DC9 aircraft damaged during night taxi operation for preflight procedure deicing.

Attributes
ACN	357990
Time
Date	199701
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : stl
State Reference	MO
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : evv
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-9 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 270 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 270
ASRS Report	357990
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical other anomaly other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	other Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Airport
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
Airport	other physical facility

Narrative:

Airline was using the pad for deicing. It was dark, poorly lit and windy. The ramp was covered with hard packed icy snow. Apparently the wind had blown glycol on the back taxi line. We had a ramp control radio truck 'ice man' and we were instructed to taxi behind the first 2 aircraft to use the furthermost spot. As we taxied behind the second DC9, the combination of ice, jet blast, and wind caused our aircraft to slide several ft right, contacting the fence with the right wingtip, which sustained several dents. Aircraft returned to the gate and the flight canceled. Wingtip changed overnight, in service next day. Weighted flags (portable) should have been used to mark the parking spots. If the second DC9 had been further forward where it should have been, this would not have happened.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DC9 ACFT DAMAGED DURING NIGHT TAXI OP FOR PREFLT PROC DEICING.

Narrative: AIRLINE WAS USING THE PAD FOR DEICING. IT WAS DARK, POORLY LIT AND WINDY. THE RAMP WAS COVERED WITH HARD PACKED ICY SNOW. APPARENTLY THE WIND HAD BLOWN GLYCOL ON THE BACK TAXI LINE. WE HAD A RAMP CTL RADIO TRUCK 'ICE MAN' AND WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO TAXI BEHIND THE FIRST 2 ACFT TO USE THE FURTHERMOST SPOT. AS WE TAXIED BEHIND THE SECOND DC9, THE COMBINATION OF ICE, JET BLAST, AND WIND CAUSED OUR ACFT TO SLIDE SEVERAL FT R, CONTACTING THE FENCE WITH THE R WINGTIP, WHICH SUSTAINED SEVERAL DENTS. ACFT RETURNED TO THE GATE AND THE FLT CANCELED. WINGTIP CHANGED OVERNIGHT, IN SVC NEXT DAY. WEIGHTED FLAGS (PORTABLE) SHOULD HAVE BEEN USED TO MARK THE PARKING SPOTS. IF THE SECOND DC9 HAD BEEN FURTHER FORWARD WHERE IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN, THIS WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED.

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.