Medium large transport taxiing on unlighted taxiway. Wheels of right gear rolled off hard surface.

Attributes
ACN	113144
Time
Date	198906
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : rap
State Reference	SD
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : lgb
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 93 flight time total : 14206 flight time type : 1377
ASRS Report	113144
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Airport
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other
Situations
Airport	other physical facility

Narrative:

While approaching the ramp area from the north, the right main gear left the pavement for a distance of approximately 40' at the northwest corner of the taxiway and then returned to the concrete and taxi was continued to the gate. This area, between the old and new terminals, is constructed of patchwork type paving and narrows rapidly. The edges are marked only by reflective strips on plastic posts, not by blue taxi lights. Having learned that this is not the first taxi excursion from the concrete in this same area, I strongly recommend the installation of standard taxi lighting or designating this taxiway for daytime use only.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG TAXIING ON UNLIGHTED TXWY. WHEELS OF RIGHT GEAR ROLLED OFF HARD SURFACE.

Narrative: WHILE APCHING THE RAMP AREA FROM THE NORTH, THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR LEFT THE PAVEMENT FOR A DISTANCE OF APPROX 40' AT THE NW CORNER OF THE TXWY AND THEN RETURNED TO THE CONCRETE AND TAXI WAS CONTINUED TO THE GATE. THIS AREA, BETWEEN THE OLD AND NEW TERMINALS, IS CONSTRUCTED OF PATCHWORK TYPE PAVING AND NARROWS RAPIDLY. THE EDGES ARE MARKED ONLY BY REFLECTIVE STRIPS ON PLASTIC POSTS, NOT BY BLUE TAXI LIGHTS. HAVING LEARNED THAT THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TAXI EXCURSION FROM THE CONCRETE IN THIS SAME AREA, I STRONGLY RECOMMEND THE INSTALLATION OF STANDARD TAXI LIGHTING OR DESIGNATING THIS TXWY FOR DAYTIME USE ONLY.

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