Regional Jet 900 (CRJ900)
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Situational Awareness
Conflict Ground Conflict; Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Ground Event / Encounter Vehicle
Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Human Factors
After landing in DTW; we were taxiing to our gate. The taxiway conditions were snow-covered with fair braking action. We had shut down our right engine and left the APU shut down. A snow plow was on our right and just ahead of us. I was watching him when he abruptly started to turn left into us. I applied the brakes; with minimal effectiveness; and I was going to apply reverse thrust but muscle memory kicked in and I mistakenly shut down the right engine. We lost all power and rolled to a stop. The plow never completed his turn but saw us and turned right. We informed ATC and the FA's and started the APU to restart the engines. Within two minutes the engine was running again and we taxied to the gate without incident. The threats were: 1. Snow Plow 2. Slippery taxiway In retrospect my taxi speed was probably too high for conditions and [I was probably] in the snow plow's 'blind spot'.
CRJ Captain reported accidentally shutting down the only operating engine on taxi in to the gate when a snow plow turned towards him.