Narrative:

Due to ramp congestion at iah international terminal, ground control had us taxi away from custom gates till room at terminal. Turning from taxiway nb to taxiway nk (right turn), right main landing gear truck went into mud. Note: aircraft nose tire was left of j-line when right gear went into mud. This taxiway corner was the only one on the airport that didn't have a taxiway fillet. This is not a normal turn on the airport for our company and a heavy jet DC10-30. Recommend: airport built fillet and issue NOTAM and inform control tower this is not good turn for heavy jet. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states he does not know if anyone from the company has talked with the airport management regarding the lack of a fillet at the intersection. He does know that the captain and the union safety officer have discussed the situation. The txwys had just been redone last spring and the construction was stopped just at that intersection. Reporter does not know why it was stopped, he guesses they ran out of money, but who knows? There was no actual damage to the aircraft. It was pulled out and the flight left only 35 mins late. The situation occurred because the gate was needed and his aircraft was being sent to another area just to keep them out of the area until departure clearance was available. Reporter states that this is an experienced captain and believes he made a wide enough turn for the taxiway but without the fillet the space was not enough.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DC10-30 GIVEN TAXI INSTRUCTIONS WHICH CAUSE A TURN AT A TXWY INTXN WITH NO FILLET. MAIN GEAR GOES OFF TXWY INTO MUD.

Narrative: DUE TO RAMP CONGESTION AT IAH INTL TERMINAL, GND CTL HAD US TAXI AWAY FROM CUSTOM GATES TILL ROOM AT TERMINAL. TURNING FROM TXWY NB TO TXWY NK (R TURN), R MAIN LNDG GEAR TRUCK WENT INTO MUD. NOTE: ACFT NOSE TIRE WAS L OF J-LINE WHEN R GEAR WENT INTO MUD. THIS TXWY CORNER WAS THE ONLY ONE ON THE ARPT THAT DIDN'T HAVE A TXWY FILLET. THIS IS NOT A NORMAL TURN ON THE ARPT FOR OUR COMPANY AND A HVY JET DC10-30. RECOMMEND: ARPT BUILT FILLET AND ISSUE NOTAM AND INFORM CTL TWR THIS IS NOT GOOD TURN FOR HVY JET. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES HE DOES NOT KNOW IF ANYONE FROM THE COMPANY HAS TALKED WITH THE ARPT MGMNT REGARDING THE LACK OF A FILLET AT THE INTXN. HE DOES KNOW THAT THE CAPT AND THE UNION SAFETY OFFICER HAVE DISCUSSED THE SIT. THE TXWYS HAD JUST BEEN REDONE LAST SPRING AND THE CONSTRUCTION WAS STOPPED JUST AT THAT INTXN. RPTR DOES NOT KNOW WHY IT WAS STOPPED, HE GUESSES THEY RAN OUT OF MONEY, BUT WHO KNOWS? THERE WAS NO ACTUAL DAMAGE TO THE ACFT. IT WAS PULLED OUT AND THE FLT LEFT ONLY 35 MINS LATE. THE SIT OCCURRED BECAUSE THE GATE WAS NEEDED AND HIS ACFT WAS BEING SENT TO ANOTHER AREA JUST TO KEEP THEM OUT OF THE AREA UNTIL DEP CLRNC WAS AVAILABLE. RPTR STATES THAT THIS IS AN EXPERIENCED CAPT AND BELIEVES HE MADE A WIDE ENOUGH TURN FOR THE TXWY BUT WITHOUT THE FILLET THE SPACE WAS NOT ENOUGH.

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.