Narrative:

On approach briefing for runway 32, we discussed how we expected to exit the runway and taxi to gate. On landing rollout at approximately 40 KTS, tower gave us taxi instructions completely different than we expected, exiting the runway to the left instead of the right. Upon exiting the runway, we missed the sharp left turn onto taxiway P and taxied a short distance down N5 which dead-ends. When we realized our error, ground control told us to wait while county and company 'flagmen' were called to assist in getting us turned around. After the appropriate personnel showed up, we were instructed to taxi down to the turnaround point and follow the marshaller's signals. As we swung the nose through approximately 170 degree of the turn, the marshaller continued to wave us on through, even as we came to a stop with the nosewheel off the taxi surface. A tug was called out, a towbar connected, and the nosewheel brought back onto the taxiway. There are several things that could be done to prevent this from happening again. One would be to bring the aircraft to a full stop when exiting the runway until it can be determined exactly where we are. Another suggestion would be to have a sign where N5 meets taxiway P stating 'air carrier X hangar.' ground control informed us that missing this turn is not an unusual occurrence, and a sign may give an added clue that N5 is not a through taxiway. Lastly, ground personnel should probably be better educated to the fact that a 130000 pound airliner cannot roll through the grass like a toyota. Talking to the marshaller after the incident, I was left with the impression that he was fully aware our nosewheel was going to depart the pavement, but the wheels only had to roll through a few feet of grass before they would be back on the taxiway.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AFTER TAKING A WRONG TURN ONTO A TXWY, AN MD88 FLT CREW TAXIES THE ACFT'S NOSEWHEEL OFF THE TAXI SURFACE WHILE UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF A MARSHALLER AT PIT, PA.

Narrative: ON APCH BRIEFING FOR RWY 32, WE DISCUSSED HOW WE EXPECTED TO EXIT THE RWY AND TAXI TO GATE. ON LNDG ROLLOUT AT APPROX 40 KTS, TWR GAVE US TAXI INSTRUCTIONS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT THAN WE EXPECTED, EXITING THE RWY TO THE L INSTEAD OF THE R. UPON EXITING THE RWY, WE MISSED THE SHARP L TURN ONTO TXWY P AND TAXIED A SHORT DISTANCE DOWN N5 WHICH DEAD-ENDS. WHEN WE REALIZED OUR ERROR, GND CTL TOLD US TO WAIT WHILE COUNTY AND COMPANY 'FLAGMEN' WERE CALLED TO ASSIST IN GETTING US TURNED AROUND. AFTER THE APPROPRIATE PERSONNEL SHOWED UP, WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO TAXI DOWN TO THE TURNAROUND POINT AND FOLLOW THE MARSHALLER'S SIGNALS. AS WE SWUNG THE NOSE THROUGH APPROX 170 DEG OF THE TURN, THE MARSHALLER CONTINUED TO WAVE US ON THROUGH, EVEN AS WE CAME TO A STOP WITH THE NOSEWHEEL OFF THE TAXI SURFACE. A TUG WAS CALLED OUT, A TOWBAR CONNECTED, AND THE NOSEWHEEL BROUGHT BACK ONTO THE TXWY. THERE ARE SEVERAL THINGS THAT COULD BE DONE TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN. ONE WOULD BE TO BRING THE ACFT TO A FULL STOP WHEN EXITING THE RWY UNTIL IT CAN BE DETERMINED EXACTLY WHERE WE ARE. ANOTHER SUGGESTION WOULD BE TO HAVE A SIGN WHERE N5 MEETS TXWY P STATING 'ACR X HANGAR.' GND CTL INFORMED US THAT MISSING THIS TURN IS NOT AN UNUSUAL OCCURRENCE, AND A SIGN MAY GIVE AN ADDED CLUE THAT N5 IS NOT A THROUGH TXWY. LASTLY, GND PERSONNEL SHOULD PROBABLY BE BETTER EDUCATED TO THE FACT THAT A 130000 LB AIRLINER CANNOT ROLL THROUGH THE GRASS LIKE A TOYOTA. TALKING TO THE MARSHALLER AFTER THE INCIDENT, I WAS LEFT WITH THE IMPRESSION THAT HE WAS FULLY AWARE OUR NOSEWHEEL WAS GOING TO DEPART THE PAVEMENT, BUT THE WHEELS ONLY HAD TO ROLL THROUGH A FEW FEET OF GRASS BEFORE THEY WOULD BE BACK ON THE TXWY.

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.