An air carrier BA32 (J3200) captain allowed his right landing gear to drop off of a narrow taxiway.

Attributes
ACN	359993
Time
Date	199702
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mwa
State Reference	IL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Jetstream 32
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 6100 flight time type : 210
ASRS Report	359993
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 172 flight time total : 1750 flight time type : 223
ASRS Report	360198
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation
Situations
Airport	other physical facility

Narrative:

During taxi to runway, a zigzag (right turn followed by left turn) was made. The right landing gear dropped off the edge of the taxiway, in part because of my hand slipping off of the tiller. The larger tillers had been replaced by smaller ones. These smaller ones required much more force than the old ones. This, along with a 35 ft wide taxiway, resulted in the incident. No damage was done to the aircraft. Supplemental information from acn 360198: ground had our clearance so I began to copy it down. I did not look up. I felt a slight movement of the aircraft to one side. I looked up to find the aircraft off center and the right main in the grass, stuck in mud. Taxiway is approximately 35 ft wide which leaves approximately 4 ft from main tire to taxiway edge. Captain and first officer given line checks. FAA was notified.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR BA32 (J3200) CAPT ALLOWED HIS R LNDG GEAR TO DROP OFF OF A NARROW TXWY.

Narrative: DURING TAXI TO RWY, A ZIGZAG (R TURN FOLLOWED BY L TURN) WAS MADE. THE R LNDG GEAR DROPPED OFF THE EDGE OF THE TXWY, IN PART BECAUSE OF MY HAND SLIPPING OFF OF THE TILLER. THE LARGER TILLERS HAD BEEN REPLACED BY SMALLER ONES. THESE SMALLER ONES REQUIRED MUCH MORE FORCE THAN THE OLD ONES. THIS, ALONG WITH A 35 FT WIDE TXWY, RESULTED IN THE INCIDENT. NO DAMAGE WAS DONE TO THE ACFT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 360198: GND HAD OUR CLRNC SO I BEGAN TO COPY IT DOWN. I DID NOT LOOK UP. I FELT A SLIGHT MOVEMENT OF THE ACFT TO ONE SIDE. I LOOKED UP TO FIND THE ACFT OFF CTR AND THE R MAIN IN THE GRASS, STUCK IN MUD. TXWY IS APPROX 35 FT WIDE WHICH LEAVES APPROX 4 FT FROM MAIN TIRE TO TXWY EDGE. CAPT AND FO GIVEN LINE CHKS. FAA WAS NOTIFIED.

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.