Left wheels of aircraft left hard surface. Aircraft stuck in soft earth.

Attributes
ACN	195219
Time
Date	199111
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : oma
State Reference	NE
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 76 flight time total : 5100 flight time type : 1
ASRS Report	195219
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer observation : company check pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : became reoriented flight crew : exited penetrated airspace other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Airport
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other
Situations
Airport	other physical facility procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

We departed gate at oma. I was in left seat with a check airman in right seat. WX was poor with -X, 900 broken 1500 overcast 3/4 mi snow/fog winds 330 at 16. Oma had 6 inches of snow that afternoon with very poor taxi conditions. Centerlines were covered with 2-3 inches of snow on taxiways. After deicing and pushback we were cleared to taxi to runway 32L at oma. I found it difficult to taxi due to poor visibility, and that I had never been to oma before, I asked the check airman for assistance in taxi out. The taxiways and the taxi lines were all covered with snow. While turning off the ramp onto the taxiways the left main gear left the prepared surface. This was in the area of taxiway D/east/T and the ramp. We stopped and deplaned the passenger through the forward right galley door via stairs. No injuries to anyone. With operations approval we defueled 5000 pounds of fuel out of the left wing. Maintenance looked at the landing gear and stated no damage to the gear and said we were just in the soft snow just off the black top by just 2 ft. We got a release to taxi from the company and the check airman taxied out of the area back to the taxiway and gate. I acted as copilot. Maintenance inspected the aircraft and we ferried the plane back to ord gear down. No damage to aircraft was found. We used min taxi thrust to taxi back to the ramp. While there is no excuse for leaving the prepared surface there are factors to consider. First the taxiways are very poorly marked in the area of the ramp. Secondly was the poor WX, ramp conditions and low time (1.5 hours in type) of new captain. Third was the blue taxiway lights are located about 6-10 ft (the main gear was still inside the blue taxi lights by at least 6 ft!) off the prepared surface. I was aiming for between the lights when I turned off the ramp. I believe this is farther than is normally found at most airports. We were told by oma maintenance that an large transport had the same problem of running off the taxiway in poor WX conditions (fog) just 1 yr ago in the very same spot! Is there something wrong with the markings?!

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: L WHEELS OF ACFT LEFT HARD SURFACE. ACFT STUCK IN SOFT EARTH.

Narrative: WE DEPARTED GATE AT OMA. I WAS IN L SEAT WITH A CHK AIRMAN IN R SEAT. WX WAS POOR WITH -X, 900 BROKEN 1500 OVCST 3/4 MI SNOW/FOG WINDS 330 AT 16. OMA HAD 6 INCHES OF SNOW THAT AFTERNOON WITH VERY POOR TAXI CONDITIONS. CENTERLINES WERE COVERED WITH 2-3 INCHES OF SNOW ON TAXIWAYS. AFTER DEICING AND PUSHBACK WE WERE CLRED TO TAXI TO RWY 32L AT OMA. I FOUND IT DIFFICULT TO TAXI DUE TO POOR VISIBILITY, AND THAT I HAD NEVER BEEN TO OMA BEFORE, I ASKED THE CHK AIRMAN FOR ASSISTANCE IN TAXI OUT. THE TAXIWAYS AND THE TAXI LINES WERE ALL COVERED WITH SNOW. WHILE TURNING OFF THE RAMP ONTO THE TAXIWAYS THE L MAIN GEAR LEFT THE PREPARED SURFACE. THIS WAS IN THE AREA OF TAXIWAY D/E/T AND THE RAMP. WE STOPPED AND DEPLANED THE PAX THROUGH THE FORWARD R GALLEY DOOR VIA STAIRS. NO INJURIES TO ANYONE. WITH OPS APPROVAL WE DEFUELED 5000 POUNDS OF FUEL OUT OF THE L WING. MAINT LOOKED AT THE LNDG GEAR AND STATED NO DAMAGE TO THE GEAR AND SAID WE WERE JUST IN THE SOFT SNOW JUST OFF THE BLACK TOP BY JUST 2 FT. WE GOT A RELEASE TO TAXI FROM THE COMPANY AND THE CHK AIRMAN TAXIED OUT OF THE AREA BACK TO THE TAXIWAY AND GATE. I ACTED AS COPLT. MAINT INSPECTED THE ACFT AND WE FERRIED THE PLANE BACK TO ORD GEAR DOWN. NO DAMAGE TO ACFT WAS FOUND. WE USED MIN TAXI THRUST TO TAXI BACK TO THE RAMP. WHILE THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR LEAVING THE PREPARED SURFACE THERE ARE FACTORS TO CONSIDER. FIRST THE TAXIWAYS ARE VERY POORLY MARKED IN THE AREA OF THE RAMP. SECONDLY WAS THE POOR WX, RAMP CONDITIONS AND LOW TIME (1.5 HRS IN TYPE) OF NEW CAPT. THIRD WAS THE BLUE TAXIWAY LIGHTS ARE LOCATED ABOUT 6-10 FT (THE MAIN GEAR WAS STILL INSIDE THE BLUE TAXI LIGHTS BY AT LEAST 6 FT!) OFF THE PREPARED SURFACE. I WAS AIMING FOR BTWN THE LIGHTS WHEN I TURNED OFF THE RAMP. I BELIEVE THIS IS FARTHER THAN IS NORMALLY FOUND AT MOST ARPTS. WE WERE TOLD BY OMA MAINT THAT AN LGT HAD THE SAME PROBLEM OF RUNNING OFF THE TAXIWAY IN POOR WX CONDITIONS (FOG) JUST 1 YR AGO IN THE VERY SAME SPOT! IS THERE SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE MARKINGS?!

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.