First officer is alarmed at narrow txwys used by captain.

Attributes
ACN	302619
Time
Date	199504
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : aus
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	other
Make Model Name	MD-90 Series (DC-9-90) Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	other : other
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : military
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 280
ASRS Report	302619
Person 2
Affiliation	government : military
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified cockpit
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Airport
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
Airport	other physical facility

Narrative:

Possible taxiway excursion - crew landed at aus airport and had intended to taxi to west ramp for parking and fuel. Crew had briefed taxi rtes for west ramp, but discovered new pickup point on northeast ramp. Txwys for northeast side of airport are designed for small GA aircraft and not for larger transport aircraft. Taxi in was uneventful. Copilot commented to instructor, how narrow the txwys appeared. During taxi out, copilot assumed instructor would taxi to departure runway via the wider westerly runway. Copilot asked about clearance to cross active runways, and instructor turned onto the narrow parallel taxiway a, stating that we wouldn't need to check for crossing clearance, 'we'll just go this way.' copilot stopped reading checklists to ensure we stayed on the pavement. Very little clearance available. Very uncomfortable feeling. Next time I won't assume the instructor/captain will not do anything stupid. They just might! Also, taxiway's B/M could sucker a unsuspecting crew into the grass particularly at night.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FO IS ALARMED AT NARROW TXWYS USED BY CAPT.

Narrative: POSSIBLE TXWY EXCURSION - CREW LANDED AT AUS ARPT AND HAD INTENDED TO TAXI TO W RAMP FOR PARKING AND FUEL. CREW HAD BRIEFED TAXI RTES FOR W RAMP, BUT DISCOVERED NEW PICKUP POINT ON NE RAMP. TXWYS FOR NE SIDE OF ARPT ARE DESIGNED FOR SMALL GA ACFT AND NOT FOR LARGER TRANSPORT ACFT. TAXI IN WAS UNEVENTFUL. COPLT COMMENTED TO INSTRUCTOR, HOW NARROW THE TXWYS APPEARED. DURING TAXI OUT, COPLT ASSUMED INSTRUCTOR WOULD TAXI TO DEP RWY VIA THE WIDER WESTERLY RWY. COPLT ASKED ABOUT CLRNC TO CROSS ACTIVE RWYS, AND INSTRUCTOR TURNED ONTO THE NARROW PARALLEL TXWY A, STATING THAT WE WOULDN'T NEED TO CHK FOR XING CLRNC, 'WE'LL JUST GO THIS WAY.' COPLT STOPPED READING CHKLISTS TO ENSURE WE STAYED ON THE PAVEMENT. VERY LITTLE CLRNC AVAILABLE. VERY UNCOMFORTABLE FEELING. NEXT TIME I WON'T ASSUME THE INSTRUCTOR/CAPTAIN WILL NOT DO ANYTHING STUPID. THEY JUST MIGHT! ALSO, TXWY'S B/M COULD SUCKER A UNSUSPECTING CREW INTO THE GRASS PARTICULARLY AT NIGHT.

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.