Narrative:

While operating flight from reno, nv, to elko, nv, the aircraft momentarily left the taxiway after encountering ice. Previous WX reports made no mention of rain or snow, however, the forecast did contain conditional language for light rainshowers and snow. The AWOS report we received prior to arrival indicated winds 230 degrees at 5 KTS, 10 SM visibility, clear skies, and a temperature of -1 degree C, which had actually risen from -3 degrees C from 2 hours prior. When we contacted eko tower, he reported winds of 250 degrees at 20 KTS. We then executed a visual approach to runway 23. An important factor in this incident involves a report received from the station when calling in-range. As I was the PF, this report was made by the first officer. The station personnel reported that a hail storm passed over the field and deposited hail sometime prior to our arrival. Their purpose in reporting this was to emphasize that the storm had moved to the east and would require attention on the subsequent leg to slc. For unknown reasons, the first officer interpreted this as a report of hail in salt lake city. For these reasons, we were unaware of the hail. On the landing rollout, we both noted that it rained earlier, as the runway was damp. Braking action was good. As we turned to exit the runway, the hail on the taxiway came under the illumination of the taxi lights. Speed was below 6 KTS, so the antiskid braking system was disabled. It is my opinion that the rain which fell with the hail froze on the taxiway surface, creating an extremely icy surface. As we taxied onto this surface, braking action was nil, and I was unable to control the direction or speed of the aircraft. As the aircraft moved off the edge of the taxiway, I regained control of the aircraft. I was forced to steer farther off the runway to avoid hitting taxiway lighting with the landing gear or left propeller. The transition from taxiway to infield and back to taxiway was surprisingly smooth. The tower controller was unaware of the taxiway conditions and stated that his instruments indicated an air temperature of 37 degrees F. Additionally, a jetstream 31 had taxied in just prior to us, and had not reported any adverse conditions. After a thorough inspection of the aircraft, we could find no damage. Fire department personnel reported no damaged taxi lights. After consulting with maintenance control and dispatch, the decision to proceed to slc was made. This flight was uneventful.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN EMB120 FLC EXPERIENCES A TXWY EXCURSION WHEN TURNING OFF THE RWY ONTO UNEXPECTED ICE AND HAIL PELLETS AT EKO, NV.

Narrative: WHILE OPERATING FLT FROM RENO, NV, TO ELKO, NV, THE ACFT MOMENTARILY LEFT THE TXWY AFTER ENCOUNTERING ICE. PREVIOUS WX RPTS MADE NO MENTION OF RAIN OR SNOW, HOWEVER, THE FORECAST DID CONTAIN CONDITIONAL LANGUAGE FOR LIGHT RAINSHOWERS AND SNOW. THE AWOS RPT WE RECEIVED PRIOR TO ARR INDICATED WINDS 230 DEGS AT 5 KTS, 10 SM VISIBILITY, CLR SKIES, AND A TEMP OF -1 DEG C, WHICH HAD ACTUALLY RISEN FROM -3 DEGS C FROM 2 HRS PRIOR. WHEN WE CONTACTED EKO TWR, HE RPTED WINDS OF 250 DEGS AT 20 KTS. WE THEN EXECUTED A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 23. AN IMPORTANT FACTOR IN THIS INCIDENT INVOLVES A RPT RECEIVED FROM THE STATION WHEN CALLING IN-RANGE. AS I WAS THE PF, THIS RPT WAS MADE BY THE FO. THE STATION PERSONNEL RPTED THAT A HAIL STORM PASSED OVER THE FIELD AND DEPOSITED HAIL SOMETIME PRIOR TO OUR ARR. THEIR PURPOSE IN RPTING THIS WAS TO EMPHASIZE THAT THE STORM HAD MOVED TO THE E AND WOULD REQUIRE ATTN ON THE SUBSEQUENT LEG TO SLC. FOR UNKNOWN REASONS, THE FO INTERPED THIS AS A RPT OF HAIL IN SALT LAKE CITY. FOR THESE REASONS, WE WERE UNAWARE OF THE HAIL. ON THE LNDG ROLLOUT, WE BOTH NOTED THAT IT RAINED EARLIER, AS THE RWY WAS DAMP. BRAKING ACTION WAS GOOD. AS WE TURNED TO EXIT THE RWY, THE HAIL ON THE TXWY CAME UNDER THE ILLUMINATION OF THE TAXI LIGHTS. SPD WAS BELOW 6 KTS, SO THE ANTISKID BRAKING SYS WAS DISABLED. IT IS MY OPINION THAT THE RAIN WHICH FELL WITH THE HAIL FROZE ON THE TXWY SURFACE, CREATING AN EXTREMELY ICY SURFACE. AS WE TAXIED ONTO THIS SURFACE, BRAKING ACTION WAS NIL, AND I WAS UNABLE TO CTL THE DIRECTION OR SPD OF THE ACFT. AS THE ACFT MOVED OFF THE EDGE OF THE TXWY, I REGAINED CTL OF THE ACFT. I WAS FORCED TO STEER FARTHER OFF THE RWY TO AVOID HITTING TXWY LIGHTING WITH THE LNDG GEAR OR L PROP. THE TRANSITION FROM TXWY TO INFIELD AND BACK TO TXWY WAS SURPRISINGLY SMOOTH. THE TWR CTLR WAS UNAWARE OF THE TXWY CONDITIONS AND STATED THAT HIS INSTS INDICATED AN AIR TEMP OF 37 DEGS F. ADDITIONALLY, A JETSTREAM 31 HAD TAXIED IN JUST PRIOR TO US, AND HAD NOT RPTED ANY ADVERSE CONDITIONS. AFTER A THOROUGH INSPECTION OF THE ACFT, WE COULD FIND NO DAMAGE. FIRE DEPT PERSONNEL RPTED NO DAMAGED TAXI LIGHTS. AFTER CONSULTING WITH MAINT CTL AND DISPATCH, THE DECISION TO PROCEED TO SLC WAS MADE. THIS FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL.

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.