Narrative:

After a long wait to enter a deicing station at phl, we were finally deiced. In front of us was the exit from the deicing station to the staging area to transition to ground control. A 2-3 ft bank of snow had built up horizontally in front of us directing the pad in 2. Going straight out through the snow bank was not an option I entertained. I requested a snow plow to clear the snow bank and was told that they would 'work on it.' after waiting for some time, a deicing guideman showed up to wing walk me on a tight right turn parallel to the snow bank on my left, and an aircraft parked for deicing on my right. I thought this was probably standard practice and complied with his direction. I thought other aircraft preceding me in deicing must have exited likewise. I had enough wingtip clearance with the aircraft on my right, but we were still very close. I was then directed to make a tight 180 degree left turn around the end of the snow bank to the other side of the pad. I had to slow several times to gain cornering in the turn, as the ramp was slick. Every time I restarted my turn, I had to increase power to begin movement again. My tail was pointing directly at the planes in the deicing pads. I am concerned that I could have caused damage or injury with my jetblast. Nothing was said to that effect, but it was an uncomfortable and awkward situation. I should have waited for the snow bank to be removed, but after an already long wait, the prompting of the guideman seemed to be too much of a temptation to resist. In an effort to minimize an already long delay and to save my dwindling fuel reserve, my judgement was somewhat clouded. This is also an example of a 'rush to comply' scenario, which we have all been warned against. Patience is a virtue in WX/ATC delay sits.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: S80 FLT CREW QUESTIONS TAXI PROC AT PHL DEICING PAD.

Narrative: AFTER A LONG WAIT TO ENTER A DEICING STATION AT PHL, WE WERE FINALLY DEICED. IN FRONT OF US WAS THE EXIT FROM THE DEICING STATION TO THE STAGING AREA TO TRANSITION TO GND CTL. A 2-3 FT BANK OF SNOW HAD BUILT UP HORIZLY IN FRONT OF US DIRECTING THE PAD IN 2. GOING STRAIGHT OUT THROUGH THE SNOW BANK WAS NOT AN OPTION I ENTERTAINED. I REQUESTED A SNOW PLOW TO CLR THE SNOW BANK AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY WOULD 'WORK ON IT.' AFTER WAITING FOR SOME TIME, A DEICING GUIDEMAN SHOWED UP TO WING WALK ME ON A TIGHT R TURN PARALLEL TO THE SNOW BANK ON MY L, AND AN ACFT PARKED FOR DEICING ON MY R. I THOUGHT THIS WAS PROBABLY STANDARD PRACTICE AND COMPLIED WITH HIS DIRECTION. I THOUGHT OTHER ACFT PRECEDING ME IN DEICING MUST HAVE EXITED LIKEWISE. I HAD ENOUGH WINGTIP CLRNC WITH THE ACFT ON MY R, BUT WE WERE STILL VERY CLOSE. I WAS THEN DIRECTED TO MAKE A TIGHT 180 DEG L TURN AROUND THE END OF THE SNOW BANK TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE PAD. I HAD TO SLOW SEVERAL TIMES TO GAIN CORNERING IN THE TURN, AS THE RAMP WAS SLICK. EVERY TIME I RESTARTED MY TURN, I HAD TO INCREASE PWR TO BEGIN MOVEMENT AGAIN. MY TAIL WAS POINTING DIRECTLY AT THE PLANES IN THE DEICING PADS. I AM CONCERNED THAT I COULD HAVE CAUSED DAMAGE OR INJURY WITH MY JETBLAST. NOTHING WAS SAID TO THAT EFFECT, BUT IT WAS AN UNCOMFORTABLE AND AWKWARD SIT. I SHOULD HAVE WAITED FOR THE SNOW BANK TO BE REMOVED, BUT AFTER AN ALREADY LONG WAIT, THE PROMPTING OF THE GUIDEMAN SEEMED TO BE TOO MUCH OF A TEMPTATION TO RESIST. IN AN EFFORT TO MINIMIZE AN ALREADY LONG DELAY AND TO SAVE MY DWINDLING FUEL RESERVE, MY JUDGEMENT WAS SOMEWHAT CLOUDED. THIS IS ALSO AN EXAMPLE OF A 'RUSH TO COMPLY' SCENARIO, WHICH WE HAVE ALL BEEN WARNED AGAINST. PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE IN WX/ATC DELAY SITS.

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.