B757 nosewheels exit hard surface while under taxi guidance by inexperienced marshallers.

Attributes
ACN	715310
Time
Date	200610
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zmp.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 192 flight time total : 19000 flight time type : 4450
ASRS Report	715310
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	excursion : ramp non adherence : company policies non adherence : published procedure
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Airport Flight Crew Human Performance Company
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

On taxi out from ramp between airline terminal building; nose tires departed ramp onto hard ground. Captain was under positive taxi-wanding by regional airline ramp personnel. No ground headset was available for communications with ramp personnel. Partway through the clockwise turn; my captain and I saw that the nose gear would have very limited clearance from ramp edge; if any at all. We were making the right turn to taxiway F. Captain stopped the airplane and told regional airline's ZZZ operations office that nose gear would go off the pavement if movement continued. Operations coordinated with ramp personnel and said that nose tires would stay on pavement if turn continued. Ground personnel signaled to continue right turn. We both felt bump as nose tires departed pavement. Note: full right rudder; right tiller; and differential power had been used for all turns! After multi-hour delay for towbar from XXX and company mechanic from YYY; aircraft was freed with no damage. Note: an A320 was also parked on the east end of the ramp. Clearance from it was also tight.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757 NOSEWHEELS EXIT HARD SURFACE WHILE UNDER TAXI GUIDANCE BY INEXPERIENCED MARSHALLERS.

Narrative: ON TAXI OUT FROM RAMP BTWN AIRLINE TERMINAL BUILDING; NOSE TIRES DEPARTED RAMP ONTO HARD GND. CAPT WAS UNDER POSITIVE TAXI-WANDING BY REGIONAL AIRLINE RAMP PERSONNEL. NO GND HEADSET WAS AVAILABLE FOR COMS WITH RAMP PERSONNEL. PARTWAY THROUGH THE CLOCKWISE TURN; MY CAPT AND I SAW THAT THE NOSE GEAR WOULD HAVE VERY LIMITED CLRNC FROM RAMP EDGE; IF ANY AT ALL. WE WERE MAKING THE R TURN TO TXWY F. CAPT STOPPED THE AIRPLANE AND TOLD REGIONAL AIRLINE'S ZZZ OPS OFFICE THAT NOSE GEAR WOULD GO OFF THE PAVEMENT IF MOVEMENT CONTINUED. OPS COORDINATED WITH RAMP PERSONNEL AND SAID THAT NOSE TIRES WOULD STAY ON PAVEMENT IF TURN CONTINUED. GND PERSONNEL SIGNALED TO CONTINUE R TURN. WE BOTH FELT BUMP AS NOSE TIRES DEPARTED PAVEMENT. NOTE: FULL R RUDDER; R TILLER; AND DIFFERENTIAL PWR HAD BEEN USED FOR ALL TURNS! AFTER MULTI-HR DELAY FOR TOWBAR FROM XXX AND COMPANY MECH FROM YYY; ACFT WAS FREED WITH NO DAMAGE. NOTE: AN A320 WAS ALSO PARKED ON THE E END OF THE RAMP. CLRNC FROM IT WAS ALSO TIGHT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.