Narrative:

Normal flight and landing on runway 7. Exited runway at end on taxiway G and taxied north on taxiway G and turned east on taxiway bs. After turning onto taxiway bs, engines #2 and #3 were shut down. At all times, the aircraft was always right on the taxiway centerline. Upon ar at gate, the #4 engine was shut down and we waited for external power to be plugged in. During this process, I noticed a number of ramp service people looking into the #3 engine intake through the reflection off of the terminal glass of the terminal. I mentioned this activity to the first officer and that was the first time that we had any inclination that something could be wrong. After external power was plugged in, we shut down the #1 engine and proceeded with the parking checklist. Mins later, the mechanic came into the cockpit and indicated that there was snow in the intake of the #3 engine. This was the first solid information that we ever received that something had happened. Looking back on the taxi portion of the flight, I would suspect that shortly after turning east on taxiway bs is where the snow must have been. Note: the first officer was taxiing the aircraft at all times until the aircraft turned north onto the taxiway B32 taxi-in line at which time the captain took the aircraft back for the final stages of the taxi in and parking. At all times, the centerline for taxi, landing, etc, was adhered to and, at no point, was there any indication of any kind that something had gone wrong. NOTAMS said to watch out for snow removal equipment. Supplemental information from acn 577182: the NOTAMS indicated that all aircraft were to be on the lookout for snow removal vehicles but there was no mention of excessive snow on the taxi rtes. From the ht of a widebody transport cockpit, the snow that was on the ground did not look threatening and the aircraft was on the line at all times.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B747 FLT CREW RPTED THE OUTBOARD ENG CONTACTED A SNOW BANK WHILE TAXIING AT DEN.

Narrative: NORMAL FLT AND LNDG ON RWY 7. EXITED RWY AT END ON TXWY G AND TAXIED N ON TXWY G AND TURNED E ON TXWY BS. AFTER TURNING ONTO TXWY BS, ENGS #2 AND #3 WERE SHUT DOWN. AT ALL TIMES, THE ACFT WAS ALWAYS RIGHT ON THE TXWY CTRLINE. UPON AR AT GATE, THE #4 ENG WAS SHUT DOWN AND WE WAITED FOR EXTERNAL PWR TO BE PLUGGED IN. DURING THIS PROCESS, I NOTICED A NUMBER OF RAMP SVC PEOPLE LOOKING INTO THE #3 ENG INTAKE THROUGH THE REFLECTION OFF OF THE TERMINAL GLASS OF THE TERMINAL. I MENTIONED THIS ACTIVITY TO THE FO AND THAT WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT WE HAD ANY INCLINATION THAT SOMETHING COULD BE WRONG. AFTER EXTERNAL PWR WAS PLUGGED IN, WE SHUT DOWN THE #1 ENG AND PROCEEDED WITH THE PARKING CHKLIST. MINS LATER, THE MECH CAME INTO THE COCKPIT AND INDICATED THAT THERE WAS SNOW IN THE INTAKE OF THE #3 ENG. THIS WAS THE FIRST SOLID INFO THAT WE EVER RECEIVED THAT SOMETHING HAD HAPPENED. LOOKING BACK ON THE TAXI PORTION OF THE FLT, I WOULD SUSPECT THAT SHORTLY AFTER TURNING E ON TXWY BS IS WHERE THE SNOW MUST HAVE BEEN. NOTE: THE FO WAS TAXIING THE ACFT AT ALL TIMES UNTIL THE ACFT TURNED N ONTO THE TXWY B32 TAXI-IN LINE AT WHICH TIME THE CAPT TOOK THE ACFT BACK FOR THE FINAL STAGES OF THE TAXI IN AND PARKING. AT ALL TIMES, THE CTRLINE FOR TAXI, LNDG, ETC, WAS ADHERED TO AND, AT NO POINT, WAS THERE ANY INDICATION OF ANY KIND THAT SOMETHING HAD GONE WRONG. NOTAMS SAID TO WATCH OUT FOR SNOW REMOVAL EQUIP. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 577182: THE NOTAMS INDICATED THAT ALL ACFT WERE TO BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR SNOW REMOVAL VEHICLES BUT THERE WAS NO MENTION OF EXCESSIVE SNOW ON THE TAXI RTES. FROM THE HT OF A WDB COCKPIT, THE SNOW THAT WAS ON THE GND DID NOT LOOK THREATENING AND THE ACFT WAS ON THE LINE AT ALL TIMES.

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.