Narrative:

While taxiing out of ramp area, aircraft made right onto taxiway. Txwys on this airport are very narrow. It is a GA apt and no commercial scheduled service operates to this airport. Right main tire crossed grass area just off 90 degree corner of taxiway and grass. A slight drag was felt but aircraft continued to taxi with no problem. ATIS or ground control should notify pilots operating large commercial jets to enter or exit ramp area directly off runway with straight-in or straight-out entry or exit instead of using parallel txwys. Aircraft should back taxi on runway when ready for takeoff. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: an air carrier MD80 flight crew had the right main gear go off of the hard surface of the taxiway during a hard right turn to the parallel taxiway on taxi out. The captain said that the airport auths had poured small triangular fillets of hard surface material to attempt to round off the sharp corners. This was not sufficient for aircraft such as the MD80 which had to taxi so that the nosewheel was almost on the far edge of the parallel before the start of the turn in order for the main gears to not go off the inside edge during the turn. On this particular turn the captain said that he simply misjudged his position before starting the turn. After getting back on the hard surface, he said that the flight crew felt that the gear was ok because it rolled well so they continued. A the next station maintenance inspected the gear and washed it off. No repairs were necessary. The airport called the company and reported no damage to the taxiway.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR FLC HAS THE R MAIN GEAR GO OFF THE HARD SURFACE OF A TXWY DURING TAXI OUT AND THEY DECIDE TO CONTINUE TO DEST. NO DAMAGE WAS DONE TO THE ACFT OR THE TXWY. MD80.

Narrative: WHILE TAXIING OUT OF RAMP AREA, ACFT MADE R ONTO TXWY. TXWYS ON THIS ARPT ARE VERY NARROW. IT IS A GA APT AND NO COMMERCIAL SCHEDULED SVC OPERATES TO THIS ARPT. R MAIN TIRE CROSSED GRASS AREA JUST OFF 90 DEG CORNER OF TXWY AND GRASS. A SLIGHT DRAG WAS FELT BUT ACFT CONTINUED TO TAXI WITH NO PROB. ATIS OR GND CTL SHOULD NOTIFY PLTS OPERATING LARGE COMMERCIAL JETS TO ENTER OR EXIT RAMP AREA DIRECTLY OFF RWY WITH STRAIGHT-IN OR STRAIGHT-OUT ENTRY OR EXIT INSTEAD OF USING PARALLEL TXWYS. ACFT SHOULD BACK TAXI ON RWY WHEN READY FOR TKOF. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: AN ACR MD80 FLC HAD THE R MAIN GEAR GO OFF OF THE HARD SURFACE OF THE TXWY DURING A HARD R TURN TO THE PARALLEL TXWY ON TAXI OUT. THE CAPT SAID THAT THE ARPT AUTHS HAD POURED SMALL TRIANGULAR FILLETS OF HARD SURFACE MATERIAL TO ATTEMPT TO ROUND OFF THE SHARP CORNERS. THIS WAS NOT SUFFICIENT FOR ACFT SUCH AS THE MD80 WHICH HAD TO TAXI SO THAT THE NOSEWHEEL WAS ALMOST ON THE FAR EDGE OF THE PARALLEL BEFORE THE START OF THE TURN IN ORDER FOR THE MAIN GEARS TO NOT GO OFF THE INSIDE EDGE DURING THE TURN. ON THIS PARTICULAR TURN THE CAPT SAID THAT HE SIMPLY MISJUDGED HIS POS BEFORE STARTING THE TURN. AFTER GETTING BACK ON THE HARD SURFACE, HE SAID THAT THE FLC FELT THAT THE GEAR WAS OK BECAUSE IT ROLLED WELL SO THEY CONTINUED. A THE NEXT STATION MAINT INSPECTED THE GEAR AND WASHED IT OFF. NO REPAIRS WERE NECESSARY. THE ARPT CALLED THE COMPANY AND RPTED NO DAMAGE TO THE 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.