Flight crew of a DC9-30 heard a thump when taxiing by snow removal trucks for takeoff. They stopped ...

Attributes
ACN	424655
Time
Date	199901
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dtw
State Reference	MI
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-9 30
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 2200
ASRS Report	424655
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact other
Consequence	other Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Pushback and engine start under ground control was normal. Received taxi clearance and updated ATIS and began taxi to the active runway. The airport had received 17 inches of snow the past several days and snow removal was being carried out on the west side of the taxiway by front loaders and a line of approximately 30 semis with open trailers to carry the snow. Taxi centerline was visible, the taxi check had been performed and both pilots were heads up. We followed the path of the preceding DC9 and noted its clearance with the snow removal vehicles. As we cleared the last of the vehicles we heard a thump and immediately stopped the aircraft. Another aircraft reported it appeared we had damage to our right navigation/strobe light assembly. We returned to the gate for inspection. We don't know if we hit one of the vehicles or if the vehicle moved into us. The vehicles were moving both north and south on the taxiway paralleling our movement. There were no flags, cones, or other lines or demarcation to accommodate the snow removal equipment. This happened in a non hurried heads up taxiing environment. Stay alert! Your protected taxi area may not be protected during unusual airport operations.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A DC9-30 HEARD A THUMP WHEN TAXIING BY SNOW REMOVAL TRUCKS FOR TKOF. THEY STOPPED IMMEDIATELY AND ANOTHER ACFT FLC INFORMED THEM OF POSSIBLE DAMAGE TO THE R WINGTIP NAV STROBE LIGHT. THEY RETURNED TO THE GATE FOR INSPECTION.

Narrative: PUSHBACK AND ENG START UNDER GND CTL WAS NORMAL. RECEIVED TAXI CLRNC AND UPDATED ATIS AND BEGAN TAXI TO THE ACTIVE RWY. THE ARPT HAD RECEIVED 17 INCHES OF SNOW THE PAST SEVERAL DAYS AND SNOW REMOVAL WAS BEING CARRIED OUT ON THE W SIDE OF THE TXWY BY FRONT LOADERS AND A LINE OF APPROX 30 SEMIS WITH OPEN TRAILERS TO CARRY THE SNOW. TAXI CTRLINE WAS VISIBLE, THE TAXI CHK HAD BEEN PERFORMED AND BOTH PLTS WERE HEADS UP. WE FOLLOWED THE PATH OF THE PRECEDING DC9 AND NOTED ITS CLRNC WITH THE SNOW REMOVAL VEHICLES. AS WE CLRED THE LAST OF THE VEHICLES WE HEARD A THUMP AND IMMEDIATELY STOPPED THE ACFT. ANOTHER ACFT RPTED IT APPEARED WE HAD DAMAGE TO OUR R NAV/STROBE LIGHT ASSEMBLY. WE RETURNED TO THE GATE FOR INSPECTION. WE DON'T KNOW IF WE HIT ONE OF THE VEHICLES OR IF THE VEHICLE MOVED INTO US. THE VEHICLES WERE MOVING BOTH N AND S ON THE TXWY PARALLELING OUR MOVEMENT. THERE WERE NO FLAGS, CONES, OR OTHER LINES OR DEMARCATION TO ACCOMMODATE THE SNOW REMOVAL EQUIP. THIS HAPPENED IN A NON HURRIED HEADS UP TAXIING ENVIRONMENT. STAY ALERT! YOUR PROTECTED TAXI AREA MAY NOT BE PROTECTED DURING UNUSUAL ARPT 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.

Flight crew of a DC9-30 heard a thump when taxiing by snow removal trucks for takeoff. They stopped immediately and another aircraft flight crew informed them of possible damage to the right wingtip navigation strobe light. They returned to the gate for inspection.