Narrative:

I was PIC of an heavy transport freighter operating from fwa on the date of the incident. WX at the time of departure was 300' overcast with 1 1/2 mi visibility in rain and fog. The wind was given as 060 degrees at 8 KTS on the ATIS, however at taxi-out the wind velocity had increased. The active runway was given as runway 5. Runway 5 has neither a parallel taxiway nor a turn-around area, making a back-taxi with a 180 degree turn on the runway necessary. The runway is 150' wide. The heavy transport is 187'5' long, has a 148'5' wing span, and has the main landing gear located approximately 80' behind the pilot. This version of the heavy transport is equipped with a non-swiveling main landing gear, and the nose wheel maximum steering angle has been reduced to 67 degrees, resulting in an optimum turn radius of 132'. No portion of the wing or landing gear is in view during taxi. Additionally, in order to accomplish a 180 degree turn on a 150' wide runway, both engines on the outside of the turn must be extended well over the dirt on the side of the runway, which places the inboard engine in very close proximity to the runway lights. These factors have all played a part in at least 2 other runway excursions involving company aircraft while attempting a 180 degree turn on runway 5 at fwa within the past 2 yrs. While waiting for the aircraft loading to be completed I took all of these facts into consideration and elected to request runway 14 foe departure. I then contacted ground control and asked if an alternate taxi route via runway 27 would be available (if not, a 180 degree turn onto runway 14 would also be required). I was advised that route would not available as aircraft had been parked on the closed runway 27. No options now existed for a departure into the wind west/O making a back-taxi and a 180 degree turn in close quarters. The surface wind was now being given to other departing aircraft on the frequency far in excess of the maximum 10 KT tailwind approved for our operation on runway 23. When my turn to back-taxi down runway 5 came, I turned on all landing, taxi and ground wing lights and cleared the windshield by means of bleed air rain removal. As I approached the end of runway 5, another aircraft came on the tower frequency and reported inbound on the ILS to runway 5. The tower acknowledged him and immediately cleared me for takeoff. I had not yet executed the 180 degree turn into position on runway 5. As I started my turn-around, I was concerned about the proximity of the other aircraft and was having some difficulty seeing through a once again rain covered windshield. (Once the turn is initiated it is impossible to release the nose wheel steering to reapply bleed air rain removal as the nose steering is self-centering.) at some point in the turn the outcome, in my opinion, was doubtful and in light of the fact that the other aircraft was inbound to this runway under conditions of low ceiling and visibility, I elected to reverse the engines and back the aircraft slightly to allow more room to align it with the runway and expedite my departure. As I backed the aircraft, the left main gear and the aft 2 tires of the right main gear exited the runway and the aircraft became stuck. I must say here that reverse taxi is not an approved maneuver in the heavy transport, however the reason it was never approved was due to the original swiveling main gear and, as I stated earlier, this model heavy transport has a fixed main gear.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR HVT ON CARGO LFT IS COMPELLED TO ATTEMPT A 180 DEGREE TURN AT THE END OF RWY 5 AT FWA FOR TKOF DUE TO ADVERSE WIND AND INCLEMENT WX. ACFT LEAVES TXWY AND GETS STUCK DURING TURN WHILE ANOTHER ACFT WAS ON FINAL APCH.

Narrative: I WAS PIC OF AN HVT FREIGHTER OPERATING FROM FWA ON THE DATE OF THE INCIDENT. WX AT THE TIME OF DEP WAS 300' OVCST WITH 1 1/2 MI VISIBILITY IN RAIN AND FOG. THE WIND WAS GIVEN AS 060 DEGS AT 8 KTS ON THE ATIS, HOWEVER AT TAXI-OUT THE WIND VELOCITY HAD INCREASED. THE ACTIVE RWY WAS GIVEN AS RWY 5. RWY 5 HAS NEITHER A PARALLEL TXWY NOR A TURN-AROUND AREA, MAKING A BACK-TAXI WITH A 180 DEG TURN ON THE RWY NECESSARY. THE RWY IS 150' WIDE. THE HVT IS 187'5' LONG, HAS A 148'5' WING SPAN, AND HAS THE MAIN LNDG GEAR LOCATED APPROX 80' BEHIND THE PLT. THIS VERSION OF THE HVT IS EQUIPPED WITH A NON-SWIVELING MAIN LNDG GEAR, AND THE NOSE WHEEL MAX STEERING ANGLE HAS BEEN REDUCED TO 67 DEGS, RESULTING IN AN OPTIMUM TURN RADIUS OF 132'. NO PORTION OF THE WING OR LNDG GEAR IS IN VIEW DURING TAXI. ADDITIONALLY, IN ORDER TO ACCOMPLISH A 180 DEG TURN ON A 150' WIDE RWY, BOTH ENGS ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE TURN MUST BE EXTENDED WELL OVER THE DIRT ON THE SIDE OF THE RWY, WHICH PLACES THE INBOARD ENG IN VERY CLOSE PROX TO THE RWY LIGHTS. THESE FACTORS HAVE ALL PLAYED A PART IN AT LEAST 2 OTHER RWY EXCURSIONS INVOLVING COMPANY ACFT WHILE ATTEMPTING A 180 DEG TURN ON RWY 5 AT FWA WITHIN THE PAST 2 YRS. WHILE WAITING FOR THE ACFT LOADING TO BE COMPLETED I TOOK ALL OF THESE FACTS INTO CONSIDERATION AND ELECTED TO REQUEST RWY 14 FOE DEP. I THEN CONTACTED GND CTL AND ASKED IF AN ALTERNATE TAXI ROUTE VIA RWY 27 WOULD BE AVAILABLE (IF NOT, A 180 DEG TURN ONTO RWY 14 WOULD ALSO BE REQUIRED). I WAS ADVISED THAT ROUTE WOULD NOT AVAILABLE AS ACFT HAD BEEN PARKED ON THE CLOSED RWY 27. NO OPTIONS NOW EXISTED FOR A DEP INTO THE WIND W/O MAKING A BACK-TAXI AND A 180 DEG TURN IN CLOSE QUARTERS. THE SURFACE WIND WAS NOW BEING GIVEN TO OTHER DEPARTING ACFT ON THE FREQ FAR IN EXCESS OF THE MAX 10 KT TAILWIND APPROVED FOR OUR OPERATION ON RWY 23. WHEN MY TURN TO BACK-TAXI DOWN RWY 5 CAME, I TURNED ON ALL LNDG, TAXI AND GND WING LIGHTS AND CLRED THE WINDSHIELD BY MEANS OF BLEED AIR RAIN REMOVAL. AS I APCHED THE END OF RWY 5, ANOTHER ACFT CAME ON THE TWR FREQ AND RPTED INBND ON THE ILS TO RWY 5. THE TWR ACKNOWLEDGED HIM AND IMMEDIATELY CLRED ME FOR TKOF. I HAD NOT YET EXECUTED THE 180 DEG TURN INTO POS ON RWY 5. AS I STARTED MY TURN-AROUND, I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE PROX OF THE OTHER ACFT AND WAS HAVING SOME DIFFICULTY SEEING THROUGH A ONCE AGAIN RAIN COVERED WINDSHIELD. (ONCE THE TURN IS INITIATED IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO RELEASE THE NOSE WHEEL STEERING TO REAPPLY BLEED AIR RAIN REMOVAL AS THE NOSE STEERING IS SELF-CENTERING.) AT SOME POINT IN THE TURN THE OUTCOME, IN MY OPINION, WAS DOUBTFUL AND IN LIGHT OF THE FACT THAT THE OTHER ACFT WAS INBND TO THIS RWY UNDER CONDITIONS OF LOW CEILING AND VISIBILITY, I ELECTED TO REVERSE THE ENGS AND BACK THE ACFT SLIGHTLY TO ALLOW MORE ROOM TO ALIGN IT WITH THE RWY AND EXPEDITE MY DEP. AS I BACKED THE ACFT, THE LEFT MAIN GEAR AND THE AFT 2 TIRES OF THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR EXITED THE RWY AND THE ACFT BECAME STUCK. I MUST SAY HERE THAT REVERSE TAXI IS NOT AN APPROVED MANEUVER IN THE HVT, HOWEVER THE REASON IT WAS NEVER APPROVED WAS DUE TO THE ORIGINAL SWIVELING MAIN GEAR AND, AS I STATED EARLIER, THIS MODEL HVT HAS A FIXED MAIN GEAR.

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.