Narrative:

Pushed back from gate in dsm. Upon taxi; the clearance was to taxi south and turn onto taxiway D. Our ground people in dsm were not familiar with the B767-300; and I guess that goes for dsm ground control as well. The way they told us to taxi would not have worked in that it meant a turn of almost 180 degrees with far too little concrete than necessary. The first officer said this won't work; and asked me to stop the taxi. I did; and he was absolutely right -- not enough space to make that turn. Got another clearance from ground control and taxied out with no further problems. I feel that not even a B757 would have been able to make the turn as cleared. If not for the first officer; this would have been a gotcha with wheels in the grass at best.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B767-300 FLT CREW TAXIING OUT FROM RAMP IN DSM WAS GIVEN A CLEARANCE THAT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO EXECUTE BECAUSE OF THE SIZE OF THE AIRCRAFT.

Narrative: PUSHED BACK FROM GATE IN DSM. UPON TAXI; THE CLRNC WAS TO TAXI S AND TURN ONTO TXWY D. OUR GND PEOPLE IN DSM WERE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE B767-300; AND I GUESS THAT GOES FOR DSM GND CTL AS WELL. THE WAY THEY TOLD US TO TAXI WOULD NOT HAVE WORKED IN THAT IT MEANT A TURN OF ALMOST 180 DEGS WITH FAR TOO LITTLE CONCRETE THAN NECESSARY. THE FO SAID THIS WON'T WORK; AND ASKED ME TO STOP THE TAXI. I DID; AND HE WAS ABSOLUTELY RIGHT -- NOT ENOUGH SPACE TO MAKE THAT TURN. GOT ANOTHER CLRNC FROM GND CTL AND TAXIED OUT WITH NO FURTHER PROBS. I FEEL THAT NOT EVEN A B757 WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO MAKE THE TURN AS CLRED. IF NOT FOR THE FO; THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN A GOTCHA WITH WHEELS IN THE GRASS AT BEST.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.