Air carrier mdt taxied over reils while taxiing out for an ATC training flight.

Attributes
ACN	188500
Time
Date	199109
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : iah
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Transport, High Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain instruction : trainee
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 1900 flight time type : 0
ASRS Report	188500
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer instruction : instructor
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time total : 8500 flight time type : 650
ASRS Report	188804
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Tues night. First flight in ATR, (already had check for type in simulator) and was getting set to practice for the flight portion of ATP/type. Practice walkaround accomplished, and ground/start and taxi to 14L with no problems other than getting used to the nose wheel steering, and the light switches being backwards and different radios than the simulator. Instructed to hold short for 14L. Tower cleared another airplane to takeoff opposite of us, while we waited. Looking back at it now, it could have deteriorated my night vision. When cleared into position and hold, I began straight ahead and picked up the lights that guided me onto the runway (I thought). Meanwhile the check airman is accomplishing the required check and I'm taking the runway, backing up his checks, figuring out these backwards lights and wondering if the scattered fog would be getting thicker during our round-robin sortie. I noticed at the last moment that the lights I was using were reils. I moved my nose wheel over to displace it, but I didn't realize the left mains were so close in. I knocked out between 7 and 10 lights. We taxied back and discovered we had hit the lights and blew 2 tires (left main). Ground was notified, and the company gave us drug test.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MDT TAXIED OVER REILS WHILE TAXIING OUT FOR AN ATC TRAINING FLT.

Narrative: TUES NIGHT. FIRST FLT IN ATR, (ALREADY HAD CHK FOR TYPE IN SIMULATOR) AND WAS GETTING SET TO PRACTICE FOR THE FLT PORTION OF ATP/TYPE. PRACTICE WALKAROUND ACCOMPLISHED, AND GND/START AND TAXI TO 14L WITH NO PROBLEMS OTHER THAN GETTING USED TO THE NOSE WHEEL STEERING, AND THE LIGHT SWITCHES BEING BACKWARDS AND DIFFERENT RADIOS THAN THE SIMULATOR. INSTRUCTED TO HOLD SHORT FOR 14L. TWR CLRED ANOTHER AIRPLANE TO TKOF OPPOSITE OF US, WHILE WE WAITED. LOOKING BACK AT IT NOW, IT COULD HAVE DETERIORATED MY NIGHT VISION. WHEN CLRED INTO POS AND HOLD, I BEGAN STRAIGHT AHEAD AND PICKED UP THE LIGHTS THAT GUIDED ME ONTO THE RWY (I THOUGHT). MEANWHILE THE CHK AIRMAN IS ACCOMPLISHING THE REQUIRED CHK AND I'M TAKING THE RWY, BACKING UP HIS CHKS, FIGURING OUT THESE BACKWARDS LIGHTS AND WONDERING IF THE SCATTERED FOG WOULD BE GETTING THICKER DURING OUR ROUND-ROBIN SORTIE. I NOTICED AT THE LAST MOMENT THAT THE LIGHTS I WAS USING WERE REILS. I MOVED MY NOSE WHEEL OVER TO DISPLACE IT, BUT I DIDN'T REALIZE THE L MAINS WERE SO CLOSE IN. I KNOCKED OUT BTWN 7 AND 10 LIGHTS. WE TAXIED BACK AND DISCOVERED WE HAD HIT THE LIGHTS AND BLEW 2 TIRES (L MAIN). GND WAS NOTIFIED, AND THE COMPANY GAVE US DRUG TEST.

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.