Narrative:

Landing runway 33L in isp. First officer accomplished normal flaps 40 degree landing. Blowing snow noted on short final. 'Mu' meter reading in normal/good/fair range. Deceleration good -- safe taxi speed reached. No problems to this point. Winds reported approximately 320 degrees/340 degrees/26 KTS gusting 30 KTS. Tower advised 180 degree turn on runway to back taxi as taxiway braking reported as poor. Captain began a slow turn to right to build turning room to accomplish left turn 180 degrees. Captain anticipated reduced/poor cornering force, as icy conditions noted both left and right of centerline. Approximately 135 degrees through turn, with no problems noted, it appeared as if a strong gust of wind caught the flaps and side exposure of airplane and began to push the aircraft forward and toward the side of the runway, nosewheel steering began to slip. Captain able to stop aircraft approximately 10 ft from the runway edge. Set brakes and called for tug. Tug pulled aircraft to centerline of runway, and normal taxi back accomplished. No problem areas in keeping passenger informed -- they did not even know anything had happened until captain informed them of what had happened. Tug crew and isp personnel did an outstanding job -- very expeditious and professional. I never thought about it until now, but it probably would have been wise to retract the flaps and then turn. With the flaps down, there is a huge surface for the wind to push on. In this case, the wind, plus the poor friction, combined to cause problems. I think if the txwys would have been in better shape, a normal taxi off would have been preferred.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-700 FLT CREW HAS TO STOP TAXI AND BE TUGGED DUE TO NO TURN PERFORMANCE ON ICY RWYS.

Narrative: LNDG RWY 33L IN ISP. FO ACCOMPLISHED NORMAL FLAPS 40 DEG LNDG. BLOWING SNOW NOTED ON SHORT FINAL. 'MU' METER READING IN NORMAL/GOOD/FAIR RANGE. DECELERATION GOOD -- SAFE TAXI SPD REACHED. NO PROBS TO THIS POINT. WINDS RPTED APPROX 320 DEGS/340 DEGS/26 KTS GUSTING 30 KTS. TWR ADVISED 180 DEG TURN ON RWY TO BACK TAXI AS TXWY BRAKING RPTED AS POOR. CAPT BEGAN A SLOW TURN TO R TO BUILD TURNING ROOM TO ACCOMPLISH L TURN 180 DEGS. CAPT ANTICIPATED REDUCED/POOR CORNERING FORCE, AS ICY CONDITIONS NOTED BOTH L AND R OF CTRLINE. APPROX 135 DEGS THROUGH TURN, WITH NO PROBS NOTED, IT APPEARED AS IF A STRONG GUST OF WIND CAUGHT THE FLAPS AND SIDE EXPOSURE OF AIRPLANE AND BEGAN TO PUSH THE ACFT FORWARD AND TOWARD THE SIDE OF THE RWY, NOSEWHEEL STEERING BEGAN TO SLIP. CAPT ABLE TO STOP ACFT APPROX 10 FT FROM THE RWY EDGE. SET BRAKES AND CALLED FOR TUG. TUG PULLED ACFT TO CTRLINE OF RWY, AND NORMAL TAXI BACK ACCOMPLISHED. NO PROB AREAS IN KEEPING PAX INFORMED -- THEY DID NOT EVEN KNOW ANYTHING HAD HAPPENED UNTIL CAPT INFORMED THEM OF WHAT HAD HAPPENED. TUG CREW AND ISP PERSONNEL DID AN OUTSTANDING JOB -- VERY EXPEDITIOUS AND PROFESSIONAL. I NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT IT UNTIL NOW, BUT IT PROBABLY WOULD HAVE BEEN WISE TO RETRACT THE FLAPS AND THEN TURN. WITH THE FLAPS DOWN, THERE IS A HUGE SURFACE FOR THE WIND TO PUSH ON. IN THIS CASE, THE WIND, PLUS THE POOR FRICTION, COMBINED TO CAUSE PROBS. I THINK IF THE TXWYS WOULD HAVE BEEN IN BETTER SHAPE, A NORMAL TAXI OFF WOULD HAVE BEEN PREFERRED.

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.