Narrative:

When ready to taxi, I called iah clearance delivery per instructions in pre departure clearance remarks. Iah clearance delivery cleared us to taxi to runway 15L via taxiway wb. I replied taxiway wb to runway 15L with ATIS. Unlike the week's prior departures, clearance delivery did not switch us to ground control. Soon we realized clearance delivery was also handling ground control. Proceeding along taxiway wb, the captain noticed unlighted automatic traffic cones across taxiway wb. He stopped the plane about 300 ft from the cones. When I queried ground control, the controller questioned if we were on taxiway wb. I replied that taxiway wb to runway 15L was our taxi clearance. NOTAMS received during flight planning did not include taxiway wb closure. ATIS via ACARS did not include taxiway wb closure at this location. When ground control asked if we could taxi clear, I advised we were concerned about proximity to parked aircraft at the terminal. The captain told ground control a 180 degree turn was possible, but he wanted a spotter at the parked aircraft. Ground control radioed the iah operations vehicle to do this. Ground control then asked if we could taxi up taxiway we. I replied that our wingspan exceeded the limit for use of taxiway we. While waiting for operations vehicle to get in position, the captain runway procedure. The captain initiated the maneuver as he briefed, but experienced difficulty when turning the aircraft away from the taxiway edge. He stated the aircraft would not turn, then almost immediately said the aircraft was off the taxiway. The aircraft came to a stop with the nose gear and left main gear off the pavement. Safe taxiing starts with planning. Preflight NOTAMS and ACARS ATIS did not include taxiway wb closure. Taxiway wb was barricaded by automatic traffic cones, not lighted or reflected devices. Proper devices would be seen earlier and afford a stop before taxiing into 'a box canyon.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A300 CREW, WHILE ATTEMPTING A 180 DEG TURN ON A TXWY LEFT THE TXWY HARD SURFACE.

Narrative: WHEN READY TO TAXI, I CALLED IAH CLRNC DELIVERY PER INSTRUCTIONS IN PDC REMARKS. IAH CLRNC DELIVERY CLRED US TO TAXI TO RWY 15L VIA TXWY WB. I REPLIED TXWY WB TO RWY 15L WITH ATIS. UNLIKE THE WEEK'S PRIOR DEPS, CLRNC DELIVERY DID NOT SWITCH US TO GND CTL. SOON WE REALIZED CLRNC DELIVERY WAS ALSO HANDLING GND CTL. PROCEEDING ALONG TXWY WB, THE CAPT NOTICED UNLIGHTED AUTO TFC CONES ACROSS TXWY WB. HE STOPPED THE PLANE ABOUT 300 FT FROM THE CONES. WHEN I QUERIED GND CTL, THE CTLR QUESTIONED IF WE WERE ON TXWY WB. I REPLIED THAT TXWY WB TO RWY 15L WAS OUR TAXI CLRNC. NOTAMS RECEIVED DURING FLT PLANNING DID NOT INCLUDE TXWY WB CLOSURE. ATIS VIA ACARS DID NOT INCLUDE TXWY WB CLOSURE AT THIS LOCATION. WHEN GND CTL ASKED IF WE COULD TAXI CLR, I ADVISED WE WERE CONCERNED ABOUT PROXIMITY TO PARKED ACFT AT THE TERMINAL. THE CAPT TOLD GND CTL A 180 DEG TURN WAS POSSIBLE, BUT HE WANTED A SPOTTER AT THE PARKED ACFT. GND CTL RADIOED THE IAH OPS VEHICLE TO DO THIS. GND CTL THEN ASKED IF WE COULD TAXI UP TXWY WE. I REPLIED THAT OUR WINGSPAN EXCEEDED THE LIMIT FOR USE OF TXWY WE. WHILE WAITING FOR OPS VEHICLE TO GET IN POS, THE CAPT RWY PROCEDURE. THE CAPT INITIATED THE MANEUVER AS HE BRIEFED, BUT EXPERIENCED DIFFICULTY WHEN TURNING THE ACFT AWAY FROM THE TXWY EDGE. HE STATED THE ACFT WOULD NOT TURN, THEN ALMOST IMMEDIATELY SAID THE ACFT WAS OFF THE TXWY. THE ACFT CAME TO A STOP WITH THE NOSE GEAR AND LEFT MAIN GEAR OFF THE PAVEMENT. SAFE TAXIING STARTS WITH PLANNING. PREFLT NOTAMS AND ACARS ATIS DID NOT INCLUDE TXWY WB CLOSURE. TXWY WB WAS BARRICADED BY AUTO TFC CONES, NOT LIGHTED OR REFLECTED DEVICES. PROPER DEVICES WOULD BE SEEN EARLIER AND AFFORD A STOP BEFORE TAXIING INTO 'A BOX CANYON.'

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.