Narrative:

At 500 ft, speed and sink were within tolerances (stabilized). We touched down in the touchdown zone on the centerline with no side forces. I went inside the cockpit to monitor the instruments. The thrust reversers were in equally and normally. I thought they might go above the 1.6 EPR and was about to make a call when I noticed the EPR decreasing. I looked outside and noticed we were angling to the left approximately 10-15 degrees. The captain was correcting smoothly to return to the centerline. We felt a slight shudder for approximately 1 - 1 1/2 seconds. During the taxi in, there were no noticeable problems. After shutdown, the captain elected to perform a postflt inspection and noticed a lot of mud and grass on the left main gear. Although we had gone to the left, I was sure the mains (left) hadn't crossed the runway edge lights. Afterwards, we were inspecting the runway and the left edge when we noticed that there is a grass strip between the actual runway edge and the runway lights. Had we known this I feel the captain would have been more aggressive in returning to the centerline. In the current set-up (gap between edge of runway and lights) at night it is easy to think you have extra runway width. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: crew landed on runway 14 at sgf. They were using the runway edge lighting to judge the distance to the edge of the runway. They were surprised to find a grass area inside the runway edge lights. The crew reported the incident to the air carrier. The first officer has been scheduled for a line check, and the captain was sent for a simulator training session. The company did not question why the runway lighting was not at the limit of the runway load bearing area.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD83 CREW LANDED ON RWY 14 AT SGF. THEY FOUND THE RWY EDGE LIGHTS WERE OUTSIDE THE LOAD BEARING RWY PAVEMENT.

Narrative: AT 500 FT, SPD AND SINK WERE WITHIN TOLERANCES (STABILIZED). WE TOUCHED DOWN IN THE TOUCHDOWN ZONE ON THE CTRLINE WITH NO SIDE FORCES. I WENT INSIDE THE COCKPIT TO MONITOR THE INSTS. THE THRUST REVERSERS WERE IN EQUALLY AND NORMALLY. I THOUGHT THEY MIGHT GO ABOVE THE 1.6 EPR AND WAS ABOUT TO MAKE A CALL WHEN I NOTICED THE EPR DECREASING. I LOOKED OUTSIDE AND NOTICED WE WERE ANGLING TO THE L APPROX 10-15 DEGS. THE CAPT WAS CORRECTING SMOOTHLY TO RETURN TO THE CTRLINE. WE FELT A SLIGHT SHUDDER FOR APPROX 1 - 1 1/2 SECONDS. DURING THE TAXI IN, THERE WERE NO NOTICEABLE PROBS. AFTER SHUTDOWN, THE CAPT ELECTED TO PERFORM A POSTFLT INSPECTION AND NOTICED A LOT OF MUD AND GRASS ON THE L MAIN GEAR. ALTHOUGH WE HAD GONE TO THE L, I WAS SURE THE MAINS (L) HADN'T CROSSED THE RWY EDGE LIGHTS. AFTERWARDS, WE WERE INSPECTING THE RWY AND THE L EDGE WHEN WE NOTICED THAT THERE IS A GRASS STRIP BTWN THE ACTUAL RWY EDGE AND THE RWY LIGHTS. HAD WE KNOWN THIS I FEEL THE CAPT WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE AGGRESSIVE IN RETURNING TO THE CTRLINE. IN THE CURRENT SET-UP (GAP BTWN EDGE OF RWY AND LIGHTS) AT NIGHT IT IS EASY TO THINK YOU HAVE EXTRA RWY WIDTH. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: CREW LANDED ON RWY 14 AT SGF. THEY WERE USING THE RWY EDGE LIGHTING TO JUDGE THE DISTANCE TO THE EDGE OF THE RWY. THEY WERE SURPRISED TO FIND A GRASS AREA INSIDE THE RWY EDGE LIGHTS. THE CREW RPTED THE INCIDENT TO THE ACR. THE FO HAS BEEN SCHEDULED FOR A LINE CHK, AND THE CAPT WAS SENT FOR A SIMULATOR TRAINING SESSION. THE COMPANY DID NOT QUESTION WHY THE RWY LIGHTING WAS NOT AT THE LIMIT OF THE RWY LOAD BEARING AREA.

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.