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.