Narrative:

During taxi to runway 9 at cdg, I felt a slight bump as the captain was executing a right turn onto another taxiway. As we continued, the crew discussed what might have occurred. I did not think we had departed the hard surface, but that it was possible we had caught the edge. The momentum of the aircraft at idle power was constant and normal as we experienced the sensation of the bump. During the remainder of the taxi, the aircraft felt and responded normally. Based on these facts, I believed the integrity of the tire and the safety of the flight was not compromised. The subsequent takeoff, cruise flight and landing were normal. On the next day, I was advised that the mechanic found dirt in the wheel well and changed 1 tire. This problem arose in part because cdg is an extremely difficult airport to taxi on due to limited taxiway markings, numerous 1-WAY only txwys, and limited taxi instructions. Unfortunately, as a crew, we all felt due to the benign nature of the bump sensation that it was not possible anything could have happened to the tire. This was not our judgement to make. We should have called maintenance and had it inspected. Sometimes your experience can work against you as there are sits that do not fall into what should normally happen. At these times it is important to stop and evaluate everything. Supplemental information from acn 448965: the captain and flying copilot had some discussion as to whether we had actually departed the hard surface. Both seemed confident aircraft was ok, and we continued for takeoff. I asked 'do you guys think we damaged anything?' and again they said 'no.' landing was normal and uneventful. After landing, we were informed that 3 of the 4 tires on the right main landing gear truck needed to be replaced and a large amount of dirt was found in the wheel well area. Contributing factors: I was suffering from sinus cold and although I felt fit to fly, I was not 100%. My not advocating a concern about the bump. Complacency: this was day 7 of an 8 day trip. Corrective action: I will be more involved in advocating and proper wording of any concern about aircraft status in the future. Also, I will more quickly be apt to call in sick even while at a foreign station. Supplemental information from acn 448812: we felt a slight bump during a 90 degree turn. The purser inquired about the bump and I advised the relief first officer to tell the purser in layman's terms that it was 'nothing more than a pothole.' my feeling is that I completed the 90 degree turn, remaining at all times on hard surface. The taxiway I turned onto was where I believed ground control wanted me to turn, even though the one just prior would have only involved a 45 degree turn to transition to the parallel. The one I turned onto was more narrow, also. My suggestion is for paris to have substantially clrer marked txwys and for ground control to be more specific in taxi instructions and directions. I also should have advocated or inquired about a wider taxiway before passing it. If indeed we cut the corner onto the dirt during the turn, we should have stopped to have it inspected. The crew, however, felt sure there was no safety issue or damage or danger involved, and that the bump we felt was insignificant.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B767-300 CONTINUES ITS TAXI FOR TKOF AFTER TAXIING OFF THE CONCRETE AT LFPG, FO.

Narrative: DURING TAXI TO RWY 9 AT CDG, I FELT A SLIGHT BUMP AS THE CAPT WAS EXECUTING A R TURN ONTO ANOTHER TXWY. AS WE CONTINUED, THE CREW DISCUSSED WHAT MIGHT HAVE OCCURRED. I DID NOT THINK WE HAD DEPARTED THE HARD SURFACE, BUT THAT IT WAS POSSIBLE WE HAD CAUGHT THE EDGE. THE MOMENTUM OF THE ACFT AT IDLE PWR WAS CONSTANT AND NORMAL AS WE EXPERIENCED THE SENSATION OF THE BUMP. DURING THE REMAINDER OF THE TAXI, THE ACFT FELT AND RESPONDED NORMALLY. BASED ON THESE FACTS, I BELIEVED THE INTEGRITY OF THE TIRE AND THE SAFETY OF THE FLT WAS NOT COMPROMISED. THE SUBSEQUENT TKOF, CRUISE FLT AND LNDG WERE NORMAL. ON THE NEXT DAY, I WAS ADVISED THAT THE MECH FOUND DIRT IN THE WHEEL WELL AND CHANGED 1 TIRE. THIS PROB AROSE IN PART BECAUSE CDG IS AN EXTREMELY DIFFICULT ARPT TO TAXI ON DUE TO LIMITED TXWY MARKINGS, NUMEROUS 1-WAY ONLY TXWYS, AND LIMITED TAXI INSTRUCTIONS. UNFORTUNATELY, AS A CREW, WE ALL FELT DUE TO THE BENIGN NATURE OF THE BUMP SENSATION THAT IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE ANYTHING COULD HAVE HAPPENED TO THE TIRE. THIS WAS NOT OUR JUDGEMENT TO MAKE. WE SHOULD HAVE CALLED MAINT AND HAD IT INSPECTED. SOMETIMES YOUR EXPERIENCE CAN WORK AGAINST YOU AS THERE ARE SITS THAT DO NOT FALL INTO WHAT SHOULD NORMALLY HAPPEN. AT THESE TIMES IT IS IMPORTANT TO STOP AND EVALUATE EVERYTHING. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 448965: THE CAPT AND FLYING COPLT HAD SOME DISCUSSION AS TO WHETHER WE HAD ACTUALLY DEPARTED THE HARD SURFACE. BOTH SEEMED CONFIDENT ACFT WAS OK, AND WE CONTINUED FOR TKOF. I ASKED 'DO YOU GUYS THINK WE DAMAGED ANYTHING?' AND AGAIN THEY SAID 'NO.' LNDG WAS NORMAL AND UNEVENTFUL. AFTER LNDG, WE WERE INFORMED THAT 3 OF THE 4 TIRES ON THE R MAIN LNDG GEAR TRUCK NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND A LARGE AMOUNT OF DIRT WAS FOUND IN THE WHEEL WELL AREA. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: I WAS SUFFERING FROM SINUS COLD AND ALTHOUGH I FELT FIT TO FLY, I WAS NOT 100%. MY NOT ADVOCATING A CONCERN ABOUT THE BUMP. COMPLACENCY: THIS WAS DAY 7 Of AN 8 DAY TRIP. CORRECTIVE ACTION: I WILL BE MORE INVOLVED IN ADVOCATING AND PROPER WORDING OF ANY CONCERN ABOUT ACFT STATUS IN THE FUTURE. ALSO, I WILL MORE QUICKLY BE APT TO CALL IN SICK EVEN WHILE AT A FOREIGN STATION. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 448812: WE FELT A SLIGHT BUMP DURING A 90 DEG TURN. THE PURSER INQUIRED ABOUT THE BUMP AND I ADVISED THE RELIEF FO TO TELL THE PURSER IN LAYMAN'S TERMS THAT IT WAS 'NOTHING MORE THAN A POTHOLE.' MY FEELING IS THAT I COMPLETED THE 90 DEG TURN, REMAINING AT ALL TIMES ON HARD SURFACE. THE TXWY I TURNED ONTO WAS WHERE I BELIEVED GND CTL WANTED ME TO TURN, EVEN THOUGH THE ONE JUST PRIOR WOULD HAVE ONLY INVOLVED A 45 DEG TURN TO TRANSITION TO THE PARALLEL. THE ONE I TURNED ONTO WAS MORE NARROW, ALSO. MY SUGGESTION IS FOR PARIS TO HAVE SUBSTANTIALLY CLRER MARKED TXWYS AND FOR GND CTL TO BE MORE SPECIFIC IN TAXI INSTRUCTIONS AND DIRECTIONS. I ALSO SHOULD HAVE ADVOCATED OR INQUIRED ABOUT A WIDER TXWY BEFORE PASSING IT. IF INDEED WE CUT THE CORNER ONTO THE DIRT DURING THE TURN, WE SHOULD HAVE STOPPED TO HAVE IT INSPECTED. THE CREW, HOWEVER, FELT SURE THERE WAS NO SAFETY ISSUE OR DAMAGE OR DANGER INVOLVED, AND THAT THE BUMP WE FELT WAS INSIGNIFICANT.

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.