Narrative:

Our flight was scheduled from tys to atl. We were cleared to taxi to runway 23L. We were on taxiway a approaching the departure end of runway 23L. There was a light civil aircraft on taxiway A9. Tower asked if we could get around that aircraft. We replied negative. Tower then cleared us to use taxiway A8 and back taxi to the end of runway 23L. I made a left turn onto taxiway A8 followed by a right turn onto runway 23L. At approximately 60 degrees through this turn we felt the aircraft shudder slightly and come to a stop and leaning slightly to the right. We asked tower if our right main gear had gone off the taxiway. They said that it appeared to them it had. We called the ramp for a tug. We informed our passenger of what had happened and then called our dispatcher in atl via radio. When the tug and ground crew arrived they confirmed that our right main gear had gone in the grass approximately 3 ft from the edge of the taxiway at the corner of taxiway A8 and runway 23L. The initial tire depth in the grass was approximately 6 inches. As we gathered more information from our ground crew on the condition of our right gear, it was noted that the tires were slowly sinking in the grass and mud underneath. It became apparent that we would not attempt to power out or use the tug. The tire ended up sinking another 3-4 inches according to our ground crew. Throughout this whole event, we were in radio contact with our dispatcher and our maintenance coordinator. We all agreed that the safest course of action would be to deplane our passenger and unload our cargo. This was accomplished when the buses arrived to take our passenger to the terminal. Another aircraft was dispatched from atl to accommodate our passenger, along with a maintenance team to inspect the aircraft. The maintenance team inspected the aircraft and found no damage. They placed steel plates in front of the right tires and towed the aircraft back onto the hard surface. We had no injuries or aircraft damaged. Lessons learned: although I have over 5000 hours in the B727, I have only 85 hours in the left seat as a new captain. All of my former taxiing experience has been on fighter size aircraft. My plan was to back taxi down on the copilot's side of the runway and make the 180 degree turn to the left. I misjudged the turn from the taxiway onto the runway, resulting in the right main gear going off the edge of the hard surface. I think it is also important to note that, embarrassing as it is to be in a hole, it is best not to dig that hole deeper by trying to power out or pull the aircraft out with passenger on board. That risks injury or aircraft damage. Preventive recommendations: I think adding more emphasis on tips for taxiing the aircraft to our training program and on our IOE with our line check airman, who help new capts. This could include these sits of making short radius turns and 180S, that we normally don't see until we need to do them.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF B727 DURING TAXI HAS R MAIN GEAR EXIT THE TXWY AND BECOME MIRED IN THE GRASS AND MUD. PAX DEPLANED AND ACFT TOWED OUT.

Narrative: OUR FLT WAS SCHEDULED FROM TYS TO ATL. WE WERE CLRED TO TAXI TO RWY 23L. WE WERE ON TXWY A APCHING THE DEP END OF RWY 23L. THERE WAS A LIGHT CIVIL ACFT ON TXWY A9. TWR ASKED IF WE COULD GET AROUND THAT ACFT. WE REPLIED NEGATIVE. TWR THEN CLRED US TO USE TXWY A8 AND BACK TAXI TO THE END OF RWY 23L. I MADE A L TURN ONTO TXWY A8 FOLLOWED BY A R TURN ONTO RWY 23L. AT APPROX 60 DEGS THROUGH THIS TURN WE FELT THE ACFT SHUDDER SLIGHTLY AND COME TO A STOP AND LEANING SLIGHTLY TO THE R. WE ASKED TWR IF OUR R MAIN GEAR HAD GONE OFF THE TXWY. THEY SAID THAT IT APPEARED TO THEM IT HAD. WE CALLED THE RAMP FOR A TUG. WE INFORMED OUR PAX OF WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND THEN CALLED OUR DISPATCHER IN ATL VIA RADIO. WHEN THE TUG AND GND CREW ARRIVED THEY CONFIRMED THAT OUR R MAIN GEAR HAD GONE IN THE GRASS APPROX 3 FT FROM THE EDGE OF THE TXWY AT THE CORNER OF TXWY A8 AND RWY 23L. THE INITIAL TIRE DEPTH IN THE GRASS WAS APPROX 6 INCHES. AS WE GATHERED MORE INFO FROM OUR GND CREW ON THE CONDITION OF OUR R GEAR, IT WAS NOTED THAT THE TIRES WERE SLOWLY SINKING IN THE GRASS AND MUD UNDERNEATH. IT BECAME APPARENT THAT WE WOULD NOT ATTEMPT TO PWR OUT OR USE THE TUG. THE TIRE ENDED UP SINKING ANOTHER 3-4 INCHES ACCORDING TO OUR GND CREW. THROUGHOUT THIS WHOLE EVENT, WE WERE IN RADIO CONTACT WITH OUR DISPATCHER AND OUR MAINT COORDINATOR. WE ALL AGREED THAT THE SAFEST COURSE OF ACTION WOULD BE TO DEPLANE OUR PAX AND UNLOAD OUR CARGO. THIS WAS ACCOMPLISHED WHEN THE BUSES ARRIVED TO TAKE OUR PAX TO THE TERMINAL. ANOTHER ACFT WAS DISPATCHED FROM ATL TO ACCOMMODATE OUR PAX, ALONG WITH A MAINT TEAM TO INSPECT THE ACFT. THE MAINT TEAM INSPECTED THE ACFT AND FOUND NO DAMAGE. THEY PLACED STEEL PLATES IN FRONT OF THE R TIRES AND TOWED THE ACFT BACK ONTO THE HARD SURFACE. WE HAD NO INJURIES OR ACFT DAMAGED. LESSONS LEARNED: ALTHOUGH I HAVE OVER 5000 HRS IN THE B727, I HAVE ONLY 85 HRS IN THE L SEAT AS A NEW CAPT. ALL OF MY FORMER TAXIING EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN ON FIGHTER SIZE ACFT. MY PLAN WAS TO BACK TAXI DOWN ON THE COPLT'S SIDE OF THE RWY AND MAKE THE 180 DEG TURN TO THE L. I MISJUDGED THE TURN FROM THE TXWY ONTO THE RWY, RESULTING IN THE R MAIN GEAR GOING OFF THE EDGE OF THE HARD SURFACE. I THINK IT IS ALSO IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT, EMBARRASSING AS IT IS TO BE IN A HOLE, IT IS BEST NOT TO DIG THAT HOLE DEEPER BY TRYING TO PWR OUT OR PULL THE ACFT OUT WITH PAX ON BOARD. THAT RISKS INJURY OR ACFT DAMAGE. PREVENTIVE RECOMMENDATIONS: I THINK ADDING MORE EMPHASIS ON TIPS FOR TAXIING THE ACFT TO OUR TRAINING PROGRAM AND ON OUR IOE WITH OUR LINE CHK AIRMAN, WHO HELP NEW CAPTS. THIS COULD INCLUDE THESE SITS OF MAKING SHORT RADIUS TURNS AND 180S, THAT WE NORMALLY DON'T SEE UNTIL WE NEED TO DO THEM.

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.