Regional Jet 200 ER/LR (CRJ200)
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Situational Awareness
Inflight Event / Encounter Loss Of Aircraft Control
Flight Crew Regained Aircraft Control
Airport; Human Factors; Weather
During taxi in we inadvertently encountered a patch of black ice while maneuvering to make room for another CRJ to depart our assigned gate. While making a turn to follow the taxi line along a left 45 degree turn at the edge of the ramp; I lost braking ability and entered a slide. Initially the slide was straight ahead with no response to tiller commands and I expected the aircraft to depart the ramp into the snow. Fortunately the nose wheel got enough traction to initiate a turn away from the ramp edge; but he mains continued to slide and the aircraft drifted through the turn; coming to rest with the nose facing about 30 degrees toward the ramp side of the taxi line and the right main gear coming to rest at or near the ramp edge. The slide was at very low speed and brakes were effective until just prior to the turn. Our stopped position had us facing a part of the ramp with known good traction and we were able to taxi away from the ramp edge and to the gate. We inspected the gear closely after arrival and found no damage to tires; gear doors; etc. We checked with station personnel to ensure that no contact had been made with taxi lights along the ramp edge. Based on their observations of the slide and our observations we were fully comfortable proceeding with the next flight. Ramp conditions at the edge of the ramp were the primary threat. Good traction runway; taxiway; and ramp prior to that section led to an expectation of continued control and the layer of ice was extremely difficult to detect visually. The resulting slide was undesirable. I believe we were being about as cautious with our taxi as possible. We were simply unable to visually distinguish the thin layer of clear/black ice. By the time I detected reduced braking ability there was no way to avoid the slide. Perhaps we could have avoided taxiing in that relatively less traveled section of the ramp; but we considered that the best option to clear the taxi lane for the outbound CRJ and expediting our arrival at the gate. There was good braking action on the runway; taxiway; and ramp all the way until that one section.  As the Endeavor flight at the gate departed we realized that they intended to taxi to our position for deicing.  We traded places and parked uneventfully. However; had we known that the deice location was back in that area we would have simply held short and parked at the gate when clear.
CRJ-200 First Officer reports skidding on an icy ramp while maneuvering to allow another CRJ to clear the area. The aircraft is stopped without departing the ramp and is taxied to the gate when clear.