Originally Posted by
eppy
Hang on - this is a thrust driven aircraft, not a wheel driven car! Slippery taxiway = reduced friction co-efficient = easier taxiing on one engine (assuming enough friction on surface to compensate for asymmetrical thrust through tiller steering angle).
"Unable to to taxi on 1 engine due to slippery taxi ways" does not compute.
Your qualifier re friction is a firm grip of the obvious.
Of course one can taxi using asymmetric thrust if nose-wheel steering has traction.
So, it is unclear in your post in what way it makes it "easier" taxiing on one engine - how is this so?
Have you experienced winter conditions taxiing a large transport? If not, you should know that in some conditions, the airplane will even "sail" in a strong enough wind...(but not usually in the direction one wants!), and the only way out is to call for the tug, if it can reach you without sliding off the taxiway itself! ;-)
If I had judged the taxiways too slippery I certainly woudn't be shutting down any engines to "save fuel & hours-on-the-engine" and few would.
Back to the original point - did the engine shut down due no fuel?