Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Allegheny, Pennsylvania
Aircraft taxiing for departure and nosewheel slid off taxiway.
Delta Air Lines
Date: 10-FEB-21
Time: 18:56:00Z
Regis#: N998AT
Aircraft Make: BOEING
Aircraft Model: B717
Event Type: INCIDENT
Highest Injury: NONE
Aircraft Missing: No
Damage: UNKNOWN
Activity: COMMERCIAL
Flight Phase: TAXI (TXI)
Operation: 121
Aircraft Operator: DELTA AIRLINES
Flight Number: DAL2231
City: PITTSBURGH
State: PENNSYLVANIA
Wow that could have turned out a whole lot worse. That is truly an edge you are looking at with the nose of the aircraft perched over. Just a few more feet and the right gear would have gone over that ledge as well. It's about a 30-35' sharp drop down a rough terrain valley at that taxi point to 10R. Whatever happened happened quick as it appears the crew didn't even try using reverse thrust to stop the nose wheel skid. Hopefully there was no major fuselage structural damage. But can you imagine the shock of going from a warm dry cabin to having to egress in a nasty cold wet winter storm outside?
ReplyDeleteas thrust was applied turning left unto 10R caused the nosegear to slide on a thin layer of ice !!
ReplyDeleteLooks like a classic example of bad flying habits. I've flown 737s into PITT at night in conditions as bad and worse. Also STL, MDW, BOS, MCI, LGA, DCA, PVD, BWI, IND, DEN, ABQ, OMA, IAD, BUF and a lot of others in blizzard conditions. Never when off a runway - or even came close, never went off a taxiway - or even came close over the last 40 years of my flying career. The trick is to develop good flying habits and to TRAIN yourself to NOT get complacent no matter what's going on or what distractions are present. You must train yourself all day every day you fly to not be complacent. Whenever I taxied in these kind of conditions, I was very careful and very slow in the turns and did not allow myself to becomes distracted by anything. Period. One thing at a time, one step at a time, everything done carefully and in proper sequence. No exceptions.
ReplyDeleteYep. Same lesson can be learned in driving in icing conditions. You slow down anticipating ice even if you are not in it yet. Sadly six more died near Fort Worth Texas several days ago (and the video from opposing traffic cell phones is horrific to watch as tractor trailers slam into vehicles). Always expect the worst in ground ops and icing conditions. Fly it on the ground just as carefully as you do in the air in adverse conditions!
DeleteAs they say: There are old pilots and there are bold pilots, but not so old bold pilots.
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