Pilot taxies off ramp to avoid a vehicle he thought was coming towards him, ended up in ditch.

Attributes
ACN	166595
Time
Date	199012
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : iah
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 24000 flight time type : 400
ASRS Report	166595
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : ground
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation
Situations
Airport	other physical facility

Narrative:

Taxiing out from cargo ramp at about xx:05 local. Dark overcast night. Poor ramp lighting. Yellow taxi lines needed repainting. Van turned towards my aircraft with lights on. My nose taxi light on. I turned left to avoid what I thought was a veh heading at my aircraft. I intentionally allowed the aircraft to go off the concrete ramp. I did not realize a ditch was so deep. This was my first time in this location and at night. I cut both engines and allowed the aircraft to slide down the ditch. No damage to aircraft pulled it out. Inspected aircraft flew it. This area is poorly lighted. I understand at least three other aircraft have been in this ditch. Pilots first time on ramp. Dark night. Poor ramp lighting. Busy vehicular traffic on ramp unloading heavy transport in area. Veh lights in pilot's eyes. Made left evasive action. Three other aircraft in ditch at various times. Suggest better flood lighting of area. Repaint taxi lines. Request vans for cargo unloading to use parking lights.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT TAXIES OFF RAMP TO AVOID A VEHICLE HE THOUGHT WAS COMING TOWARDS HIM, ENDED UP IN DITCH.

Narrative: TAXIING OUT FROM CARGO RAMP AT ABOUT XX:05 LCL. DARK OVCST NIGHT. POOR RAMP LIGHTING. YELLOW TAXI LINES NEEDED REPAINTING. VAN TURNED TOWARDS MY ACFT WITH LIGHTS ON. MY NOSE TAXI LIGHT ON. I TURNED L TO AVOID WHAT I THOUGHT WAS A VEH HDG AT MY ACFT. I INTENTIONALLY ALLOWED THE ACFT TO GO OFF THE CONCRETE RAMP. I DID NOT REALIZE A DITCH WAS SO DEEP. THIS WAS MY FIRST TIME IN THIS LOCATION AND AT NIGHT. I CUT BOTH ENGS AND ALLOWED THE ACFT TO SLIDE DOWN THE DITCH. NO DAMAGE TO ACFT PULLED IT OUT. INSPECTED ACFT FLEW IT. THIS AREA IS POORLY LIGHTED. I UNDERSTAND AT LEAST THREE OTHER ACFT HAVE BEEN IN THIS DITCH. PLTS FIRST TIME ON RAMP. DARK NIGHT. POOR RAMP LIGHTING. BUSY VEHICULAR TFC ON RAMP UNLOADING HVT IN AREA. VEH LIGHTS IN PLT'S EYES. MADE LEFT EVASIVE ACTION. THREE OTHER ACFT IN DITCH AT VARIOUS TIMES. SUGGEST BETTER FLOOD LIGHTING OF AREA. REPAINT TAXI LINES. REQUEST VANS FOR CARGO UNLOADING TO USE PARKING LIGHTS.

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