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Flight crew of medium large transport ran left main gear into mud off taxiway. Deplaned passengers. Towed from mud. Report to FAA inspectors.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 189229 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199109 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : btr |
| State Reference | LA |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Dawn |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng |
| Navigation In Use | Other Other |
| Flight Phase | ground other : taxi |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 155 flight time total : 14600 flight time type : 1800 |
| ASRS Report | 189229 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 300 |
| ASRS Report | 188725 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact other |
| Consequence | faa : investigated faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
| Situations | |
| Airport | other physical facility |
Narrative:
Cleared to taxi, ATIS departure runway 31 changed to 22R. Taxiway 'D' sign obscured by orange rubber construction cones as well as by fog. After passing desired taxiway 'D', stopped aircraft on ramp by baton rouge hangar and asked ground control for directions, telling them of our location. They replied they could not see us due low visibility but instructed us to proceed to taxiway 'C south', (which was now open to full size commercial air carrier traffic despite a note to the contrary on kbtr plane 11-1 dated 8/16/91). From taxiway 'C south' we were to turn left on taxiway 'a' and proceed to departure runway. Kbtr plate 11-1 (8-16-91) indicates this turn onto taxiway 'C south' from the ramp to be 45 degree (125 degree) angle of filled in concrete, however, this is only proposed construction at this point and has not actually been filled in, but is a repository of soft muddy soil, a result of many weeks of incessant rains, and the angle is 90 degree, not 45 degree. Making this turn the left main gear sank into the soft mud deeply enough so that the aircraft could not be extracted under it's own power. (Which had to be limited due possible jetwash damage to locally parked aircraft). Passengers were deplaned and bussed back to the terminal without injury or incident, and the aircraft was defueled, pulled from the mudhole by a tug, examined by maintenance inspection team, determined free of any damage, and subsequently flown to it's destination. After an on the scene debriefing was given by the flight crew to the local FAA aviation safety inspector. Suggested corrective actions: local airport authorities assure no taxiway signs are obstructed in any WX conditions (ie, rubber construction cones in front of the sign). The particular taxiway indentation accounting for this incident should be filled in immediately to preclude a repetition of same. The organization, rightly famous for the highly detailed accuracy of their plates, be made aware of this isolated instance of an inaccuracy.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FLC OF MLG RAN L MAIN GEAR INTO MUD OFF TAXIWAY. DEPLANED PAXS. TOWED FROM MUD. RPT TO FAA INSPECTORS.
Narrative: CLRED TO TAXI, ATIS DEP RWY 31 CHANGED TO 22R. TAXIWAY 'D' SIGN OBSCURED BY ORANGE RUBBER CONSTRUCTION CONES AS WELL AS BY FOG. AFTER PASSING DESIRED TAXIWAY 'D', STOPPED ACFT ON RAMP BY BATON ROUGE HANGAR AND ASKED GND CTL FOR DIRECTIONS, TELLING THEM OF OUR LOCATION. THEY REPLIED THEY COULD NOT SEE US DUE LOW VISIBILITY BUT INSTRUCTED US TO PROCEED TO TAXIWAY 'C SOUTH', (WHICH WAS NOW OPEN TO FULL SIZE COMMERCIAL AIR CARRIER TFC DESPITE A NOTE TO THE CONTRARY ON KBTR PLANE 11-1 DATED 8/16/91). FROM TAXIWAY 'C SOUTH' WE WERE TO TURN L ON TAXIWAY 'A' AND PROCEED TO DEP RWY. KBTR PLATE 11-1 (8-16-91) INDICATES THIS TURN ONTO TAXIWAY 'C SOUTH' FROM THE RAMP TO BE 45 DEG (125 DEG) ANGLE OF FILLED IN CONCRETE, HOWEVER, THIS IS ONLY PROPOSED CONSTRUCTION AT THIS POINT AND HAS NOT ACTUALLY BEEN FILLED IN, BUT IS A REPOSITORY OF SOFT MUDDY SOIL, A RESULT OF MANY WKS OF INCESSANT RAINS, AND THE ANGLE IS 90 DEG, NOT 45 DEG. MAKING THIS TURN THE L MAIN GEAR SANK INTO THE SOFT MUD DEEPLY ENOUGH SO THAT THE ACFT COULD NOT BE EXTRACTED UNDER IT'S OWN PWR. (WHICH HAD TO BE LIMITED DUE POSSIBLE JETWASH DAMAGE TO LOCALLY PARKED ACFT). PAXS WERE DEPLANED AND BUSSED BACK TO THE TERMINAL WITHOUT INJURY OR INCIDENT, AND THE ACFT WAS DEFUELED, PULLED FROM THE MUDHOLE BY A TUG, EXAMINED BY MAINT INSPECTION TEAM, DETERMINED FREE OF ANY DAMAGE, AND SUBSEQUENTLY FLOWN TO IT'S DEST. AFTER AN ON THE SCENE DEBRIEFING WAS GIVEN BY THE FLT CREW TO THE LCL FAA AVIATION SAFETY INSPECTOR. SUGGESTED CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: LCL ARPT AUTHORITIES ASSURE NO TAXIWAY SIGNS ARE OBSTRUCTED IN ANY WX CONDITIONS (IE, RUBBER CONSTRUCTION CONES IN FRONT OF THE SIGN). THE PARTICULAR TAXIWAY INDENTATION ACCOUNTING FOR THIS INCIDENT SHOULD BE FILLED IN IMMEDIATELY TO PRECLUDE A REPETITION OF SAME. THE ORGANIZATION, RIGHTLY FAMOUS FOR THE HIGHLY DETAILED ACCURACY OF THEIR PLATES, BE MADE AWARE OF THIS ISOLATED INSTANCE OF AN INACCURACY.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.