An large transport taxied off the edge of an unlit taxiway into soft grass with 1 main gear.

Attributes
ACN	226912
Time
Date	199211
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : hou
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : lga
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 280
ASRS Report	226912
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Airport
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other
Situations
Airport	other physical facility

Narrative:

While taxiing on tarmac just before turning in to gate at hou hobby, I ran into mud on small strip of grass that was not visible to me or first officer. No lights, no visible marking sand not shown on plates. No damage. Towed aircraft out of grass. This airport has barriers all over that aren't lighted or marked. The latest charts do not show the tarmac as it really is. With tarmac and dark and wet, I could not see any visible markings anywhere. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: this incident happened at night. There were no lights marking the taxiways, only barricades. There were no paint lines to follow. If there had not been 2 days of rain, the aircraft would not have sunk into the mud and there would be no report. After the aircraft was unloaded, maintenance personnel taxied the aircraft out of the mud. Blue can-like markings were put into place after the aircraft went off of the pavement.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN LGT TAXIED OFF THE EDGE OF AN UNLIT TAXIWAY INTO SOFT GRASS WITH 1 MAIN GEAR.

Narrative: WHILE TAXIING ON TARMAC JUST BEFORE TURNING IN TO GATE AT HOU HOBBY, I RAN INTO MUD ON SMALL STRIP OF GRASS THAT WAS NOT VISIBLE TO ME OR FO. NO LIGHTS, NO VISIBLE MARKING SAND NOT SHOWN ON PLATES. NO DAMAGE. TOWED ACFT OUT OF GRASS. THIS ARPT HAS BARRIERS ALL OVER THAT AREN'T LIGHTED OR MARKED. THE LATEST CHARTS DO NOT SHOW THE TARMAC AS IT REALLY IS. WITH TARMAC AND DARK AND WET, I COULD NOT SEE ANY VISIBLE MARKINGS ANYWHERE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THIS INCIDENT HAPPENED AT NIGHT. THERE WERE NO LIGHTS MARKING THE TAXIWAYS, ONLY BARRICADES. THERE WERE NO PAINT LINES TO FOLLOW. IF THERE HAD NOT BEEN 2 DAYS OF RAIN, THE ACFT WOULD NOT HAVE SUNK INTO THE MUD AND THERE WOULD BE NO RPT. AFTER THE ACFT WAS UNLOADED, MAINT PERSONNEL TAXIED THE ACFT OUT OF THE MUD. BLUE CAN-LIKE MARKINGS WERE PUT INTO PLACE AFTER THE ACFT WENT OFF OF THE PAVEMENT.

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.