B727 crew left the taxiway hard surface during pwrback.

Attributes
ACN	420749
Time
Date	199811
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : mco airport : mco
State Reference	FL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
ASRS Report	420749
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	420748
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground less severe other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

During pwrback from gate ab at mco, the aircraft main gear rolled onto an asphalt non load bearing surface. Pwrback was done with minimal power and at a normal rate. The captain began to come out of reverse even before the guide man gave the come forward signal since we felt we were getting too far back. Shortly after the come forward signal, the aircraft main gear dropped off about a 2 inch shoulder onto the non load bearing surface. It continued to roll about another 10 ft to a low spot in the asphalt in spite of forward thrust. Aircraft was towed back to the gate and inspected by maintenance with no damage noted. It appeared that the guide man just gave the come forward signal too late to allow for the normal stopping distance required by a pwrback. Supplemental information from acn 420750: I felt a small bump like main mount had taxied over something. Captain stopped aircraft and had ramp personnel tow aircraft back to gate. I inspected both main mounts, nosewheel, and underside of aircraft and found no damage. Contract maintenance did the same. Inspection of the area showed that aircraft had pwred back off concrete ramp onto asphalt shoulder area over a 2 inch lip. There was no damage to aircraft. Logbook was signed off and flight rereleased. Flight proceeded to dfw as planned.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B727 CREW LEFT THE TXWY HARD SURFACE DURING PWRBACK.

Narrative: DURING PWRBACK FROM GATE AB AT MCO, THE ACFT MAIN GEAR ROLLED ONTO AN ASPHALT NON LOAD BEARING SURFACE. PWRBACK WAS DONE WITH MINIMAL PWR AND AT A NORMAL RATE. THE CAPT BEGAN TO COME OUT OF REVERSE EVEN BEFORE THE GUIDE MAN GAVE THE COME FORWARD SIGNAL SINCE WE FELT WE WERE GETTING TOO FAR BACK. SHORTLY AFTER THE COME FORWARD SIGNAL, THE ACFT MAIN GEAR DROPPED OFF ABOUT A 2 INCH SHOULDER ONTO THE NON LOAD BEARING SURFACE. IT CONTINUED TO ROLL ABOUT ANOTHER 10 FT TO A LOW SPOT IN THE ASPHALT IN SPITE OF FORWARD THRUST. ACFT WAS TOWED BACK TO THE GATE AND INSPECTED BY MAINT WITH NO DAMAGE NOTED. IT APPEARED THAT THE GUIDE MAN JUST GAVE THE COME FORWARD SIGNAL TOO LATE TO ALLOW FOR THE NORMAL STOPPING DISTANCE REQUIRED BY A PWRBACK. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 420750: I FELT A SMALL BUMP LIKE MAIN MOUNT HAD TAXIED OVER SOMETHING. CAPT STOPPED ACFT AND HAD RAMP PERSONNEL TOW ACFT BACK TO GATE. I INSPECTED BOTH MAIN MOUNTS, NOSEWHEEL, AND UNDERSIDE OF ACFT AND FOUND NO DAMAGE. CONTRACT MAINT DID THE SAME. INSPECTION OF THE AREA SHOWED THAT ACFT HAD PWRED BACK OFF CONCRETE RAMP ONTO ASPHALT SHOULDER AREA OVER A 2 INCH LIP. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO ACFT. LOGBOOK WAS SIGNED OFF AND FLT RERELEASED. FLT PROCEEDED TO DFW AS PLANNED.

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.