Narrative:

After landing and exit from runway 14L at iah international, ground control instructed me to make first left turn onto taxiway wa, taxi north to gate. Turn is approximately 120 degrees of turn (very tight for a DC10). I felt a tug on the left side of aircraft and thought it might be scuffing of nose gear. Upon straightening nose gear, all smoothed out. I then continued to gate. Postflt revealed all 4 tires on left truck damaged with mud and grass on them, an apparent taxiway excursion. (None of the tires went flat.) on page X of the iah commercial chart, a note states that a turn onto this taxiway by aircraft with wing span over 118 ft is not authority/authorized. At the time I felt it would be a tight turn and should have relied on my instincts. There was no concern from the other 2 crew members. The note was in the airport diagram plate but it was not foremost in my mind. I actually intended to use the second turn (taxiway wb) but ground control instructed me to turn on taxiway wa. Still, I am ultimately responsible and had I incorporated page in my planning, would have questioned ground control.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF A DC10-30 TURNED ONTO CONNECTING TXWY AND CAUSED THE L MAIN TO FALL OFF TXWY INTO THE GRASS RESULTING IN ALL 4 TIRES OF THE L GEAR TO BE CUT. ALL 4 TIRES WERE REPLACED AFTER GATE ARR. REVIEW OF ARPT REMARKS REVEALED THAT THIS SIZE OF ACFT WAS NOT AUTH TO TURN ONTO THAT TXWY.

Narrative: AFTER LNDG AND EXIT FROM RWY 14L AT IAH INTL, GND CTL INSTRUCTED ME TO MAKE FIRST L TURN ONTO TXWY WA, TAXI N TO GATE. TURN IS APPROX 120 DEGS OF TURN (VERY TIGHT FOR A DC10). I FELT A TUG ON THE L SIDE OF ACFT AND THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE SCUFFING OF NOSE GEAR. UPON STRAIGHTENING NOSE GEAR, ALL SMOOTHED OUT. I THEN CONTINUED TO GATE. POSTFLT REVEALED ALL 4 TIRES ON L TRUCK DAMAGED WITH MUD AND GRASS ON THEM, AN APPARENT TXWY EXCURSION. (NONE OF THE TIRES WENT FLAT.) ON PAGE X OF THE IAH COMMERCIAL CHART, A NOTE STATES THAT A TURN ONTO THIS TXWY BY ACFT WITH WING SPAN OVER 118 FT IS NOT AUTH. AT THE TIME I FELT IT WOULD BE A TIGHT TURN AND SHOULD HAVE RELIED ON MY INSTINCTS. THERE WAS NO CONCERN FROM THE OTHER 2 CREW MEMBERS. THE NOTE WAS IN THE ARPT DIAGRAM PLATE BUT IT WAS NOT FOREMOST IN MY MIND. I ACTUALLY INTENDED TO USE THE SECOND TURN (TXWY WB) BUT GND CTL INSTRUCTED ME TO TURN ON TXWY WA. STILL, I AM ULTIMATELY RESPONSIBLE AND HAD I INCORPORATED PAGE IN MY PLANNING, WOULD HAVE QUESTIONED GND CTL.

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.