICING CONDITIONS AND NIL BRAKING.

Narrative: ON ARR TO KANSAS CITY, WE WERE TOLD BY APCH CTL TO EXPECT RWY 1L AND BRAKING WAS FAIR. THE ATIS WAS CALLING WIND FROM THE NW AT ABOUT 12 KTS, OVCST AND LIGHT FREEZING DRIZZLE. AS WE APCHED THE FIELD, WE EXPERIENCED SOME RADIO PROBS AND MISSED A FEW RADIO CALLS, WE THINK. THIS WAS LATER TRACED TO A BAD MIKE ON THE CAPT'S SIDE, WHICH WAS APPARENTLY CAUSING BOTH OF US TO NOT HEAR ALL OF THE XMISSIONS TO WHATEVER RADIO I HAD SELECTED. WE WERE EVENTUALLY TOLD THAT RWY 1R WAS NOW OPEN AND WE WERE CHANGED TO THAT RWY ALONG WITH A COUPLE OF ACR Y FLTS. ONE OF THE ACR Y FLTS WAS AHEAD OF US ON FINAL. WE LANDED FLAPS 40 DEGS AND WERE AT TAXI SPD ABOUT 1/2 WAY DOWN THE RWY. ACFT Y EXITED AT TXWY E5 OFF RWY 1R. AS WE PASSED HIS ACFT, IT APPEARED HE WAS STOPPED JUST SHORT OF THE GRASS WITH HIS THRUST REVERSER BUCKETS OUT AND TWR TOLD US TO GO TO THE END. WE HEARD HIM SEND THE ACFT AROUND BEHIND US. AS WE APCHED THE END OF THE RWY, WE WERE BARELY MOVING. BRAKING AND STEERING ON THE RWY WAS GOOD. THE RWY HAD BEEN SANDED AND CHEMICALS PUT DOWN AND WE HAD NO PROBS WHILE WE WERE ON IT. WE LOOKED AT TXWY E1 (THE LAST EXIT) AND IT WAS VERY ICY LOOKING, TXWY E2 APPEARED TO BE A BETTER CHOICE AND WE TOLD TWR WE WERE TAKING TXWY E2. AS I MADE THE TURN AT VERY SLOW SPD AND ABOUT 3/4 OF THE WAY AROUND, I LOST ALL ABILITY TO BRAKE OR STEER. WE DID NOT EXIT THE PAVEMENT BUT THE #2 ENG COWLING STRUCK A RAISED TXWY LIGHT NEAR THE EDGE OF THE TXWY. FORTUNATELY, THERE WAS A LARGE AREA OF CONCRETE IN FRONT OF US AS WE CONTINUED TO SLIDE AND THE ACFT TURNED OVER 90 DEGS BACK TO THE R BEFORE WE WERE ABLE TO BRING IT TO A STOP AND SHUT IT DOWN. WE INFORMED TWR THAT BRAKING WAS NIL ON THE TXWY. I AM NOT SURE WHAT WE COULD HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY IN THIS, BUT I DO THINK THE KANSAS CITY ARPT OPENED RWY 1R PREMATURELY. THE RWY WAS INDEED FAIR TO GOOD BRAKING BUT THE TXWYS WERE NOT USABLE AND ACR Y ACFT AND OURS SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN USED TO FIGURE THAT OUT. WE CALLED COMPANY AND THEY SENT A TUG OUT WITH AN ARPT VEHICLE ESCORT. COMPANY ALSO SENT ONE OF OUR MECHS IN A PICKUP TRUCK. THERE WERE SEVERAL ARPT VEHICLES AROUND US DURING THIS TIME AS THE TUG CREW AND MECH CHKED OUT OUR ACFT AND PREPARED TO TOW. THESE VEHICLES (APPEARED TO BE 4 WHEEL DRIVE) WERE SLIDING ALL OVER THE TXWY AND OUR PEOPLE WERE HAVING TO BE VERY CAREFUL ON FOOT AS THE ICE MADE IT DIFFICULT TO WALK. EACH TIME THE TUG WAS HOOKED UP TO THE ACFT, THE TUG ITSELF COULD NOT GET ENOUGH TRACTION AND THEY WOULD HAVE TO UNHOOK US AND HAVE THE SANDERS AND CHEMICAL LAYING EQUIP SPRAY THE AREA UNDER THE TUG. WE TRIED THIS SEVERAL TIMES WITH NOT MUCH SUCCESS. EVENTUALLY, THEY WERE ABLE TO GET US OUT ONTO THE RWY AND TUGGED US BACK TO A MAIN TXWY, WHICH WAS MORE THOROUGHLY SANDED, AND THEN TO THE GATE. WITH ALL THE SLIPPING AND SLIDING THE GND VEHICLES WERE DOING, IT SEEMS TO ME IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN OBVIOUS THAT NO ACFT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ON THOSE TXWYS. THEY APPARENTLY WERE SO CONCENTRATED ON GETTING THE RWY OPEN THAT INSUFFICIENT ATTN WAS PAID TO THE TXWYS. AS A FLT CREW, WE HAVE TO ASSUME THAT IF THE RWY IS OPEN, THEN AT LEAST ENOUGH TXWYS ARE OPEN TO GET US TO OUR GATE. NOT TRUE IN THIS CASE. FORTUNATELY, ONLY MINOR DAMAGE TO THE ACFT (PAINT SCRATCH ON THE ENG) AND THE TXWY LIGHT RESULTED, BUT IT COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH WORSE WITH A LARGE DITCH JUST NEXT TO THE TXWY TWR WANTED US TO TAKE. WE NEED MORE ACCURATE AND TIMELY BRAKING RPTS FROM THE GND DURING CONDITIONS LIKE THESE TO PREVENT FUTURE PROBS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 575926: UPON TURNING THE CORNER AND EXITING THE RWY, I STARTED MY CLR OF RWY FLOW, I NOTICED THAT WE WERE GETTING VERY CLOSE TO THE R SIDE TAXI LIGHTS. AS I STARTED TO TELL THE CAPT THAT HE NEEDED TO TURN MORE TO THE L, HE INFORMED ME THAT HE HAD NO CTL OF THE ACFT MOVEMENT AND WE WERE SLIDING. I TOLD HIM I THOUGHT WE WERE GOING TO RUN OVER THE TAXI LIGHT. BUT AS WE PASSED, WE DID NOT NOTE A BUMP. I HEARD TWR CLRING ANOTHER COMPANY JET WHILE THIS WAS TAKING PLACE, SO I CONTACTED THEM BEFORE SWITCHING TO GND AND TOLD THEM THAT THE BRAKING ACTION ON TXWY E2 WAS NIL AND WE WERE SLIDING. I IMMEDIATELY SWITCHED TO GND AND GAVE THEM THE SAME INFO. SHORTLY AFTER THAT, WE CAME TO A STOP PARALLEL TO THE RWY FACING N. I LOOKED BACK AT TXWY E2 TO SEE IF ANY TAXI LIGHTS WERE OUT AND NOTICED A LIGHT THAT WAS ON A POLE APPROX 2 FT HIGH WAS DOWN. I COULD ALSO SEE 2 TIRE TRACKS AND COULD TELL THAT THE TIRE HAD NOT RUN OVER THE LIGHT AND THAT THE TIRES NEVER LEFT THE TXWY. A LATER INSPECTION FOUND THAT THE #2 COWL HAD HIT THE LIGHT.

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.