What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) During taxi to the ramp after a normal landing, the captain and first officer on northwest airlines flight 1471 had difficulty distinguishing the boundaries of the ramp and the ramp markings to assist them while navigating to the gate due to compacted snow. Without reference to the lead-in line, the captain steered the aircraft in the direction of the gate, however, due to the obsecured ramp markings, the aircraft left the ramp and ended up on a non-paved area of compacted snow (grassy area during summer months). To avoid any damage to the aircraft, the captain elected to stop the taxi, shut down the engines and deplane passengers onto the ramp via the aft air-stairs. When the ramp was cleared of snow before the flight's arrival, personnel pushed the snow from the ramp FAR past the ramp boundary, giving the false illusion that the ramp was larger than it actually was. Therefore, the crew misjudged the ramp boundary during taxi and taxied the aircraft off the ramp.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) DURING TAXI TO THE RAMP AFTER A NORMAL LANDING, THE CAPTAIN AND FIRST OFFICER ON NORTHWEST AIRLINES FLIGHT 1471 HAD DIFFICULTY DISTINGUISHING THE BOUNDARIES OF THE RAMP AND THE RAMP MARKINGS TO ASSIST THEM WHILE NAVIGATING TO THE GATE DUE TO COMPACTED SNOW. WITHOUT REFERENCE TO THE LEAD-IN LINE, THE CAPTAIN STEERED THE AIRCRAFT IN THE DIRECTION OF THE GATE, HOWEVER, DUE TO THE OBSECURED RAMP MARKINGS, THE AIRCRAFT LEFT THE RAMP AND ENDED UP ON A NON-PAVED AREA OF COMPACTED SNOW (GRASSY AREA DURING SUMMER MONTHS). TO AVOID ANY DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT, THE CAPTAIN ELECTED TO STOP THE TAXI, SHUT DOWN THE ENGINES AND DEPLANE PASSENGERS ONTO THE RAMP VIA THE AFT AIR-STAIRS. WHEN THE RAMP WAS CLEARED OF SNOW BEFORE THE FLIGHT'S ARRIVAL, PERSONNEL PUSHED THE SNOW FROM THE RAMP FAR PAST THE RAMP BOUNDARY, GIVING THE FALSE ILLUSION THAT THE RAMP WAS LARGER THAN IT ACTUALLY WAS. THEREFORE, THE CREW MISJUDGED THE RAMP BOUNDARY DURING TAXI AND TAXIED THE AIRCRAFT OFF THE RAMP.
Other reports on N762NC · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.