Narrative:

The captain and I both mentioned the poor turning performance of the MD88. The captain who was a low time captain on the MD88 also mentioned this was a new experience for him, as he had never back-taxied and performed a 180 degree turn at the end of the runway. Approaching the far edge of runway 27R at a slow taxi speed, the captain began a sharp left turn on the tiller. The nose initially started tracking left, then the whole nose began shuddering and the nose vector stopped tracking left. I yelled 'whoa, whoa, whoa!' as I felt the nosewheel was about to depart the concrete surface for the paved shoulder. A B757 crew observed that our nosewheel was turned about 120 degrees. We opted to set the parking brake and requested a tug. A tug crew straightened the nosewheel and returned the aircraft to the gate where it was inspected and later returned to service. While holding in position on the second taxi out, we observed that the nosewheel had slipped across the grooved and painted runway surface allowing it to castor. We observed skid marks parallel to the grooves and across a fair amount of painted surface. The maintenance inspectors mentioned that it is not difficult to castor an MD88 nosewheel and it is common for only one of the 2 nosewheels to be in contact with the pavement during most sharp turns. Because of the design shortcomings and relative ease with which the nosewheel on the MD88 can castor, perhaps it would be prudent to especially emphasize this on IOE's with first-time capts and first officer's.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NEW CAPT TURNS TOO TIGHT AND NOSEWHEEL CASTORS. ACFT WAS TOWED AND INSPECTED.

Narrative: THE CAPT AND I BOTH MENTIONED THE POOR TURNING PERFORMANCE OF THE MD88. THE CAPT WHO WAS A LOW TIME CAPT ON THE MD88 ALSO MENTIONED THIS WAS A NEW EXPERIENCE FOR HIM, AS HE HAD NEVER BACK-TAXIED AND PERFORMED A 180 DEG TURN AT THE END OF THE RWY. APCHING THE FAR EDGE OF RWY 27R AT A SLOW TAXI SPD, THE CAPT BEGAN A SHARP L TURN ON THE TILLER. THE NOSE INITIALLY STARTED TRACKING L, THEN THE WHOLE NOSE BEGAN SHUDDERING AND THE NOSE VECTOR STOPPED TRACKING L. I YELLED 'WHOA, WHOA, WHOA!' AS I FELT THE NOSEWHEEL WAS ABOUT TO DEPART THE CONCRETE SURFACE FOR THE PAVED SHOULDER. A B757 CREW OBSERVED THAT OUR NOSEWHEEL WAS TURNED ABOUT 120 DEGS. WE OPTED TO SET THE PARKING BRAKE AND REQUESTED A TUG. A TUG CREW STRAIGHTENED THE NOSEWHEEL AND RETURNED THE ACFT TO THE GATE WHERE IT WAS INSPECTED AND LATER RETURNED TO SVC. WHILE HOLDING IN POS ON THE SECOND TAXI OUT, WE OBSERVED THAT THE NOSEWHEEL HAD SLIPPED ACROSS THE GROOVED AND PAINTED RWY SURFACE ALLOWING IT TO CASTOR. WE OBSERVED SKID MARKS PARALLEL TO THE GROOVES AND ACROSS A FAIR AMOUNT OF PAINTED SURFACE. THE MAINT INSPECTORS MENTIONED THAT IT IS NOT DIFFICULT TO CASTOR AN MD88 NOSEWHEEL AND IT IS COMMON FOR ONLY ONE OF THE 2 NOSEWHEELS TO BE IN CONTACT WITH THE PAVEMENT DURING MOST SHARP TURNS. BECAUSE OF THE DESIGN SHORTCOMINGS AND RELATIVE EASE WITH WHICH THE NOSEWHEEL ON THE MD88 CAN CASTOR, PERHAPS IT WOULD BE PRUDENT TO ESPECIALLY EMPHASIZE THIS ON IOE'S WITH FIRST-TIME CAPTS AND FO'S.

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.