Narrative:

On taxi inbound from alpha to romeo 5 with aircraft in a right turn crew was blinded by bright fluorescent lights illuminating ramp. These lights also caused apron to shine (reflecting light), thereby causing a loss of visual contact with yellow center stripe on taxiway. Before aircraft could be brought to a stop, right main landing gear departed from taxiway edge approximately 1 ft laterally onto grass, traveled 8-10 ft and back onto pavement on apron. Continued taxi inbound. Aircraft maintenance and company personnel notified right main landing gear was washed down (mud/grass removed) and inspected by maintenance personnel. Logbook entry was made, aircraft was cleared for flight with no damage observed additionally there was no damage to any runway/taxiway lights. At no time did any crew member suspect aircraft was inside proper radius of turn. That particular turn is very hard to judge at night due to various factors. Dark ramp. Fluorescent lights which mean to help by shining on ramp but in fact blind crew head-on. Glow off of reflecting lights onto apron makes yellow stripe extremely faint and hard to see. Turn seems to be greater than 90 degree to align aircraft with run-in line for ramp parking space. Turn radius greater on large transport type B than large transport type a due to added length of fuselage. Recent airport construction in vicinity of intersection has possibly deleted center taxi stripe from A6 to R5 (best I can recollect). Supplemental information from acn 183039. Grass was still inside of blue taxi light. At night impossible to differentiate between dirt and pavement which is the reason for taxi lights to begin with. Supplemental information from acn 183034. Taxi lights are about 14 ft inside the edge of the pavement making it difficult to judge turn radius.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LGT TAXIWAY EXCURSION AFTER LNDG AT TYS.

Narrative: ON TAXI INBOUND FROM ALPHA TO ROMEO 5 WITH ACFT IN A R TURN CREW WAS BLINDED BY BRIGHT FLUORESCENT LIGHTS ILLUMINATING RAMP. THESE LIGHTS ALSO CAUSED APRON TO SHINE (REFLECTING LIGHT), THEREBY CAUSING A LOSS OF VISUAL CONTACT WITH YELLOW CENTER STRIPE ON TAXIWAY. BEFORE ACFT COULD BE BROUGHT TO A STOP, R MAIN LNDG GEAR DEPARTED FROM TAXIWAY EDGE APPROX 1 FT LATERALLY ONTO GRASS, TRAVELED 8-10 FT AND BACK ONTO PAVEMENT ON APRON. CONTINUED TAXI INBOUND. ACFT MAINT AND COMPANY PERSONNEL NOTIFIED R MAIN LNDG GEAR WAS WASHED DOWN (MUD/GRASS REMOVED) AND INSPECTED BY MAINT PERSONNEL. LOGBOOK ENTRY WAS MADE, ACFT WAS CLRED FOR FLT WITH NO DAMAGE OBSERVED ADDITIONALLY THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO ANY RWY/TAXIWAY LIGHTS. AT NO TIME DID ANY CREW MEMBER SUSPECT ACFT WAS INSIDE PROPER RADIUS OF TURN. THAT PARTICULAR TURN IS VERY HARD TO JUDGE AT NIGHT DUE TO VARIOUS FACTORS. DARK RAMP. FLUORESCENT LIGHTS WHICH MEAN TO HELP BY SHINING ON RAMP BUT IN FACT BLIND CREW HEAD-ON. GLOW OFF OF REFLECTING LIGHTS ONTO APRON MAKES YELLOW STRIPE EXTREMELY FAINT AND HARD TO SEE. TURN SEEMS TO BE GREATER THAN 90 DEG TO ALIGN ACFT WITH RUN-IN LINE FOR RAMP PARKING SPACE. TURN RADIUS GREATER ON LGT TYPE B THAN LGT TYPE A DUE TO ADDED LENGTH OF FUSELAGE. RECENT ARPT CONSTRUCTION IN VICINITY OF INTXN HAS POSSIBLY DELETED CENTER TAXI STRIPE FROM A6 TO R5 (BEST I CAN RECOLLECT). SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 183039. GRASS WAS STILL INSIDE OF BLUE TAXI LIGHT. AT NIGHT IMPOSSIBLE TO DIFFERENTIATE BTWN DIRT AND PAVEMENT WHICH IS THE REASON FOR TAXI LIGHTS TO BEGIN WITH. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 183034. TAXI LIGHTS ARE ABOUT 14 FT INSIDE THE EDGE OF THE PAVEMENT MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO JUDGE TURN RADIUS.

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.