Narrative:

I was asked to do a 180 degree turn on the runway. I started the turn, turned 90 degrees, perpendicular to the runway flow. I stopped the turn because I felt I was going to run the nosewheel off of the runway. The controller was working solo operating ground clearance and tower by himself. I held for approximately 5 mins, after the tower notified me that my request for a ground vehicle to come out and verify the distance of my nosewheel to the runway edge would be a while. My wing was over the centerline of a clean concrete runway. I put my outboard engines to idle reverse. The aircraft moved back approximately 5 ft. I stowed the reversers and moved the aircraft forward and left, completing the turn without incident. The tower, after we told him that we completed the turn, instructed us to hold for landing traffic on runway 17R. We were on runway 35R. The aircraft landed, cleared runway 17R. We were then instructed to back-taxi onto runway 35L and clear at taxiway D to the ramp. We did. Reversing is a company limitation. I felt this was the only way to resolve this problem expeditiously.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DC8 FLT CREW GOES INTO REVERSE AGAINST COMPANY POLICY SO THAT THEY ARE ABLE TO MAKE A 180 DEG TURN ON RWY 35R AT LRD.

Narrative: I WAS ASKED TO DO A 180 DEG TURN ON THE RWY. I STARTED THE TURN, TURNED 90 DEGS, PERPENDICULAR TO THE RWY FLOW. I STOPPED THE TURN BECAUSE I FELT I WAS GOING TO RUN THE NOSEWHEEL OFF OF THE RWY. THE CTLR WAS WORKING SOLO OPERATING GND CLRNC AND TWR BY HIMSELF. I HELD FOR APPROX 5 MINS, AFTER THE TWR NOTIFIED ME THAT MY REQUEST FOR A GND VEHICLE TO COME OUT AND VERIFY THE DISTANCE OF MY NOSEWHEEL TO THE RWY EDGE WOULD BE A WHILE. MY WING WAS OVER THE CTRLINE OF A CLEAN CONCRETE RWY. I PUT MY OUTBOARD ENGS TO IDLE REVERSE. THE ACFT MOVED BACK APPROX 5 FT. I STOWED THE REVERSERS AND MOVED THE ACFT FORWARD AND L, COMPLETING THE TURN WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE TWR, AFTER WE TOLD HIM THAT WE COMPLETED THE TURN, INSTRUCTED US TO HOLD FOR LNDG TFC ON RWY 17R. WE WERE ON RWY 35R. THE ACFT LANDED, CLRED RWY 17R. WE WERE THEN INSTRUCTED TO BACK-TAXI ONTO RWY 35L AND CLR AT TXWY D TO THE RAMP. WE DID. REVERSING IS A COMPANY LIMITATION. I FELT THIS WAS THE ONLY WAY TO RESOLVE THIS PROB EXPEDITIOUSLY.

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.