Narrative:

Engine start and pushback routine. Taxi clearance hard to understand, had to get repeat. Still not certain of taxi route due unfamiliar terms and heavy french accent. Only second time at cdg for whole crew. While taxiing, we were still discussing route and looking at charts. I missed turn while on taxiway A3 to taxiway A4. Decided to go straight ahead on taxiway af and turn left at taxiway na, rejoining taxiway A5. This turn is deceptively sharp, probably less than 90 degrees and there is no 'filet' or rounding. I did not make turn wide enough and left main gear exited taxiway and sunk into soft earth. I did not try to power out. Aircraft was very heavy and had to get large tug to pull us back onto taxiway. Subsequent inspection revealed no damage to aircraft. Flight departed cdg about 2 1/2 hours late -- operations normal. Causal factors: 1) company taxi charts not clear. Diagrams too small, directional arrows hard to see. Very difficult to interpret while taxiing aircraft. 2) french controllers hard to understand -- use unfamiliar terminology and procedures. Not previously exposed to this, ie, on IOE or in ground school. 3) international ground school by company did not prepare me for reality of operations into cdg despite much home study. My international IOE was to london, which qualified me to go to cdg. 4) in retrospect, there was too much talking, discussion and 'clear' at a critical time while aircraft was taxiing. There may have been a possible loss of concentration or momentary distraction while turning assisting me to misjudge. Recommendations: 1) improve company taxi charts. Need better graphics and more pertinent operating information for each european station. 2) improve company international ground school. Need handouts and written reference material on idiosyncrasies of european operations. I received no handouts other than international flight operations manual, which is inadequate. 3) vcr videos available for viewing at flight operations would be a great help. I have been flying for 34 yrs, in the airlines for 30 yrs. This is my first incident. I have been on the B767 for 3 yrs and have routinely taxied in much tighter and more critical conditions (ie, at jfk) without difficulty. I can't believe I made this misjudgement. I guess it can happen to anybody. All that's required is a momentary distraction or loss of concentration at the wrong time. I accept full responsibility for this incident. I was taxiing the aircraft, my hand was on the tiller. Thanks for your ASRS program. P.south. I have just talked to another company pilot who had a taxiway excursion several yrs ago at cdg on a B727. He also knows of another aircraft that had excursions while he was 'tdy' to london.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WHILE TAXIING AT UNFAMILIAR FOREIGN ARPT, ACFT L MAIN GEAR EXITED TXWY WHEN CAPT MADE A SHARP L TURN. DUE TO LANGUAGE BARRIER, CAPT AND FLC MISSED THE TAXI INSTRUCTIONS AND WENT BEYOND THEIR CLRED RTE AND WERE TRYING TO GET BACK TO IT.

Narrative: ENG START AND PUSHBACK ROUTINE. TAXI CLRNC HARD TO UNDERSTAND, HAD TO GET REPEAT. STILL NOT CERTAIN OF TAXI RTE DUE UNFAMILIAR TERMS AND HVY FRENCH ACCENT. ONLY SECOND TIME AT CDG FOR WHOLE CREW. WHILE TAXIING, WE WERE STILL DISCUSSING RTE AND LOOKING AT CHARTS. I MISSED TURN WHILE ON TXWY A3 TO TXWY A4. DECIDED TO GO STRAIGHT AHEAD ON TXWY AF AND TURN L AT TXWY NA, REJOINING TXWY A5. THIS TURN IS DECEPTIVELY SHARP, PROBABLY LESS THAN 90 DEGS AND THERE IS NO 'FILET' OR ROUNDING. I DID NOT MAKE TURN WIDE ENOUGH AND L MAIN GEAR EXITED TXWY AND SUNK INTO SOFT EARTH. I DID NOT TRY TO PWR OUT. ACFT WAS VERY HVY AND HAD TO GET LARGE TUG TO PULL US BACK ONTO TXWY. SUBSEQUENT INSPECTION REVEALED NO DAMAGE TO ACFT. FLT DEPARTED CDG ABOUT 2 1/2 HRS LATE -- OPS NORMAL. CAUSAL FACTORS: 1) COMPANY TAXI CHARTS NOT CLR. DIAGRAMS TOO SMALL, DIRECTIONAL ARROWS HARD TO SEE. VERY DIFFICULT TO INTERPRET WHILE TAXIING ACFT. 2) FRENCH CTLRS HARD TO UNDERSTAND -- USE UNFAMILIAR TERMINOLOGY AND PROCS. NOT PREVIOUSLY EXPOSED TO THIS, IE, ON IOE OR IN GND SCHOOL. 3) INTL GND SCHOOL BY COMPANY DID NOT PREPARE ME FOR REALITY OF OPS INTO CDG DESPITE MUCH HOME STUDY. MY INTL IOE WAS TO LONDON, WHICH QUALIFIED ME TO GO TO CDG. 4) IN RETROSPECT, THERE WAS TOO MUCH TALKING, DISCUSSION AND 'CLR' AT A CRITICAL TIME WHILE ACFT WAS TAXIING. THERE MAY HAVE BEEN A POSSIBLE LOSS OF CONCENTRATION OR MOMENTARY DISTR WHILE TURNING ASSISTING ME TO MISJUDGE. RECOMMENDATIONS: 1) IMPROVE COMPANY TAXI CHARTS. NEED BETTER GRAPHICS AND MORE PERTINENT OPERATING INFO FOR EACH EUROPEAN STATION. 2) IMPROVE COMPANY INTL GND SCHOOL. NEED HANDOUTS AND WRITTEN REF MATERIAL ON IDIOSYNCRASIES OF EUROPEAN OPS. I RECEIVED NO HANDOUTS OTHER THAN INTL FLT OPS MANUAL, WHICH IS INADEQUATE. 3) VCR VIDEOS AVAILABLE FOR VIEWING AT FLT OPS WOULD BE A GREAT HELP. I HAVE BEEN FLYING FOR 34 YRS, IN THE AIRLINES FOR 30 YRS. THIS IS MY FIRST INCIDENT. I HAVE BEEN ON THE B767 FOR 3 YRS AND HAVE ROUTINELY TAXIED IN MUCH TIGHTER AND MORE CRITICAL CONDITIONS (IE, AT JFK) WITHOUT DIFFICULTY. I CAN'T BELIEVE I MADE THIS MISJUDGEMENT. I GUESS IT CAN HAPPEN TO ANYBODY. ALL THAT'S REQUIRED IS A MOMENTARY DISTR OR LOSS OF CONCENTRATION AT THE WRONG TIME. I ACCEPT FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS INCIDENT. I WAS TAXIING THE ACFT, MY HAND WAS ON THE TILLER. THANKS FOR YOUR ASRS PROGRAM. P.S. I HAVE JUST TALKED TO ANOTHER COMPANY PLT WHO HAD A TXWY EXCURSION SEVERAL YRS AGO AT CDG ON A B727. HE ALSO KNOWS OF ANOTHER ACFT THAT HAD EXCURSIONS WHILE HE WAS 'TDY' TO LONDON.

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.