Narrative:

I had just landed on 8L in hnl and the tower controller instructed me to expedite my taxi off the runway. 'Company traffic on very short final'. As I was taxiing I was searching for lima taxiway on my left (very difficult to find txwys at night because they are not marked very well). As I was approaching lima taxiway, I saw what looked to me like a rather large bird fly very close in front of the aircraft and I instinctively grabbed the tiller to avoid hitting it and having it possibly damaging the aircraft. I turned to the left just missing lima taxiway by approximately 20 yards and swerved into the grassy area next to lima. At that point I held short of lima taxiway as the controller instructed me to. The aircraft on short final was instructed to go around and the tower controller asked us 'are you aware that you're off a taxiway?' my first officer responded by saying roger. The controller cleared us to taxi back on to lima and then to parking. No damage to the aircraft or its occupants. I think what caused the problem was my anxiety to get off the runway as quickly as possible since 'company traffic on very short final' and the difficulty of locating the taxiway at night. These circumstances took my attention away from the whole picture. I may have been able to react earlier had I been scanning the whole area and not just focusing in on looking for the taxiway and expediting to get off the runway. I think the hnl airport needs better taxiway markings and lighting systems.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMUTER ACFT TAXI IS OFF RWY BEFORE REACHING TXWY AT NIGHT AND HURRYING TO CLR RWY FOR TFC FOLLOWING.

Narrative: I HAD JUST LANDED ON 8L IN HNL AND THE TWR CTLR INSTRUCTED ME TO EXPEDITE MY TAXI OFF THE RWY. 'COMPANY TFC ON VERY SHORT FINAL'. AS I WAS TAXIING I WAS SEARCHING FOR LIMA TXWY ON MY L (VERY DIFFICULT TO FIND TXWYS AT NIGHT BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT MARKED VERY WELL). AS I WAS APCHING LIMA TXWY, I SAW WHAT LOOKED TO ME LIKE A RATHER LARGE BIRD FLY VERY CLOSE IN FRONT OF THE ACFT AND I INSTINCTIVELY GRABBED THE TILLER TO AVOID HITTING IT AND HAVING IT POSSIBLY DAMAGING THE ACFT. I TURNED TO THE L JUST MISSING LIMA TXWY BY APPROX 20 YARDS AND SWERVED INTO THE GRASSY AREA NEXT TO LIMA. AT THAT POINT I HELD SHORT OF LIMA TXWY AS THE CTLR INSTRUCTED ME TO. THE ACFT ON SHORT FINAL WAS INSTRUCTED TO GAR AND THE TWR CTLR ASKED US 'ARE YOU AWARE THAT YOU'RE OFF A TXWY?' MY FO RESPONDED BY SAYING ROGER. THE CTLR CLRED US TO TAXI BACK ON TO LIMA AND THEN TO PARKING. NO DAMAGE TO THE ACFT OR ITS OCCUPANTS. I THINK WHAT CAUSED THE PROBLEM WAS MY ANXIETY TO GET OFF THE RWY AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE SINCE 'COMPANY TFC ON VERY SHORT FINAL' AND THE DIFFICULTY OF LOCATING THE TXWY AT NIGHT. THESE CIRCUMSTANCES TOOK MY ATTN AWAY FROM THE WHOLE PICTURE. I MAY HAVE BEEN ABLE TO REACT EARLIER HAD I BEEN SCANNING THE WHOLE AREA AND NOT JUST FOCUSING IN ON LOOKING FOR THE TXWY AND EXPEDITING TO GET OFF THE RWY. I THINK THE HNL ARPT NEEDS BETTER TXWY MARKINGS AND LIGHTING SYSTEMS.

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.