Narrative:

Aircraft was pushed back and started normally. It was snowing heavily and we proceeded to the deicing area. After deicing ground control instructed us to taxi to runway 5L via departing the cargo ramp taxiway west, left and north to hold short of runway 5R on taxiway north. We started over taxiway toward the exit on the far end of the ramp. Due to the snow on the txwys and poor visibility we exited the ramp about 25' left of the outlet. We had idle power on the engines and taxied onto grass are between the ramp and taxiway west. The passenger were removed and the aircraft fuel load reduced when efforts to tow the aft failed with the tugs. Due to the WX conditions, I was unaware that I was off the prepared surface until the aircraft stopped its forward motion. Not too sure how to correct this problem. It was snowing heavily and building rapidly with no clear definition of the taxiway and the grass area. I should not have continued taxiing. Not having double blue taxi lights at the throats could have contributed. I still fell I had sufficient visibility cues to continue and that making sure I was no too far down the ramp area before proceeding out to the txwys plus the WX conditions caused me to miss the exit. Supplemental information from acn 131690: the only way I believe this problem could of been avoided is at the snow plowing procedures could have been more efficient, but due to the heavy snow full they were unable to keep up with the snowfall. Supplemental information from acn 131355: this situation is brought to attention because the only snow marking flags on the txwys were approximately 1' tall with small orange 6' triangular flags. Larger and taller flags should be installed at hopkins international as this contributed to the previous mentioned aircraft's problem.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG TXWY EXCURSION AT CLE IN A SNOWSTORM.

Narrative: ACFT WAS PUSHED BACK AND STARTED NORMALLY. IT WAS SNOWING HEAVILY AND WE PROCEEDED TO THE DEICING AREA. AFTER DEICING GND CTL INSTRUCTED US TO TAXI TO RWY 5L VIA DEPARTING THE CARGO RAMP TXWY W, L AND N TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 5R ON TXWY N. WE STARTED OVER TXWY TOWARD THE EXIT ON THE FAR END OF THE RAMP. DUE TO THE SNOW ON THE TXWYS AND POOR VISIBILITY WE EXITED THE RAMP ABOUT 25' LEFT OF THE OUTLET. WE HAD IDLE PWR ON THE ENGS AND TAXIED ONTO GRASS ARE BTWN THE RAMP AND TXWY W. THE PAX WERE REMOVED AND THE ACFT FUEL LOAD REDUCED WHEN EFFORTS TO TOW THE AFT FAILED WITH THE TUGS. DUE TO THE WX CONDITIONS, I WAS UNAWARE THAT I WAS OFF THE PREPARED SURFACE UNTIL THE ACFT STOPPED ITS FORWARD MOTION. NOT TOO SURE HOW TO CORRECT THIS PROB. IT WAS SNOWING HEAVILY AND BUILDING RAPIDLY WITH NO CLEAR DEFINITION OF THE TXWY AND THE GRASS AREA. I SHOULD NOT HAVE CONTINUED TAXIING. NOT HAVING DOUBLE BLUE TAXI LIGHTS AT THE THROATS COULD HAVE CONTRIBUTED. I STILL FELL I HAD SUFFICIENT VIS CUES TO CONTINUE AND THAT MAKING SURE I WAS NO TOO FAR DOWN THE RAMP AREA BEFORE PROCEEDING OUT TO THE TXWYS PLUS THE WX CONDITIONS CAUSED ME TO MISS THE EXIT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 131690: THE ONLY WAY I BELIEVE THIS PROB COULD OF BEEN AVOIDED IS AT THE SNOW PLOWING PROCS COULD HAVE BEEN MORE EFFICIENT, BUT DUE TO THE HEAVY SNOW FULL THEY WERE UNABLE TO KEEP UP WITH THE SNOWFALL. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 131355: THIS SITUATION IS BROUGHT TO ATTN BECAUSE THE ONLY SNOW MARKING FLAGS ON THE TXWYS WERE APPROX 1' TALL WITH SMALL ORANGE 6' TRIANGULAR FLAGS. LARGER AND TALLER FLAGS SHOULD BE INSTALLED AT HOPKINS INTL AS THIS CONTRIBUTED TO THE PREVIOUS MENTIONED ACFT'S PROB.

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.