Flight crew of MD80 has 1 main tire off taxiway surface at ara.

Attributes
ACN	425636
Time
Date	199901
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ara
State Reference	LA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 40 flight time total : 10000
ASRS Report	425636
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

The captain and I ferried our MD80 to new iberia, la, (ara) for paint, and arrived after dark. Neither the captain or I had ever been into this airport, so we asked for progressive taxi instructions, noting that the taxiway lights were OTS. The airport is served by a primary ns runway with a parallel taxiway, which has 2 stub txwys to the ramp. The ground controller instructed us to turn left at the first taxiway, which we took to be the first turn available as indicated on the commercial airport diagram. Not depicted on the airport diagram, and just north of the taxiway, was a compass rose adjustment pad. As we turned left onto the centerline, it became apparent to me that this was not a taxiway, and I said 'this isn't right, it's a compass rose.' as the captain looked at our options, he maneuvered the aircraft to see if there was enough room to make a 180 degree turn. It did not appear to be enough, so we shut down and called for towing assistance. While waiting for the tug I lowered the airstairs and went out for a look and found our right main partially off the paved surface. We were towed onto the ramp and the aircraft was inspected to ensure that no damage had occurred.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF MD80 HAS 1 MAIN TIRE OFF TXWY SURFACE AT ARA.

Narrative: THE CAPT AND I FERRIED OUR MD80 TO NEW IBERIA, LA, (ARA) FOR PAINT, AND ARRIVED AFTER DARK. NEITHER THE CAPT OR I HAD EVER BEEN INTO THIS ARPT, SO WE ASKED FOR PROGRESSIVE TAXI INSTRUCTIONS, NOTING THAT THE TXWY LIGHTS WERE OTS. THE ARPT IS SERVED BY A PRIMARY NS RWY WITH A PARALLEL TXWY, WHICH HAS 2 STUB TXWYS TO THE RAMP. THE GND CTLR INSTRUCTED US TO TURN L AT THE FIRST TXWY, WHICH WE TOOK TO BE THE FIRST TURN AVAILABLE AS INDICATED ON THE COMMERCIAL ARPT DIAGRAM. NOT DEPICTED ON THE ARPT DIAGRAM, AND JUST N OF THE TXWY, WAS A COMPASS ROSE ADJUSTMENT PAD. AS WE TURNED L ONTO THE CTRLINE, IT BECAME APPARENT TO ME THAT THIS WAS NOT A TXWY, AND I SAID 'THIS ISN'T RIGHT, IT'S A COMPASS ROSE.' AS THE CAPT LOOKED AT OUR OPTIONS, HE MANEUVERED THE ACFT TO SEE IF THERE WAS ENOUGH ROOM TO MAKE A 180 DEG TURN. IT DID NOT APPEAR TO BE ENOUGH, SO WE SHUT DOWN AND CALLED FOR TOWING ASSISTANCE. WHILE WAITING FOR THE TUG I LOWERED THE AIRSTAIRS AND WENT OUT FOR A LOOK AND FOUND OUR R MAIN PARTIALLY OFF THE PAVED SURFACE. WE WERE TOWED ONTO THE RAMP AND THE ACFT WAS INSPECTED TO ENSURE THAT NO DAMAGE HAD OCCURRED.

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.