What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On the evening of February 16, 2024, privacy data omitted seattle (sea) - Denver (den), experienced a temporary loss of directional control due to icy conditions on a high-speed exit taxiway after a normal landing on runway 35R. Although the aircraft wheels/tires apparently remained on the taxiway surface, a taxiway light--on the right side of the taxiway--was damaged, creating scratches/dents at the bottom of the number 2 engine cowling.
The ATIS weather at the approximate time of their approach and landing was two hundred overcast, visibility ranging from 1/4 mile to 3/4 mile, temperature minus 6 centigrade, winds 040/16 knots, fog, with freezing fog and light snow falling included in prior ATIS reports. The ATIS also included, "braking action advisories in effect".
The aircraft was not cat 3 ILS capable, but autoland was available. The captain was the pilot flying and the crew briefed for the possibilities of an autoland or a hand-flown landing, depending on the visibility and wind conditions. On the downwind, base, and final legs, ATC reported the rvrs greater then 6000 feet for runway 35R, with no braking advisory reports. The captain then decided to plan on a hand-flown landing in case the winds put the aircraft out-of-limits for an autoland.
The aircraft broke out of the weather at 300 feet AGL, and, with the runway in sight, the captain turned off the autopilot, and made an uneventful landing with normal deceleration/braking. According to the crew, there was no indication of surface contamination on the runway. The captain then turned left onto the P6 high-speed exit taxiway at what the crew described as a normal taxi speed.
As the first officer started his after landing checklist flow and spoke to ATC, the aircraft began to slide to the right of the taxiway and the captain verbalized he had an issue with directional control. He regained control of the aircraft as it reached the edge of the taxiway. The first officer then informed ATC that the braking action was "nil" on the P6 taxiway and to check for taxi light damage due to the aircraft sliding to the right. ATC relayed that information to another aircraft preparing to land on runway 35R. That aircraft, consequently, turned on the following high speed taxiway (P7), and also reported the braking action on P7 as "nil". ATC then closed runway 35R and switched landings to runway 35L.
After regaining control of the aircraft, the captain was able to taxi to parking with no further issues. At the gate, the captain made a maintenance log book entry for "suspected damage caused by taxi edge light".
Maintenance personnel at Denver, did not find any damage to the aircraft--concentrating their inspection in the vicinity of the landing gear. Two days later--while investigating possible leakage under the #2 engine--maintenance noticed scratches and dents on the bottom of the # 2 engine nacelle. They also concluded that the damage was caused during the incident in Denver. Maintenance, consequently, removed and replaced the # 2 engine nacelle and the aircraft was released for service.
As the FAA filed it
ON THE EVENING OF FEBRUARY 16, 2024, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ SEATTLE (SEA) - DENVER (DEN), EXPERIENCED A TEMPORARY LOSS OF DIRECTIONAL CONTROL DUE TO ICY CONDITIONS ON A HIGH-SPEED EXIT TAXIWAY AFTER A NORMAL LANDING ON RUNWAY 35R. ALTHOUGH THE AIRCRAFT WHEELS/TIRES APPARENTLY REMAINED ON THE TAXIWAY SURFACE, A TAXIWAY LIGHT--ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE TAXIWAY--WAS DAMAGED, CREATING SCRATCHES/DENTS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE NUMBER 2 ENGINE COWLING.
THE ATIS WEATHER AT THE APPROXIMATE TIME OF THEIR APPROACH AND LANDING WAS TWO HUNDRED OVERCAST, VISIBILITY RANGING FROM 1/4 MILE TO 3/4 MILE, TEMPERATURE MINUS 6 CENTIGRADE, WINDS 040/16 KNOTS, FOG, WITH FREEZING FOG AND LIGHT SNOW FALLING INCLUDED IN PRIOR ATIS REPORTS. THE ATIS ALSO INCLUDED, "BRAKING ACTION ADVISORIES IN EFFECT".
THE AIRCRAFT WAS NOT CAT 3 ILS CAPABLE, BUT AUTOLAND WAS AVAILABLE. THE CAPTAIN WAS THE PILOT FLYING AND THE CREW BRIEFED FOR THE POSSIBILITIES OF AN AUTOLAND OR A HAND-FLOWN LANDING, DEPENDING ON THE VISIBILITY AND WIND CONDITIONS. ON THE DOWNWIND, BASE, AND FINAL LEGS, ATC REPORTED THE RVRS GREATER THEN 6000 FEET FOR RUNWAY 35R, WITH NO BRAKING ADVISORY REPORTS. THE CAPTAIN THEN DECIDED TO PLAN ON A HAND-FLOWN LANDING IN CASE THE WINDS PUT THE AIRCRAFT OUT-OF-LIMITS FOR AN AUTOLAND.
THE AIRCRAFT BROKE OUT OF THE WEATHER AT 300 FEET AGL, AND, WITH THE RUNWAY IN SIGHT, THE CAPTAIN TURNED OFF THE AUTOPILOT, AND MADE AN UNEVENTFUL LANDING WITH NORMAL DECELERATION/BRAKING. ACCORDING TO THE CREW, THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF SURFACE CONTAMINATION ON THE RUNWAY. THE CAPTAIN THEN TURNED LEFT ONTO THE P6 HIGH-SPEED EXIT TAXIWAY AT WHAT THE CREW DESCRIBED AS A NORMAL TAXI SPEED.
AS THE FIRST OFFICER STARTED HIS AFTER LANDING CHECKLIST FLOW AND SPOKE TO ATC, THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO SLIDE TO THE RIGHT OF THE TAXIWAY AND THE CAPTAIN VERBALIZED HE HAD AN ISSUE WITH DIRECTIONAL CONTROL. HE REGAINED CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT AS IT REACHED THE EDGE OF THE TAXIWAY. THE FIRST OFFICER THEN INFORMED ATC THAT THE BRAKING ACTION WAS "NIL" ON THE P6 TAXIWAY AND TO CHECK FOR TAXI LIGHT DAMAGE DUE TO THE AIRCRAFT SLIDING TO THE RIGHT. ATC RELAYED THAT INFORMATION TO ANOTHER AIRCRAFT PREPARING TO LAND ON RUNWAY 35R. THAT AIRCRAFT, CONSEQUENTLY, TURNED ON THE FOLLOWING HIGH SPEED TAXIWAY (P7), AND ALSO REPORTED THE BRAKING ACTION ON P7 AS "NIL". ATC THEN CLOSED RUNWAY 35R AND SWITCHED LANDINGS TO RUNWAY 35L.
AFTER REGAINING CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT, THE CAPTAIN WAS ABLE TO TAXI TO PARKING WITH NO FURTHER ISSUES. AT THE GATE, THE CAPTAIN MADE A MAINTENANCE LOG BOOK ENTRY FOR "SUSPECTED DAMAGE CAUSED BY TAXI EDGE LIGHT".
MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL AT DENVER, DID NOT FIND ANY DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT--CONCENTRATING THEIR INSPECTION IN THE VICINITY OF THE LANDING GEAR. TWO DAYS LATER--WHILE INVESTIGATING POSSIBLE LEAKAGE UNDER THE #2 ENGINE--MAINTENANCE NOTICED SCRATCHES AND DENTS ON THE BOTTOM OF THE # 2 ENGINE NACELLE. THEY ALSO CONCLUDED THAT THE DAMAGE WAS CAUSED DURING THE INCIDENT IN DENVER. MAINTENANCE, CONSEQUENTLY, REMOVED AND REPLACED THE # 2 ENGINE NACELLE AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS RELEASED FOR SERVICE.