Large transport making turn on taxiway has nosewheel exit taxiway.

Attributes
ACN	260385
Time
Date	199401
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : cvg
State Reference	OH
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 174 flight time total : 5300 flight time type : 1770
ASRS Report	260385
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

After leaving the deicing area at the ramp, flight left for taxiway D9. On taxiway D9 we were making a left turn on taxiway D. While the captain began to make the turn, I was asked a question from the flight attendant. I turned back to answer her question, turned my head back to the front of the aircraft and realized the nose of the aircraft had left the taxiway. The captain said that the nosewheel did not respond to the turn. We were taxiing extremely slow using only the #1 engine. Engine was shut down, ground notified, and maintenance notified. Maintenance arrived at the aircraft, inspected the aircraft and determined that the nosewheel had just departed the taxiway. No damage was evident to the nosewheel. Maintenance told us to power back the aircraft. It was discussed in the cockpit. I checked my book and could not find a procedure and told the captain. Captain and first officer discussed it. Both had pwred back aircraft before. Decided to power back the aircraft. All engines started, aircraft was pwred back. We taxied back to the gate and wrote up the nosewheel in the aircraft forms. The aircraft was inspected, determined to be okay and the flight continued to fwa. Things learned from this incident: should not have talked to flight attendant during taxi, even though I physically could not do anything to stop the aircraft from skidding. When I see that there is no procedure in the book, you don't think about doing it.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LGT MAKING TURN ON TXWY HAS NOSEWHEEL EXIT TXWY.

Narrative: AFTER LEAVING THE DEICING AREA AT THE RAMP, FLT LEFT FOR TXWY D9. ON TXWY D9 WE WERE MAKING A L TURN ON TXWY D. WHILE THE CAPT BEGAN TO MAKE THE TURN, I WAS ASKED A QUESTION FROM THE FLT ATTENDANT. I TURNED BACK TO ANSWER HER QUESTION, TURNED MY HEAD BACK TO THE FRONT OF THE ACFT AND REALIZED THE NOSE OF THE ACFT HAD LEFT THE TXWY. THE CAPT SAID THAT THE NOSEWHEEL DID NOT RESPOND TO THE TURN. WE WERE TAXIING EXTREMELY SLOW USING ONLY THE #1 ENG. ENG WAS SHUT DOWN, GND NOTIFIED, AND MAINT NOTIFIED. MAINT ARRIVED AT THE ACFT, INSPECTED THE ACFT AND DETERMINED THAT THE NOSEWHEEL HAD JUST DEPARTED THE TXWY. NO DAMAGE WAS EVIDENT TO THE NOSEWHEEL. MAINT TOLD US TO PWR BACK THE ACFT. IT WAS DISCUSSED IN THE COCKPIT. I CHKED MY BOOK AND COULD NOT FIND A PROC AND TOLD THE CAPT. CAPT AND FO DISCUSSED IT. BOTH HAD PWRED BACK ACFT BEFORE. DECIDED TO PWR BACK THE ACFT. ALL ENGS STARTED, ACFT WAS PWRED BACK. WE TAXIED BACK TO THE GATE AND WROTE UP THE NOSEWHEEL IN THE ACFT FORMS. THE ACFT WAS INSPECTED, DETERMINED TO BE OKAY AND THE FLT CONTINUED TO FWA. THINGS LEARNED FROM THIS INCIDENT: SHOULD NOT HAVE TALKED TO FLT ATTENDANT DURING TAXI, EVEN THOUGH I PHYSICALLY COULD NOT DO ANYTHING TO STOP THE ACFT FROM SKIDDING. WHEN I SEE THAT THERE IS NO PROC IN THE BOOK, YOU DON'T THINK ABOUT DOING IT.

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.