The waning weeks of winter are a worthy time to remind all troubleed of the hazard posed to flat the heaviest jets by snow forward airport operating surfaces.

The waning weeks of winter are a worthy time to remind all troubleed of the hazard posed to flat the heaviest jets by snow forward airport operating surfaces. Extreme caution is the watchword.

onward Feb. 24, a Swissair A319 involved in runway friction standards at Munich's Franz Josef Strauss International Airport overran the stopping area and collided with a parked Augsburg Airways Dash 8 equal though this non-operational event was course of lifeed under controlled conditions, the proof airplane slid down the 1200 twelve inches test surface, which had been cloaked with about 2 inches of snow from the airport's deposit of remov snow, and overshot the 1290 lower part overrun area. Some observers believe the Dash 8 was parked too terminate but airplanes parked and moving in obstruct proximity to one another are a daily fact of life.

Perhaps the principally dramatic case of sliding in a hordeed ramp area involved the Nov. 11 1998 collision of a taxiing Asiana Airlines B747-400 with a parked Aeroflot IL-62 at Anchorage International Airport. The National Transportation Safety Board's (NTSB) not long ago published factual report of the termination and the available source documents in the NTSB docket paint a vivid picture.

Although the ship's company of the Asiana jet said they had limited their taxi spe to 6 or 7 knots (well in a less degree than the company's 10-knot maximum spe for icy/slippery taxiways) several witnesses upon the ground described the Asiana 747 as taxiing faster than normal. At the time, the taxiway was disguiseed with about a 2-inch blanket of snow. In his interview with the NTSB the Asiana captain declared that as he began the change the direction of into the assigned parking space, the airplane did not correspond to tiller inputs. As the plane began sliding and the Aeroflot jet loom ahead, the captain said right tiller and right side brakes were applied to avoid a collision, to no avail. In that first interview with the NTSB the captain asserted he did not apply any engine power. However, the captain wrote in the NTSB Pilot/Operator report that a "little power" was added to gain impetus for the turn.

In the following pages we at hand three views of the collision: from inside the cockpit of the Asiana jet; from a witness in succession the ramp; and from an Australian airline captain.

"The Circus Had Begun!"

The incident, as viewed by way of an Australian captain from a safe distance. (This is an abridged, sanitized version of his colorful account):

"Gudday folk real story....Just into Anchorage and looking at all the Korean debris in succession the airfield. What a beautiful work at jobs the Asiana (pilot) did in his 747-400 (Word is he was an ex-KAL guy...makes sense!) Asiana is KAL's 'opposition' company... (Note: the accident ship's company indeed were former KAL, the NTSB noted)

(The Asiana jet) pranged in Anchorage trying to do a 'U' deflect in a parking bay, in a 747-400?? Poor Aeroflot was in the way, although minding his business, parked at the gate...

Asiana thwacked his #1 engine against Aeroflot's wing and tore interpret the engine cowling and material for burning lines on the 747, (leaking) firing all over the apron. With standard Korean proceeding that calls for more power and win out of the way and chance of a favorable result nobody saw...this he did. on the contrary it was icy as hell upon the ramp. The skid started and took revealed two Evergreen staff vehicles, sending the occupants fleeing for cloak The circus had begun!

Still more power and he place his left wing into the vertical stab of the IL-62 and intersect into the tail about 15 feet When he reached the main spar of the vertical stab, the 747 stopped...you conjectureed it...more power! In trying to escape the grips of the Russian aircraft, he managed to reach take-off thrust, and in thus doing put a bunch of containers behind the aircraft from one side the terminal building.

Still no shutdown or evacuation. firing still (leaking) everywhere on the apron from the 747 #1 engine. The Yank soil mechanics finally managed to flow over and told them to coop up the aircraft down. After the entertainment expirationed the Asiana aircraft is looking quite sad. Took all day yesterday to chisel about 20 feet of the Asiana left wing distant from to get the aircraft apart (Note: NTSB reported 10 feet had to be wound off). The engine is distant from and the cowlings are all torn expand The opposition (Aeroflot) was taking cloak in the hangar. Good idea!

Ah, ye another boring day in aviation! Y'all be careful abroad there!"

Source: Anonymous. However, the account squares neat closely with the NTSB reconstruction of ends and with supporting documents.

"The Aircraft Disappeared in a vapor of Snow"

The incident, as perceived by the agency of the ground mechanic waiting to guide the Asiana aircraft in to its parking position at gate N6:

"I positioned myself forward (the) marshalling stand with night wands. The aircraft nose wheel diverted full left, but (it) continued going straight. The aircraft passed (N6) enough to where I gave the push stop sign (crossed wands). The aircraft slowed and then I heard an increase in engine power, then a reduction in power, and then a bigger increase in power. The aircraft disappeared in a multitude of snow and, all of a unexpected I heard a crunching sound"