Date: 201502
Local time of day: 1201-1800
Location: CLE.Airport, OH
Flight conditions: IMC
Weather elements / visibility: Rain; Snow
Light: Daylight
Aircraft: B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operator: Air Carrier
Operating under: Part 121
Flight plan: IFR
Mission: Passenger
Flight phase: Taxi
ATC / advisory: Tower CLE
Reporter organization: Air Carrier
Reporter function: Captain; Pilot Flying
Reporter qualification: Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Human factors: Human-Machine Interface
Second reporter function: First Officer
Anomaly: Inflight Event / Encounter Loss Of Aircraft Control
Detector: Person Flight Crew
When detected: Taxi
Result: Flight Crew Returned To Gate; General Flight Cancelled / Delayed; General Maintenance Action
Contributing factors: Airport; Human Factors; Weather
Primary problem: Weather

Narrative: We were deiced/anti-iced and taxiing on Lima to the departure end of runway 06R at CLE. A gusting wind caused a right turn (weather vane effect) on the icy taxiway. I applied left tiller and both brakes to correct the taxi-line deviation. The aircraft tiller and brakes were ineffective at first. The nosewheel finally rolled onto a portion of the taxiway that was not as icy and caused a rapid turn back toward the taxiway centerline and on around to where the aircraft had completed a 180 degree turn while remaining on the taxiway. At no time did the aircraft leave the taxiway.We stopped the aircraft and called ground to have the airport authority send someone out to give the aircraft an exterior inspection on the taxiway to determine if we could taxi back to the gate under the aircraft's own power. He saw no damage and provided hand signal guidance to ensure that we could turn back around. (Another aircraft was headed our direction on Lima to runway 06R). With tower clearance we taxied down the runway and returned to the gate. Maintenance performed an engine Ice/FOD inspection and signed off the logbook write-up. We taxied back out and decided/anti-iced again but Maintenance Control called and requested us to return to the gate for further maintenance inspections. We were given another aircraft and departed.Important to note that the weather was 350/17 gusting to 24 with 1 1/2 SM BLSN. This was the time we were in and leaving the deice pad. At the time of the event the weather was 350/18 gusting to 28 with 1/4 SM BLSN. This indicates the increasing gusting winds and the reduced visibility associated with blowing snow.


Second narrative: Westbound on taxiway Lima; right wind gust caused weather vane of aircraft on ice patch forcing aircraft toward side of taxiway where right main wheel never left pavement but came very close to edge of taxiway. While controlling excursion; left main wheel then seemed to catch traction which forced aircraft to slowly slide around 180 degrees never leaving taxiway. After aircraft came almost to a stop on south side of taxiway; the aircraft continued to slowly slide southerly as though on very slippery ice. We had airport authority personnel inspect aircraft for damage and conferring with operations taxied aircraft back to ramp for inspection which entailed being towed from the ramp entry way to the gate for FOD inspection which was placed in maintenance log while conferring with the Duty Manager on what action to take. Phone calls were also made to Dispatch while maintenance personnel conferred with Maintenance Control on proper maintenance inspections and release where they faxed paperwork to our maintenance inspection crew. We were released to taxi for second departure and while in second deice operation; Maintenance Control called Captain to return to gate for a different type of inspection above and beyond previous FOD inspection. Another aircraft arranged and we continued the flight operation.


Synopsis: B737 flight crew reports losing control while taxiing in icy conditions with a strong quartering tailwind. The aircraft rotates right initially; then sharply to the left as the nose wheels find traction and turns 180 degrees before stopping. The crew returns to the gate for a maintenance inspection and eventually an aircraft swap.