SW off Runway at Denver
 

Does look a bit cold. No injuries.

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/...19_634x590.jpg

A lot of folks here these days might not know the difference but Southwest slid off the 'taxiway' not the 'runway':

Southwest jet slides off taxiway at DIA | 9news.com

The taxiway is the little road that the planes use to get to and from the runway.

Hmmm, which is worst?

A non de-iced taxi way, what do you expect ? No panic:ugh:

last time I landed at Denver, the taxi to terminal was a LONG,LONG trek

The difference being that in terms of recorded statistics, this particular incident is not classified as a takeoff or landing excursion. That in turn helps us identify and train for phase specific threats and errors.

"was attempting to land amid light snowfall and freezing temperatures"...

So I guess he never made it to the runway and went directly for the taxiway. :ugh:

Seems like very accurate reporting to me. :rolleyes:

In reply to Rollingthunder

It is worse to go off a RWY than a TXY because:

: The airplane is travelling faster on landing and keeps up speed to exit the runway while during the taxi fase the airplane is travelling slower thus causing less potential damage or injuries.

: when an airplace goes off the runway, the airport has to close that runway for landing and takeoffs.Closing part of a taxiway is far less disruptive to traffic.

As a side note : jet airliners are way less maneuverable at slow speeds and taxiways are way more slippery than runways when contaminated by ice , snow, and sluch.

@tsgas

I suspect RollingT was being a little sarcastic. Arguably, it's more understandable if an aircraft goes off a runway because of the higher energy/inertia required in the landing. To slide off a taxiway implies that perhaps the aircraft was going faster than is necessary for the manoeuvre - as alluded to in your last sentence.

Additionally, if the runway/exit/taxiway is slippery or contaminated then THERE IS NO "KEEPING THE SPEED UP!"

I was asked to "expedite vacating!" by Spanish ATC at MAD.... on a snow covered, whited out runway with moderate snow falling where the exit was only just visible due to other aircrafts tracks in the snow. If I had kept up the speed then we'd have been reading about it on PPRune! I crawl around the airfield in conditions like this simply because if it starts to slide........ :\ why hurry?

US domestic pilots have a common view about SW taxi techniques...let's say they are somewhat...aggressive? Known for very high taxi speeds. Might this have been a factor, considering conditions? Sam

Southwest Taxi Speeds in one phrase:
 

Pilots have been known to say on the radio, when observing a fast taxiing (is there any other kind) of southwest airliner:

VEE ONE.

Its as simple as this...USUSALLY the concentration of airport workers is to clear the runway of slush etc. taxiways take a back seat.

the best advice is to come to a complete stop on the runway centerline and then maneuver very, very slowly off the runway onto a taxiway that is likely much more slippery....also keeping your hand on the throttles in case you have to reverse thrust.

flying as copilot about 22 years ago on a DC9 landing in Buffalo New York, the captain landed fine and then took a taxiway exit at a great speed, EVEN THOUGH I HAD BRIEFED HIM ON THE ATIS WHICH WARNED THE TAXIWAYS were reporting poor braking.

WE started sliding and had to use reverse thrust to stop. The captain sheepishly looked at me and said: I guess I took that exit too fast.

DUHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

it was nice to see that the southwest pilot didn't use the evacuation slides/chutes and there were portable stairs to allow egress.

that's another pet peeve of mine as you frequent ppruners know.

Because time is money :ok: