Narrative:

After landing on runway 34R, we cleared at taxiway D5 and were instructed to taxi via taxiway D, taxiway Y, taxiway Y3 to gate. While taxiing on taxiway Y looking for taxiway Y3, my taxi light illuminated an aircraft parked in front of me on taxiway Y. While concentrating on this parked aircraft and still looking for taxiway Y3, I entered an area of uneven surface on taxiway Y just prior to taxiway Y3. There was no warning of these bumps nor were they visible to me. I describe my speed as moderately slow and I was braking the aircraft at the time. These bumps were so severe that they knocked a light out of its socket in the overhead panel, knocked a bag off the jump seat and onto the floor, shook a latched cabinet in the front galley open and spilled its contents onto the galley floor and, last but not least, I felt I was no longer able to influence the aircraft's direction of travel. While in this section of bumps the aircraft was basically uncontrollable. I increased braking and the severity of bumps increased. The tiller had no effect on our directional control. Locking up the brakes would have stopped us I'm sure, but at what expense I can only guess. Luckily this section of taxiway ended prior to having to turn onto taxiway Y3 and I never had any fear of running into the parked aircraft but the discomfort experienced by passenger and crew was not pleasant. I spoke to the ground control about it and to an airport representative but though both knew of the problem they said the county has no intention of repairing that taxiway at present.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737 TAXIES ON TXWY Y AND FINDS IT TO BE VERY ROUGH AT SMF, CA.

Narrative: AFTER LNDG ON RWY 34R, WE CLRED AT TXWY D5 AND WERE INSTRUCTED TO TAXI VIA TXWY D, TXWY Y, TXWY Y3 TO GATE. WHILE TAXIING ON TXWY Y LOOKING FOR TXWY Y3, MY TAXI LIGHT ILLUMINATED AN ACFT PARKED IN FRONT OF ME ON TXWY Y. WHILE CONCENTRATING ON THIS PARKED ACFT AND STILL LOOKING FOR TXWY Y3, I ENTERED AN AREA OF UNEVEN SURFACE ON TXWY Y JUST PRIOR TO TXWY Y3. THERE WAS NO WARNING OF THESE BUMPS NOR WERE THEY VISIBLE TO ME. I DESCRIBE MY SPD AS MODERATELY SLOW AND I WAS BRAKING THE ACFT AT THE TIME. THESE BUMPS WERE SO SEVERE THAT THEY KNOCKED A LIGHT OUT OF ITS SOCKET IN THE OVERHEAD PANEL, KNOCKED A BAG OFF THE JUMP SEAT AND ONTO THE FLOOR, SHOOK A LATCHED CABINET IN THE FRONT GALLEY OPEN AND SPILLED ITS CONTENTS ONTO THE GALLEY FLOOR AND, LAST BUT NOT LEAST, I FELT I WAS NO LONGER ABLE TO INFLUENCE THE ACFT'S DIRECTION OF TRAVEL. WHILE IN THIS SECTION OF BUMPS THE ACFT WAS BASICALLY UNCTLABLE. I INCREASED BRAKING AND THE SEVERITY OF BUMPS INCREASED. THE TILLER HAD NO EFFECT ON OUR DIRECTIONAL CTL. LOCKING UP THE BRAKES WOULD HAVE STOPPED US I'M SURE, BUT AT WHAT EXPENSE I CAN ONLY GUESS. LUCKILY THIS SECTION OF TXWY ENDED PRIOR TO HAVING TO TURN ONTO TXWY Y3 AND I NEVER HAD ANY FEAR OF RUNNING INTO THE PARKED ACFT BUT THE DISCOMFORT EXPERIENCED BY PAX AND CREW WAS NOT PLEASANT. I SPOKE TO THE GND CTL ABOUT IT AND TO AN ARPT REPRESENTATIVE BUT THOUGH BOTH KNEW OF THE PROB THEY SAID THE COUNTY HAS NO INTENTION OF REPAIRING THAT TXWY AT PRESENT.

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.