Air carrier large transport ramp excursion during powerback.

Attributes
ACN	94069
Time
Date	198809
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : rdu
State Reference	NC
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : second officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 170 flight time total : 4000 flight time type : 500
ASRS Report	94069
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

During powerback at rdu, flight powered off ramp onto asphalt area with taxiway edge lights. One blue edge light was broken by right main gear tire. Ramp is sloped (see description on back). Guideman gave captain forward thrust signal. Captain moved throttles forward, but aircraft continued to roll aft. Felt aircraft go off ramp as company ramp control called on the radio that we were going off the ramp. Captain moved throttles forward further and we did not go into the grass. We did, however, hit the taxiway light. Maintenance checked the tires and the flight continued. Guideman watched the entire sequence but other than giving the come forward signal, he basically stood there with his hands on his hips while we were rolling off the ramp. Had the guideman continued to give the same forward signal or signaled us to stop, this event would not have taken place. Suggest at all limited ramp areas where powerbacks occur, a line should be painted on the ramp that the crew could use as a powerback limit.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LGT RAMP EXCURSION DURING POWERBACK.

Narrative: DURING POWERBACK AT RDU, FLT POWERED OFF RAMP ONTO ASPHALT AREA WITH TXWY EDGE LIGHTS. ONE BLUE EDGE LIGHT WAS BROKEN BY RIGHT MAIN GEAR TIRE. RAMP IS SLOPED (SEE DESCRIPTION ON BACK). GUIDEMAN GAVE CAPT FORWARD THRUST SIGNAL. CAPT MOVED THROTTLES FORWARD, BUT ACFT CONTINUED TO ROLL AFT. FELT ACFT GO OFF RAMP AS COMPANY RAMP CTL CALLED ON THE RADIO THAT WE WERE GOING OFF THE RAMP. CAPT MOVED THROTTLES FORWARD FURTHER AND WE DID NOT GO INTO THE GRASS. WE DID, HOWEVER, HIT THE TXWY LIGHT. MAINT CHKED THE TIRES AND THE FLT CONTINUED. GUIDEMAN WATCHED THE ENTIRE SEQUENCE BUT OTHER THAN GIVING THE COME FORWARD SIGNAL, HE BASICALLY STOOD THERE WITH HIS HANDS ON HIS HIPS WHILE WE WERE ROLLING OFF THE RAMP. HAD THE GUIDEMAN CONTINUED TO GIVE THE SAME FORWARD SIGNAL OR SIGNALED US TO STOP, THIS EVENT WOULD NOT HAVE TAKEN PLACE. SUGGEST AT ALL LIMITED RAMP AREAS WHERE POWERBACKS OCCUR, A LINE SHOULD BE PAINTED ON THE RAMP THAT THE CREW COULD USE AS A POWERBACK LIMIT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.