Narrative:

Taxiing from bhm gate X B-727 relativly light at 128000 pounds gross weight. APU inoperative, so small increase in crew workload/different procedure for engine start. Crew requested runway 23 vice runway 15 due to calm winds and more favorable direction of flight for our route. Crew had been in to airport before but not familiar with taxi route to runway 23. As we passed taxiway B (while taxiing northeast on taxi a and entering north) ground/tower advised that takeoffs were usually done from intersection of runway 23 and taxiway B, but that we were ok to proceed to the end. Taxiway markings were not clear to us due to unfamiliarity. We did notice right away that north was narrow, then began a turn onto G to get to the runway. During this process we were starting #3 engine using a xbleed start. Captain and copilot were absorbed with navigating and looking at airport diagram. Taxiway G was very narrow and crew querried one another as to any weight limits on the taxiway, but none detected on charts. We continued and made a normal takeoff. After takeoff captain examined airport diagram and saw note in tiny print that taxiway golf was limited to 65000 pounds. Our company has limited the number of commercial chart pages given to so's as a cost cutting measure. Bhm airport diagram not provided to the so's. Ground tower did not say anything about the taxiway limit. In this case we were ok, but has this B-727 been any heavier or had we been required to stop on taxiway G, the heavy footprint of the 727 could have caused damage to aircraft or taxiway.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR X TAXIED ON WT RESTR TXWY.

Narrative: TAXIING FROM BHM GATE X B-727 RELATIVLY LIGHT AT 128000 LBS GROSS WT. APU INOP, SO SMALL INCREASE IN CREW WORKLOAD/DIFFERENT PROC FOR ENG START. CREW REQUESTED RWY 23 VICE RWY 15 DUE TO CALM WINDS AND MORE FAVORABLE DIRECTION OF FLT FOR OUR RTE. CREW HAD BEEN IN TO ARPT BEFORE BUT NOT FAMILIAR WITH TAXI RTE TO RWY 23. AS WE PASSED TXWY B (WHILE TAXIING NE ON TAXI A AND ENTERING N) GND/TWR ADVISED THAT TKOFS WERE USUALLY DONE FROM INTXN OF RWY 23 AND TXWY B, BUT THAT WE WERE OK TO PROCEED TO THE END. TXWY MARKINGS WERE NOT CLR TO US DUE TO UNFAMILIARITY. WE DID NOTICE RIGHT AWAY THAT N WAS NARROW, THEN BEGAN A TURN ONTO G TO GET TO THE RWY. DURING THIS PROCESS WE WERE STARTING #3 ENG USING A XBLEED START. CAPT AND COPLT WERE ABSORBED WITH NAVING AND LOOKING AT ARPT DIAGRAM. TXWY G WAS VERY NARROW AND CREW QUERRIED ONE ANOTHER AS TO ANY WT LIMITS ON THE TXWY, BUT NONE DETECTED ON CHARTS. WE CONTINUED AND MADE A NORMAL TKOF. AFTER TKOF CAPT EXAMINED ARPT DIAGRAM AND SAW NOTE IN TINY PRINT THAT TXWY GOLF WAS LIMITED TO 65000 LBS. OUR COMPANY HAS LIMITED THE NUMBER OF COMMERCIAL CHART PAGES GIVEN TO SO'S AS A COST CUTTING MEASURE. BHM ARPT DIAGRAM NOT PROVIDED TO THE SO'S. GND TWR DID NOT SAY ANYTHING ABOUT THE TXWY LIMIT. IN THIS CASE WE WERE OK, BUT HAS THIS B-727 BEEN ANY HEAVIER OR HAD WE BEEN REQUIRED TO STOP ON TXWY G, THE HVY FOOTPRINT OF THE 727 COULD HAVE CAUSED DAMAGE TO ACFT OR TXWY.

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.