Narrative:

I flew a normal approach and landing at mia in rain. After rollout, aircraft control was transferred to captain. At departure end of runway 30, just prior to initiating a right turn to clear the runway, I noticed that the nose of the aircraft was past some raised blue taxiway lights. I advised the captain to stop the aircraft and I called ground control, requesting a 'follow me' vehicle. The 'follow me' vehicle told us to turn right to clear the runway 30 departure end pad. As we turned right to clear the pad, we ran over a blue taxiway light (we didn't know it at the time). Tower told us to call them upon gate arrival. After the aircraft was parked, the captain talked to tower supervisor who confirmed we had run over a blue taxiway light after taxiing onto an 'unauthorized portion of the runway 30 departure end pad.' the taxiway chart does not specify any 'unauthorized' areas on the runway 30 pad -- it shows the entire pad available for taxi. Any runway markings were invisible due to standing water, and the area was poorly lighted. He also said the area was poorly lighted and not well marked, and that 'we weren't the first jumbo jet to have problems in that area of the pad.' his concern was that we write up the problem so that improvements could be made by dade county. The next day, while taxiing for departure, we noticed red runway end lights that were not illuminated the night before -- perhaps due to standing water in that area. Supplemental information from acn 219768: I elected to bypass the last high speed turnout, although we were slowed to 60 KTS and out of reverse by then, in order to make a slower more controled exit at the end. I noted earlier from the chart that no ramp or overrun was depicted off the immediate end of runway 30 but visually I saw black asphalt as I approached to turn off and allowed the plane to swing wide off the end to make a 180 degree turn to the ramp and taxiway north to our immediate right. At this point we (first officer and I) were surprised to see our nose light illuminate a series of 3-4 blue raised taxiway lights which we were about to or had just run over. In fact, we had crossed over into an unauthorized taxi area demarcated by only 4 blue lights which were impossible to see through rain spattered windshields. I was told we were not the first jumbo jet to get caught in that area. I feel additional markings are necessary. Daytime and in good conditions at night there's no problem but the temptation under marginal conditions to use the overrun space to exit the runway is great and once at the end, the blue demarcation lights are almost out of view.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LNDG WDB OVERSHOT END OF RWY AND CRUSHED A TAXIWAY LIGHT AS THEY TURNED OFF RWY.

Narrative: I FLEW A NORMAL APCH AND LNDG AT MIA IN RAIN. AFTER ROLLOUT, ACFT CTL WAS TRANSFERRED TO CAPT. AT DEP END OF RWY 30, JUST PRIOR TO INITIATING A R TURN TO CLR THE RWY, I NOTICED THAT THE NOSE OF THE ACFT WAS PAST SOME RAISED BLUE TAXIWAY LIGHTS. I ADVISED THE CAPT TO STOP THE ACFT AND I CALLED GND CTL, REQUESTING A 'FOLLOW ME' VEHICLE. THE 'FOLLOW ME' VEHICLE TOLD US TO TURN R TO CLR THE RWY 30 DEP END PAD. AS WE TURNED R TO CLR THE PAD, WE RAN OVER A BLUE TAXIWAY LIGHT (WE DIDN'T KNOW IT AT THE TIME). TWR TOLD US TO CALL THEM UPON GATE ARR. AFTER THE ACFT WAS PARKED, THE CAPT TALKED TO TWR SUPVR WHO CONFIRMED WE HAD RUN OVER A BLUE TAXIWAY LIGHT AFTER TAXIING ONTO AN 'UNAUTHORIZED PORTION OF THE RWY 30 DEP END PAD.' THE TAXIWAY CHART DOES NOT SPECIFY ANY 'UNAUTHORIZED' AREAS ON THE RWY 30 PAD -- IT SHOWS THE ENTIRE PAD AVAILABLE FOR TAXI. ANY RWY MARKINGS WERE INVISIBLE DUE TO STANDING WATER, AND THE AREA WAS POORLY LIGHTED. HE ALSO SAID THE AREA WAS POORLY LIGHTED AND NOT WELL MARKED, AND THAT 'WE WEREN'T THE FIRST JUMBO JET TO HAVE PROBLEMS IN THAT AREA OF THE PAD.' HIS CONCERN WAS THAT WE WRITE UP THE PROBLEM SO THAT IMPROVEMENTS COULD BE MADE BY DADE COUNTY. THE NEXT DAY, WHILE TAXIING FOR DEP, WE NOTICED RED RWY END LIGHTS THAT WERE NOT ILLUMINATED THE NIGHT BEFORE -- PERHAPS DUE TO STANDING WATER IN THAT AREA. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 219768: I ELECTED TO BYPASS THE LAST HIGH SPD TURNOUT, ALTHOUGH WE WERE SLOWED TO 60 KTS AND OUT OF REVERSE BY THEN, IN ORDER TO MAKE A SLOWER MORE CTLED EXIT AT THE END. I NOTED EARLIER FROM THE CHART THAT NO RAMP OR OVERRUN WAS DEPICTED OFF THE IMMEDIATE END OF RWY 30 BUT VISUALLY I SAW BLACK ASPHALT AS I APCHED TO TURN OFF AND ALLOWED THE PLANE TO SWING WIDE OFF THE END TO MAKE A 180 DEG TURN TO THE RAMP AND TAXIWAY N TO OUR IMMEDIATE R. AT THIS POINT WE (FO AND I) WERE SURPRISED TO SEE OUR NOSE LIGHT ILLUMINATE A SERIES OF 3-4 BLUE RAISED TAXIWAY LIGHTS WHICH WE WERE ABOUT TO OR HAD JUST RUN OVER. IN FACT, WE HAD CROSSED OVER INTO AN UNAUTHORIZED TAXI AREA DEMARCATED BY ONLY 4 BLUE LIGHTS WHICH WERE IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE THROUGH RAIN SPATTERED WINDSHIELDS. I WAS TOLD WE WERE NOT THE FIRST JUMBO JET TO GET CAUGHT IN THAT AREA. I FEEL ADDITIONAL MARKINGS ARE NECESSARY. DAYTIME AND IN GOOD CONDITIONS AT NIGHT THERE'S NO PROBLEM BUT THE TEMPTATION UNDER MARGINAL CONDITIONS TO USE THE OVERRUN SPACE TO EXIT THE RWY IS GREAT AND ONCE AT THE END, THE BLUE DEMARCATION LIGHTS ARE ALMOST OUT OF VIEW.

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.