<< >> NASA ASRS Report 581334, May 2003

A B757 turns the wrong direction at the turning bay at st maarten island when making the 180 degree turn required to back track on the runway.

Attributes
ACN	581334
Time
Date	200305
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : tncm.airport
State Reference	FO
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	ground : taxi landing : roll
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 19000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	581334
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance Environmental Factor Airport
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

We landed at st marten, netherlands, antilles, in the caribbean. We were requested by the tower to use the midfield turn-around area, and expeditiously execute a 180 degree turn on the runway, and exit at taxiway C. We were very close to the turn area when given these instructions during our landing rollout. We were also slightly right of centerline (there was a strong right crosswind). To expedite our runway reversal and exit, we turned left to execute our 180 degree turn. To turn right, as indicated on the NOTAMS and runway view page, we would have had to taxi/roll out to the end of the runway, then reverse direction. In other words, we turned left instead of right to make our turn in order to comply with the tower's request to expedite clearing from the runway. No comment was made from the tower at the time or during our turn-around layover and later departure. No incident was reported as a result of our opposite direction turn.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757 TURNS THE WRONG DIRECTION AT THE TURNING BAY AT ST MAARTEN ISLAND WHEN MAKING THE 180 DEG TURN REQUIRED TO BACK TRACK ON THE RWY.

Narrative: WE LANDED AT ST MARTEN, NETHERLANDS, ANTILLES, IN THE CARIBBEAN. WE WERE REQUESTED BY THE TWR TO USE THE MIDFIELD TURN-AROUND AREA, AND EXPEDITIOUSLY EXECUTE A 180 DEG TURN ON THE RWY, AND EXIT AT TXWY C. WE WERE VERY CLOSE TO THE TURN AREA WHEN GIVEN THESE INSTRUCTIONS DURING OUR LNDG ROLLOUT. WE WERE ALSO SLIGHTLY R OF CTRLINE (THERE WAS A STRONG R XWIND). TO EXPEDITE OUR RWY REVERSAL AND EXIT, WE TURNED L TO EXECUTE OUR 180 DEG TURN. TO TURN R, AS INDICATED ON THE NOTAMS AND RWY VIEW PAGE, WE WOULD HAVE HAD TO TAXI/ROLL OUT TO THE END OF THE RWY, THEN REVERSE DIRECTION. IN OTHER WORDS, WE TURNED L INSTEAD OF R TO MAKE OUR TURN IN ORDER TO COMPLY WITH THE TWR'S REQUEST TO EXPEDITE CLRING FROM THE RWY. NO COMMENT WAS MADE FROM THE TWR AT THE TIME OR DURING OUR TURN-AROUND LAYOVER AND LATER DEP. NO INCIDENT WAS RPTED AS A RESULT OF OUR OPPOSITE DIRECTION TURN.

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.