Southwest jet skids off runway in Denver

Really great reporting.
NOT.

Only the nosewheel slid off a frozen taxiway while taxiing to the gate.
Not while landing and not a runway.

No slides where deployed and the passengers were bussed to the gate.

Three times they use the word runway and five times they use the word crash.
Not to mention "Terror on the tarmac".

This type of accurate reporting should get a pulitzer prize.
 
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The plane wasn't even actually moving at the time. My buddy was one of the first mechanics at the scene and said a big gust of wind hit the tail and pushed the nose over into the mud.
 
The plane wasn't even actually moving at the time. My buddy was one of the first mechanics at the scene and said a big gust of wind hit the tail and pushed the nose over into the mud.
And they call it terror on the tarmac.
Great reporting huh.
 
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That must have been one heck of a wind gust to spin a plane...
Sounds like the story my kid told when he hit a curb and bent a rim.
"Honest it was a gust of wind dad"

I just wonder how cleaned off they keep the taxiway. The pictures show it pretty covered by the time the pictures were taken. Up to 2 hrs after it happened as the passengers were bussed away to the terminal.
 
Can't answer your statements as I was not there but I can say from my times there in nasty weather, they do a heck of a job.
I was there about three years ago conducting a De-ice audit in Blizzard like conditions. I was riding with the vendor to the Pad and it was 'White Out' conditions. We dang near hit a plane at a gate it was so bad. The Radio blasted Ground Stop which was for vehicles too so we did. It was snowing so hard sideways I could not see the front of the hood. We finally made it to the pad and I watched from the Pad Tower and was amazed at how effective the crews worked to keep aircraft moving. My guess is, if the WN plane was sitting there for 2 hours they weren't plowing that taxiway, unless John Deere plows like Red Belly airplanes.
 
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Can't answer your statements as I was not there but I can say from my times there in nasty weather, they do a heck of a job.
I was there about three years ago conducting a De-ice audit in Blizzard like conditions. I was riding with the vendor to the Pad and it was 'White Out' conditions. We dang near hit a plane at a gate it was so bad. The Radio blasted Ground Stop which was for vehicles too so we did. It was snowing so hard sideways I could not see the front of the hood. We finally made it to the pad and I watched from the Pad Tower and was amazed at how effective the crews worked to keep aircraft moving. My guess is, if the WN plane was sitting there for 2 hours they weren't plowing that taxiway, unless John Deere plows like Red Belly airplanes.
I can't imagine working in those conditions.
Thanks for the perspective.
 
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