B737-300 crew narrowly averts runway excursion landing at atl.

Attributes
ACN	434301
Time
Date	199904
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : atl.airport
State Reference	GA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Weather Elements	Rain
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	landing : roll
Route In Use	approach : instrument precision
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150
ASRS Report	434301
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	flight crew : regained aircraft control
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance Weather
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

The first officer was flying the aircraft. We landed at about 80 KTS. On landing, the captain assumed control. The aircraft started a slight left drift. The captain applied right rudder, and had his left hand on the ground steering tiller. The captain's left knee inadvertently pushed the tiller to the left causing the aircraft to swerve sharply left. Both pilots applied maximum right rudder and right brake. The captain realized he was inadvertently steering left, and moved the tiller back to the right, regaining control. The aircraft almost departed the left side of the runway. The captain should not have touched the ground steering until actually at taxi speed, ready to clear the runway.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-300 CREW NARROWLY AVERTS RWY EXCURSION LNDG AT ATL.

Narrative: THE FO WAS FLYING THE ACFT. WE LANDED AT ABOUT 80 KTS. ON LNDG, THE CAPT ASSUMED CTL. THE ACFT STARTED A SLIGHT L DRIFT. THE CAPT APPLIED R RUDDER, AND HAD HIS L HAND ON THE GND STEERING TILLER. THE CAPT'S L KNEE INADVERTENTLY PUSHED THE TILLER TO THE L CAUSING THE ACFT TO SWERVE SHARPLY L. BOTH PLTS APPLIED MAX R RUDDER AND R BRAKE. THE CAPT REALIZED HE WAS INADVERTENTLY STEERING L, AND MOVED THE TILLER BACK TO THE R, REGAINING CTL. THE ACFT ALMOST DEPARTED THE L SIDE OF THE RWY. THE CAPT SHOULD NOT HAVE TOUCHED THE GND STEERING UNTIL ACTUALLY AT TAXI SPD, READY TO CLR THE RWY.

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.