Narrative:

Aircraft landed runway 36. Tower requested that taxiway B be used for runway exit, which requires a right turn of approximately 125 degrees. Aircraft was at taxi speed prior to reaching taxiway B and blue taxiway lights on left and right side of taxiway were in sight. Aircraft was past lights on southwest side of taxiway B prior to making a r- hand turn. Landing, taxi and turnoff lights were all on when exit was made onto taxiway B. Aircraft appeared to be properly aligned for taxi. Shortly after entering taxiway, aircraft leaned to the right and stopped. Tower was called to get someone to inspect the right main landing gear and we were advised that right main landing gear was off taxiway. Later that morning, I inspected the area where right main landing gear went off taxiway. The first blue taxiway light leading from runway 36 onto taxiway B was approximately 14 ft from the southwest edge of the taxiway. The second light was approximately 12 ft from edge of taxiway and all subsequent lights were approximately 8 ft from taxiway edge. Taxiway lights on northeast side of taxiway B were all displaced approximately 8 ft from taxiway edge. At night, because of taxiway light position, taxiway B appeared to be 16 ft wider than its actual width. This was more pronounced on southwest side adjacent to the runway. Approach charts, runway and taxiway charts were studied prior to departure from mia and again prior to approach at mpho. No mention was made concerning taxiway light position relative to taxiway edge. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter flies the l- 1011 for a supplemental air carrier. There was no damage to the aircraft other than 3 tires. The inboard tires had sidewall damage from the edge of the taxiway surface and an outboard tire was damaged by a tow bar. All 4 right brakes were changed as a precautionary measure. The reporter was asked to turn on taxiway B as there were 2 large USAF aircraft parked on taxiway a. The reporter is not sure whether the ATCT local controller meant for him to turn left or right on taxiway B. A left turn would not have been a reverse high speed, and there is a ramp for a 180 degree turn. The reporter turned as he usually does in an L-1011, and the nosewheel was near the taxiway centerline when he found his right main landing gear in the mud. The reporter believes that a warning from the ATCT or a note on the commercial airport chart would help prevent this problem from recurring. The reporter is now aware of the FAA safety hotline.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR PLT FOUND HIMSELF IN THE MUD AT AN AFB.

Narrative: ACFT LANDED RWY 36. TWR REQUESTED THAT TXWY B BE USED FOR RWY EXIT, WHICH REQUIRES A R TURN OF APPROX 125 DEGS. ACFT WAS AT TAXI SPD PRIOR TO REACHING TXWY B AND BLUE TXWY LIGHTS ON L AND R SIDE OF TXWY WERE IN SIGHT. ACFT WAS PAST LIGHTS ON SW SIDE OF TXWY B PRIOR TO MAKING A R- HAND TURN. LNDG, TAXI AND TURNOFF LIGHTS WERE ALL ON WHEN EXIT WAS MADE ONTO TXWY B. ACFT APPEARED TO BE PROPERLY ALIGNED FOR TAXI. SHORTLY AFTER ENTERING TXWY, ACFT LEANED TO THE R AND STOPPED. TWR WAS CALLED TO GET SOMEONE TO INSPECT THE R MAIN LNDG GEAR AND WE WERE ADVISED THAT R MAIN LNDG GEAR WAS OFF TXWY. LATER THAT MORNING, I INSPECTED THE AREA WHERE R MAIN LNDG GEAR WENT OFF TXWY. THE FIRST BLUE TXWY LIGHT LEADING FROM RWY 36 ONTO TXWY B WAS APPROX 14 FT FROM THE SW EDGE OF THE TXWY. THE SECOND LIGHT WAS APPROX 12 FT FROM EDGE OF TXWY AND ALL SUBSEQUENT LIGHTS WERE APPROX 8 FT FROM TXWY EDGE. TXWY LIGHTS ON NE SIDE OF TXWY B WERE ALL DISPLACED APPROX 8 FT FROM TXWY EDGE. AT NIGHT, BECAUSE OF TXWY LIGHT POS, TXWY B APPEARED TO BE 16 FT WIDER THAN ITS ACTUAL WIDTH. THIS WAS MORE PRONOUNCED ON SW SIDE ADJACENT TO THE RWY. APCH CHARTS, RWY AND TXWY CHARTS WERE STUDIED PRIOR TO DEP FROM MIA AND AGAIN PRIOR TO APCH AT MPHO. NO MENTION WAS MADE CONCERNING TXWY LIGHT POS RELATIVE TO TXWY EDGE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR FLIES THE L- 1011 FOR A SUPPLEMENTAL ACR. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE ACFT OTHER THAN 3 TIRES. THE INBOARD TIRES HAD SIDEWALL DAMAGE FROM THE EDGE OF THE TXWY SURFACE AND AN OUTBOARD TIRE WAS DAMAGED BY A TOW BAR. ALL 4 R BRAKES WERE CHANGED AS A PRECAUTIONARY MEASURE. THE RPTR WAS ASKED TO TURN ON TXWY B AS THERE WERE 2 LARGE USAF ACFT PARKED ON TXWY A. THE RPTR IS NOT SURE WHETHER THE ATCT LCL CTLR MEANT FOR HIM TO TURN L OR R ON TXWY B. A L TURN WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN A REVERSE HIGH SPD, AND THERE IS A RAMP FOR A 180 DEG TURN. THE RPTR TURNED AS HE USUALLY DOES IN AN L-1011, AND THE NOSEWHEEL WAS NEAR THE TXWY CTRLINE WHEN HE FOUND HIS R MAIN LNDG GEAR IN THE MUD. THE RPTR BELIEVES THAT A WARNING FROM THE ATCT OR A NOTE ON THE COMMERCIAL ARPT CHART WOULD HELP PREVENT THIS PROB FROM RECURRING. THE RPTR IS NOW AWARE OF THE FAA SAFETY HOTLINE.

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.