Narrative:

After 2 days of snow in the ny area the WX had cleared but the ramp, txwys, and runways had compacted snow and patches of ice. We were dispatched with no alternate and minimum holding fuel. I asked for and received an additional 2000 pounds of fuel for ground holds at kennedy. The aircraft APU was OTS which meant starting the right engine at the gate. I elected not to start the left engine due to the lengthy delays for taxi clearance. Almost an hour had elapsed since pushback and the taxi time to the runway was about 30 mins. I had saved a significant amount of fuel by holding #1 for taxi on 1 engine. When we were given taxi clearance, I elected to start the left engine as we exited the ramp. Due to the fact that the APU air was not available, a xbleed start was necessary. The aircraft traction was fine as we rolled straight ahead but when a left turn was initiated the additional thrust required on the right engine for starting, caused the nosewheel to lose traction and drift left. At this point I initiated reverse thrust on the right, engine but ended up in the snow on the edge of the taxiway. By being over concerned with the fuel situation I lost sight of the big picture which was the slick txwys and the unusual situation of a xbleed start. Fuel conservation is important and is a major emphasis of my company but the simple fact is sometimes it can be over emphasized. This is such a case.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT WITHOUT AN APU, WITH ICY TXWYS, AND A 220000 LB AIRPLANE ELECTED TO TAXI ON 1 ENG TO SAVE FUEL AND THEN XBLEED START WHILE TAXIING AND TURNING.

Narrative: AFTER 2 DAYS OF SNOW IN THE NY AREA THE WX HAD CLRED BUT THE RAMP, TXWYS, AND RWYS HAD COMPACTED SNOW AND PATCHES OF ICE. WE WERE DISPATCHED WITH NO ALTERNATE AND MINIMUM HOLDING FUEL. I ASKED FOR AND RECEIVED AN ADDITIONAL 2000 LBS OF FUEL FOR GND HOLDS AT KENNEDY. THE ACFT APU WAS OTS WHICH MEANT STARTING THE R ENG AT THE GATE. I ELECTED NOT TO START THE L ENG DUE TO THE LENGTHY DELAYS FOR TAXI CLRNC. ALMOST AN HR HAD ELAPSED SINCE PUSHBACK AND THE TAXI TIME TO THE RWY WAS ABOUT 30 MINS. I HAD SAVED A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF FUEL BY HOLDING #1 FOR TAXI ON 1 ENG. WHEN WE WERE GIVEN TAXI CLRNC, I ELECTED TO START THE L ENG AS WE EXITED THE RAMP. DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE APU AIR WAS NOT AVAILABLE, A XBLEED START WAS NECESSARY. THE ACFT TRACTION WAS FINE AS WE ROLLED STRAIGHT AHEAD BUT WHEN A L TURN WAS INITIATED THE ADDITIONAL THRUST REQUIRED ON THE R ENG FOR STARTING, CAUSED THE NOSEWHEEL TO LOSE TRACTION AND DRIFT L. AT THIS POINT I INITIATED REVERSE THRUST ON THE R, ENG BUT ENDED UP IN THE SNOW ON THE EDGE OF THE TXWY. BY BEING OVER CONCERNED WITH THE FUEL SIT I LOST SIGHT OF THE BIG PICTURE WHICH WAS THE SLICK TXWYS AND THE UNUSUAL SIT OF A XBLEED START. FUEL CONSERVATION IS IMPORTANT AND IS A MAJOR EMPHASIS OF MY COMPANY BUT THE SIMPLE FACT IS SOMETIMES IT CAN BE OVER EMPHASIZED. THIS IS SUCH A CASE.

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.