DC10-30 GIVEN TAXI INSTRUCTIONS WHICH CAUSE A TURN AT A TXWY INTXN WITH NO FILLET. MAIN GEAR GOES OFF TXWY INTO MUD.
Synopsis
DC10-30 GIVEN TAXI INSTRUCTIONS WHICH CAUSE A TURN AT A TXWY INTXN WITH NO FILLET. MAIN GEAR GOES OFF TXWY INTO MUD.
Narrative
DUE TO RAMP CONGESTION AT IAH INTL TERMINAL; GND CTL HAD US TAXI AWAY FROM CUSTOM GATES TILL ROOM AT TERMINAL. TURNING FROM TXWY NB TO TXWY NK (R TURN); R MAIN LNDG GEAR TRUCK WENT INTO MUD. NOTE: ACFT NOSE TIRE WAS L OF J-LINE WHEN R GEAR WENT INTO MUD. THIS TXWY CORNER WAS THE ONLY ONE ON THE ARPT THAT DIDN'T HAVE A TXWY FILLET. THIS IS NOT A NORMAL TURN ON THE ARPT FOR OUR COMPANY AND A HVY JET DC10-30. RECOMMEND: ARPT BUILT FILLET AND ISSUE NOTAM AND INFORM CTL TWR THIS IS NOT GOOD TURN FOR HVY JET. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES HE DOES NOT KNOW IF ANYONE FROM THE COMPANY HAS TALKED WITH THE ARPT MGMNT REGARDING THE LACK OF A FILLET AT THE INTXN. HE DOES KNOW THAT THE CAPT AND THE UNION SAFETY OFFICER HAVE DISCUSSED THE SIT. THE TXWYS HAD JUST BEEN REDONE LAST SPRING AND THE CONSTRUCTION WAS STOPPED JUST AT THAT INTXN. RPTR DOES NOT KNOW WHY IT WAS STOPPED; HE GUESSES THEY RAN OUT OF MONEY; BUT WHO KNOWS? THERE WAS NO ACTUAL DAMAGE TO THE ACFT. IT WAS PULLED OUT AND THE FLT LEFT ONLY 35 MINS LATE. THE SIT OCCURRED BECAUSE THE GATE WAS NEEDED AND HIS ACFT WAS BEING SENT TO ANOTHER AREA JUST TO KEEP THEM OUT OF THE AREA UNTIL DEP CLRNC WAS AVAILABLE. RPTR STATES THAT THIS IS AN EXPERIENCED CAPT AND BELIEVES HE MADE A WIDE ENOUGH TURN FOR THE TXWY BUT WITHOUT THE FILLET THE SPACE WAS NOT ENOUGH.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.