Narrative:

The first officer was flying the aircraft. We landed at about 80 KTS. On landing, the captain assumed control. The aircraft started a slight left drift. The captain applied right rudder, and had his left hand on the ground steering tiller. The captain's left knee inadvertently pushed the tiller to the left causing the aircraft to swerve sharply left. Both pilots applied maximum right rudder and right brake. The captain realized he was inadvertently steering left, and moved the tiller back to the right, regaining control. The aircraft almost departed the left side of the runway. The captain should not have touched the ground steering until actually at taxi speed, ready to clear the runway.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-300 CREW NARROWLY AVERTS RWY EXCURSION LNDG AT ATL.

Narrative: THE FO WAS FLYING THE ACFT. WE LANDED AT ABOUT 80 KTS. ON LNDG, THE CAPT ASSUMED CTL. THE ACFT STARTED A SLIGHT L DRIFT. THE CAPT APPLIED R RUDDER, AND HAD HIS L HAND ON THE GND STEERING TILLER. THE CAPT'S L KNEE INADVERTENTLY PUSHED THE TILLER TO THE L CAUSING THE ACFT TO SWERVE SHARPLY L. BOTH PLTS APPLIED MAX R RUDDER AND R BRAKE. THE CAPT REALIZED HE WAS INADVERTENTLY STEERING L, AND MOVED THE TILLER BACK TO THE R, REGAINING CTL. THE ACFT ALMOST DEPARTED THE L SIDE OF THE RWY. THE CAPT SHOULD NOT HAVE TOUCHED THE GND STEERING UNTIL ACTUALLY AT TAXI SPD, READY TO CLR THE RWY.

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.