Narrative:

I was captain on flight abc from atl to jan. It was nighttime; and the WX was nice: clear below 12000 ft; temperature 17 degrees C; winds 110 degrees/10 KTS. Runway 16L was in use and it was dry with good braking action. The aircraft was in good shape with no discrepancies noted for approach or landing. The first officer was conducting the approach and landing. After briefing the approach and looking over the airport diagram (my first time in there as captain and first time since an first officer on the MD88 which had to be at least 7-8 yrs) I noticed that would likely be taking C-3 to exit the runway and that turning onto taxiway C would be a very tight turn (about 130 degrees) but it was the only way to our ramp unless I went through another airline's ramp. There was no page note concerning this turn. I briefed the first officer of this observation and announced our highest threat would be the taxi in due to unfamiliarity; dark sky conditions and that tight turn. The approach; landing and exit off the runway were conducted normally. Control of aircraft was executed as the first officer turned toward the C-3 exit at normal taxi speed and was conducted normally. As I approached the intersection of C-3 and taxiway C I was on centerline and had even taxied forward a little more than usual to conduct the turn onto taxiway C from C-3. I knew I had to put in a good turn and did so and proceeded to taxi as I normally would. During the turn I felt something odd and immediately stopped. The right wing appeared to be down about 3 degrees and I knew that something was not right. I suspected I either taxied the right main off the hard surface or we had a flat. Whatever it was; I wasn't moving any further and we called ground to tell them so. We called operations and informed them we needed someone to come out and inspect our right main gear to see what's up. Safety crews from the crash team came out to investigate as well as our own operations personnel. I informed the passenger what I suspected and the presence of safety vehicles was not an emergency; etc. As the crews made their way to the aircraft we started the APU and shut down the right engine. The situation was verified by the fire chief that we had indeed departed the hard surface of the taxiway right at the throat to the intersection of C-3 and taxiway C. The tire was just off the hard surface and the fire chief made a comment that I could just power my way back onto it. My first officer and I elected to be prudent and decided that was not a good idea so we denied that request and shut down the left engine as well. Immediately after shutting down the left engine we called the duty pilot via cell phone and made him the point man for our concern. He called dispatch; assistant chief pilot and other appropriate personnel. Jan operations decided they could hook a tug up and pull us out since everything was in good shape.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD88 FLT CREW HAS A TXWY EXCURSION AT JAN.

Narrative: I WAS CAPT ON FLT ABC FROM ATL TO JAN. IT WAS NIGHTTIME; AND THE WX WAS NICE: CLR BELOW 12000 FT; TEMP 17 DEGS C; WINDS 110 DEGS/10 KTS. RWY 16L WAS IN USE AND IT WAS DRY WITH GOOD BRAKING ACTION. THE ACFT WAS IN GOOD SHAPE WITH NO DISCREPANCIES NOTED FOR APCH OR LNDG. THE FO WAS CONDUCTING THE APCH AND LNDG. AFTER BRIEFING THE APCH AND LOOKING OVER THE ARPT DIAGRAM (MY FIRST TIME IN THERE AS CAPT AND FIRST TIME SINCE AN FO ON THE MD88 WHICH HAD TO BE AT LEAST 7-8 YRS) I NOTICED THAT WOULD LIKELY BE TAKING C-3 TO EXIT THE RWY AND THAT TURNING ONTO TXWY C WOULD BE A VERY TIGHT TURN (ABOUT 130 DEGS) BUT IT WAS THE ONLY WAY TO OUR RAMP UNLESS I WENT THROUGH ANOTHER AIRLINE'S RAMP. THERE WAS NO PAGE NOTE CONCERNING THIS TURN. I BRIEFED THE FO OF THIS OBSERVATION AND ANNOUNCED OUR HIGHEST THREAT WOULD BE THE TAXI IN DUE TO UNFAMILIARITY; DARK SKY CONDITIONS AND THAT TIGHT TURN. THE APCH; LNDG AND EXIT OFF THE RWY WERE CONDUCTED NORMALLY. CTL OF ACFT WAS EXECUTED AS THE FO TURNED TOWARD THE C-3 EXIT AT NORMAL TAXI SPD AND WAS CONDUCTED NORMALLY. AS I APCHED THE INTXN OF C-3 AND TXWY C I WAS ON CTRLINE AND HAD EVEN TAXIED FORWARD A LITTLE MORE THAN USUAL TO CONDUCT THE TURN ONTO TXWY C FROM C-3. I KNEW I HAD TO PUT IN A GOOD TURN AND DID SO AND PROCEEDED TO TAXI AS I NORMALLY WOULD. DURING THE TURN I FELT SOMETHING ODD AND IMMEDIATELY STOPPED. THE R WING APPEARED TO BE DOWN ABOUT 3 DEGS AND I KNEW THAT SOMETHING WAS NOT RIGHT. I SUSPECTED I EITHER TAXIED THE R MAIN OFF THE HARD SURFACE OR WE HAD A FLAT. WHATEVER IT WAS; I WASN'T MOVING ANY FURTHER AND WE CALLED GND TO TELL THEM SO. WE CALLED OPS AND INFORMED THEM WE NEEDED SOMEONE TO COME OUT AND INSPECT OUR R MAIN GEAR TO SEE WHAT'S UP. SAFETY CREWS FROM THE CRASH TEAM CAME OUT TO INVESTIGATE AS WELL AS OUR OWN OPS PERSONNEL. I INFORMED THE PAX WHAT I SUSPECTED AND THE PRESENCE OF SAFETY VEHICLES WAS NOT AN EMER; ETC. AS THE CREWS MADE THEIR WAY TO THE ACFT WE STARTED THE APU AND SHUT DOWN THE R ENG. THE SITUATION WAS VERIFIED BY THE FIRE CHIEF THAT WE HAD INDEED DEPARTED THE HARD SURFACE OF THE TXWY RIGHT AT THE THROAT TO THE INTXN OF C-3 AND TXWY C. THE TIRE WAS JUST OFF THE HARD SURFACE AND THE FIRE CHIEF MADE A COMMENT THAT I COULD JUST PWR MY WAY BACK ONTO IT. MY FO AND I ELECTED TO BE PRUDENT AND DECIDED THAT WAS NOT A GOOD IDEA SO WE DENIED THAT REQUEST AND SHUT DOWN THE L ENG AS WELL. IMMEDIATELY AFTER SHUTTING DOWN THE L ENG WE CALLED THE DUTY PLT VIA CELL PHONE AND MADE HIM THE POINT MAN FOR OUR CONCERN. HE CALLED DISPATCH; ASSISTANT CHIEF PLT AND OTHER APPROPRIATE PERSONNEL. JAN OPS DECIDED THEY COULD HOOK A TUG UP AND PULL US OUT SINCE EVERYTHING WAS IN GOOD SHAPE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.