Medium large transport on pwrback has main gear leave ramp and sink into dirt.

Attributes
ACN	279318
Time
Date	199408
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mci
State Reference	MO
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
ASRS Report	279318
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	other Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

We initiated a normal pwrback. The guideman informed us the pwrback would be with the tail to our left. As we were rolling back -- the captain initiated a tail left turn on the guideman's command. The guideman then gave a straight back signal. After several seconds I was beginning to get uncomfortable with how long we had been rolling backwards. As I was about to mention this, the captain started to bring the thrust reversers forward. I then quickly glanced at the guideman on my side and at the front guideman. Neither person appeared at all concerned with our position. As I was looking at the front guideman for signals, the captain brought the engines out of reverse to stop our backward roll. Almost simultaneously with the thrust reversers closing, the front guideman turned around toward the terminal and we felt the right side of the aircraft sink. The captain waved one of the wing-walkers over and asked what had happened. The wing-walker stated that the right main gear had gone into the dirt. My recommendation to avoid this happening for the 7TH time is to initiate forward thrust as soon as the aircraft nose crosses the big whit line that divides the ramp area from the taxi area. This line is approximately 100 ft from the jetbridge and would provide plenty of clearance from ramp equipment and other aircraft. Also the main gear would never be within 100 ft of the unstressed asphalt area.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG ON PWRBACK HAS MAIN GEAR LEAVE RAMP AND SINK INTO DIRT.

Narrative: WE INITIATED A NORMAL PWRBACK. THE GUIDEMAN INFORMED US THE PWRBACK WOULD BE WITH THE TAIL TO OUR L. AS WE WERE ROLLING BACK -- THE CAPT INITIATED A TAIL L TURN ON THE GUIDEMAN'S COMMAND. THE GUIDEMAN THEN GAVE A STRAIGHT BACK SIGNAL. AFTER SEVERAL SECONDS I WAS BEGINNING TO GET UNCOMFORTABLE WITH HOW LONG WE HAD BEEN ROLLING BACKWARDS. AS I WAS ABOUT TO MENTION THIS, THE CAPT STARTED TO BRING THE THRUST REVERSERS FORWARD. I THEN QUICKLY GLANCED AT THE GUIDEMAN ON MY SIDE AND AT THE FRONT GUIDEMAN. NEITHER PERSON APPEARED AT ALL CONCERNED WITH OUR POS. AS I WAS LOOKING AT THE FRONT GUIDEMAN FOR SIGNALS, THE CAPT BROUGHT THE ENGS OUT OF REVERSE TO STOP OUR BACKWARD ROLL. ALMOST SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH THE THRUST REVERSERS CLOSING, THE FRONT GUIDEMAN TURNED AROUND TOWARD THE TERMINAL AND WE FELT THE R SIDE OF THE ACFT SINK. THE CAPT WAVED ONE OF THE WING-WALKERS OVER AND ASKED WHAT HAD HAPPENED. THE WING-WALKER STATED THAT THE R MAIN GEAR HAD GONE INTO THE DIRT. MY RECOMMENDATION TO AVOID THIS HAPPENING FOR THE 7TH TIME IS TO INITIATE FORWARD THRUST AS SOON AS THE ACFT NOSE CROSSES THE BIG WHIT LINE THAT DIVIDES THE RAMP AREA FROM THE TAXI AREA. THIS LINE IS APPROX 100 FT FROM THE JETBRIDGE AND WOULD PROVIDE PLENTY OF CLRNC FROM RAMP EQUIP AND OTHER ACFT. ALSO THE MAIN GEAR WOULD NEVER BE WITHIN 100 FT OF THE UNSTRESSED ASPHALT AREA.

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.