Narrative:

Inbound to fwa having received the ATIS took note of the remark 'braking action advisories in effect.' once on tower frequency, I asked the tower for a braking action report. Tower replied 'fair by an aircraft report.' the first officer was flying this leg. After a normal landing I took control of the aircraft and taxied to gate. After shutdown I asked the first officer about braking. His reply was 'fair.' I then commented that it may be fair on the runway, but it was poor on the taxiway and ramps. I proceeded into the terminal and on a piece of paper wrote runway 32 braking action fair on taxiway and ramps poor. I then gave it to a company agent instructing her to make sure system control got this information. I then called my dispatcher and verbally informed him of the same. After starting engines, accomplishing checklists, I received a wave- off from the ramp agent. First officer had called for taxi, ATC cleared us to taxi to runway 32 at the same time a commuter on gate had called for taxi. Ground cleared him to taxi first. The commuter pilot then remarked 'let the medium large transport taxi, we will follow him.' ground then cleared us to taxi first. I applied power, made a right turn off of the gate as he was now off of my left side. I elected to utilize taxiway Y4 to pick up the parallel taxiway Y. This is the entrance I had used on my arrival. As I proceeded straight out from the gate, towards taxiway Y4, I perceived that the aircraft began to slide from my right to left at the same instant it seemed the nose was wxvaning to the right. I immediately applied left steering, full braking, and left rudder. The nose appeared to stop its right turn and the left to right slide stopped. However, my forward motion continued straight ahead even though the brakes were locked. At what seemed like the same moment, I felt a slight bump and the aircraft stopped. Everything happened in an extremely short period of time. As I looked forward I could see blue taxiway lights. I advised the first officer that we might be off the taxiway and to call ground. I recall ground saying he could not tell from his position, but it appeared we were off. I then instructed the first officer to ask for assistance. I then shut down the engines, picked up the microphone and advised ground control 'braking out here is nil.' I then made a PA announcement advising the flight attendants and passenger what happened. I told everyone that all was ok, please stay seated and I would get back to them. Both myself and the first officer contacted fwa company operations via radio, told them to inform system control, and to arrange for transportation of the passenger. I then left the cockpit, went to the rear of the aircraft, and lowered the stairs. I went onto the ramp and met several vehicles and people. At this point, I was still not sure I was off the ramp. As I looked forward at the aircraft, I now saw that the main wheels were, in fact, off the edge of the taxiway. After all passenger were transported, I walked around the aircraft for an inspection. I saw no damage. I had a difficult time walking in my street shoes as the ramp under the aircraft was very slippery. I then instructed crew to stay with the aircraft and I went to operations to place the necessary telephone calls. After a while, I instructed the agent to go to the aircraft and ask the first officer to secure the aircraft and bring the crew to operations.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF MLG TAXIING FROM RAMP LOST CTL OF ACFT ON SLICK HARD SURFACE, SKIDDED OFF TAXIWAY.

Narrative: INBOUND TO FWA HAVING RECEIVED THE ATIS TOOK NOTE OF THE REMARK 'BRAKING ACTION ADVISORIES IN EFFECT.' ONCE ON TWR FREQ, I ASKED THE TWR FOR A BRAKING ACTION RPT. TWR REPLIED 'FAIR BY AN ACFT RPT.' THE FO WAS FLYING THIS LEG. AFTER A NORMAL LNDG I TOOK CTL OF THE ACFT AND TAXIED TO GATE. AFTER SHUTDOWN I ASKED THE FO ABOUT BRAKING. HIS REPLY WAS 'FAIR.' I THEN COMMENTED THAT IT MAY BE FAIR ON THE RWY, BUT IT WAS POOR ON THE TAXIWAY AND RAMPS. I PROCEEDED INTO THE TERMINAL AND ON A PIECE OF PAPER WROTE RWY 32 BRAKING ACTION FAIR ON TAXIWAY AND RAMPS POOR. I THEN GAVE IT TO A COMPANY AGENT INSTRUCTING HER TO MAKE SURE SYS CTL GOT THIS INFO. I THEN CALLED MY DISPATCHER AND VERBALLY INFORMED HIM OF THE SAME. AFTER STARTING ENGS, ACCOMPLISHING CHKLISTS, I RECEIVED A WAVE- OFF FROM THE RAMP AGENT. FO HAD CALLED FOR TAXI, ATC CLRED US TO TAXI TO RWY 32 AT THE SAME TIME A COMMUTER ON GATE HAD CALLED FOR TAXI. GND CLRED HIM TO TAXI FIRST. THE COMMUTER PLT THEN REMARKED 'LET THE MLG TAXI, WE WILL FOLLOW HIM.' GND THEN CLRED US TO TAXI FIRST. I APPLIED PWR, MADE A R TURN OFF OF THE GATE AS HE WAS NOW OFF OF MY L SIDE. I ELECTED TO UTILIZE TAXIWAY Y4 TO PICK UP THE PARALLEL TAXIWAY Y. THIS IS THE ENTRANCE I HAD USED ON MY ARR. AS I PROCEEDED STRAIGHT OUT FROM THE GATE, TOWARDS TAXIWAY Y4, I PERCEIVED THAT THE ACFT BEGAN TO SLIDE FROM MY R TO L AT THE SAME INSTANT IT SEEMED THE NOSE WAS WXVANING TO THE R. I IMMEDIATELY APPLIED L STEERING, FULL BRAKING, AND L RUDDER. THE NOSE APPEARED TO STOP ITS R TURN AND THE L TO R SLIDE STOPPED. HOWEVER, MY FORWARD MOTION CONTINUED STRAIGHT AHEAD EVEN THOUGH THE BRAKES WERE LOCKED. AT WHAT SEEMED LIKE THE SAME MOMENT, I FELT A SLIGHT BUMP AND THE ACFT STOPPED. EVERYTHING HAPPENED IN AN EXTREMELY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. AS I LOOKED FORWARD I COULD SEE BLUE TAXIWAY LIGHTS. I ADVISED THE FO THAT WE MIGHT BE OFF THE TAXIWAY AND TO CALL GND. I RECALL GND SAYING HE COULD NOT TELL FROM HIS POS, BUT IT APPEARED WE WERE OFF. I THEN INSTRUCTED THE FO TO ASK FOR ASSISTANCE. I THEN SHUT DOWN THE ENGS, PICKED UP THE MICROPHONE AND ADVISED GND CTL 'BRAKING OUT HERE IS NIL.' I THEN MADE A PA ANNOUNCEMENT ADVISING THE FLT ATTENDANTS AND PAX WHAT HAPPENED. I TOLD EVERYONE THAT ALL WAS OK, PLEASE STAY SEATED AND I WOULD GET BACK TO THEM. BOTH MYSELF AND THE FO CONTACTED FWA COMPANY OPS VIA RADIO, TOLD THEM TO INFORM SYS CTL, AND TO ARRANGE FOR TRANSPORTATION OF THE PAX. I THEN LEFT THE COCKPIT, WENT TO THE REAR OF THE ACFT, AND LOWERED THE STAIRS. I WENT ONTO THE RAMP AND MET SEVERAL VEHICLES AND PEOPLE. AT THIS POINT, I WAS STILL NOT SURE I WAS OFF THE RAMP. AS I LOOKED FORWARD AT THE ACFT, I NOW SAW THAT THE MAIN WHEELS WERE, IN FACT, OFF THE EDGE OF THE TAXIWAY. AFTER ALL PAX WERE TRANSPORTED, I WALKED AROUND THE ACFT FOR AN INSPECTION. I SAW NO DAMAGE. I HAD A DIFFICULT TIME WALKING IN MY STREET SHOES AS THE RAMP UNDER THE ACFT WAS VERY SLIPPERY. I THEN INSTRUCTED CREW TO STAY WITH THE ACFT AND I WENT TO OPS TO PLACE THE NECESSARY TELEPHONE CALLS. AFTER A WHILE, I INSTRUCTED THE AGENT TO GO TO THE ACFT AND ASK THE FO TO SECURE THE ACFT AND BRING THE CREW TO OPS.

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.