Narrative:

After landing on runway 22 at lexington at XA30 pm on may/wed/93, we were taxiing into the ramp on taxiway a. Approaching the air carrier ramp, I observed an air carrier twin turbo-propeller parked in close proximity to the gate we had been assigned. From our position on taxiway a, as we approached the ramp it was difficult to judge how much room lay between the twin and the edge of the apron we would be taxiing between if we were to enter the ramp directly from taxiway a. I chose to turn sebound on taxiway B, and enter the ramp from taxiway B beyond the location of the twin. There were no notes on the airport diagrams that would indicate this taxiway was unsuitable for entry to the ramp, but once on it, I realized that the intxns leading to the ramp from it were not suitable for our type of aircraft medium large transport. I passed up the first intersection to the ramp because I did not believe I could negotiate the turn without departing the taxiway. I chose the next intersection to make a 180 degree turn back onto the parallel taxiway C and approach the ramp nwbound. This intersection permitted a slightly wider turning radius. The turn back to taxiway C was completed without problem, though it was determined later that our left gear truck departed the taxiway slightly about 130 degrees through the turn. We proceeded to the ramp via taxiway X, and then to our gate. Given the tightness of the turn back to taxiway C, we proceeded to the wheel wells to see if there was any evidence that we had departed the taxiway. While there was no damage to the gear, there was a thin streak of dirt on the tires confirming an excursion. I certainly will never turn down taxiway B again, and had it been day time, I do not believe I would have chosen to do so in this instance, but at night with poor visual cues, ramp congestion, and no published restrictions precluding its use by larger aircraft, I believe taxiway B will continue to be a source of taxiway excursions for air carrier crews unfamiliar with the lexington airport. Suggestions: a note on the airport diagram restricting the use of txwys C and B to gross weights 70000 pounds and less. A sign showing txwys B and C as routing to the civil aviation ramp. More restrictive parking procedures that require aircraft parked on the air carrier ramp overnight, to be positioned closer to the terminal to allow greater taxi clrncs for night time operations (the edge of the apron is poorly lit and trying to assess taxi clrncs at a distance is very tenuous).

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR MLG CREW FOUND ITSELF ON A VERY NARROW TXWY AT NIGHT WITH VERY DIFFICULT TURN OFFS.

Narrative: AFTER LNDG ON RWY 22 AT LEXINGTON AT XA30 PM ON MAY/WED/93, WE WERE TAXIING INTO THE RAMP ON TXWY A. APCHING THE ACR RAMP, I OBSERVED AN ACR TWIN TURBO-PROP PARKED IN CLOSE PROX TO THE GATE WE HAD BEEN ASSIGNED. FROM OUR POS ON TXWY A, AS WE APCHED THE RAMP IT WAS DIFFICULT TO JUDGE HOW MUCH ROOM LAY BTWN THE TWIN AND THE EDGE OF THE APRON WE WOULD BE TAXIING BTWN IF WE WERE TO ENTER THE RAMP DIRECTLY FROM TXWY A. I CHOSE TO TURN SEBOUND ON TXWY B, AND ENTER THE RAMP FROM TXWY B BEYOND THE LOCATION OF THE TWIN. THERE WERE NO NOTES ON THE ARPT DIAGRAMS THAT WOULD INDICATE THIS TXWY WAS UNSUITABLE FOR ENTRY TO THE RAMP, BUT ONCE ON IT, I REALIZED THAT THE INTXNS LEADING TO THE RAMP FROM IT WERE NOT SUITABLE FOR OUR TYPE OF ACFT MLG. I PASSED UP THE FIRST INTXN TO THE RAMP BECAUSE I DID NOT BELIEVE I COULD NEGOTIATE THE TURN WITHOUT DEPARTING THE TXWY. I CHOSE THE NEXT INTXN TO MAKE A 180 DEG TURN BACK ONTO THE PARALLEL TXWY C AND APCH THE RAMP NWBOUND. THIS INTXN PERMITTED A SLIGHTLY WIDER TURNING RADIUS. THE TURN BACK TO TXWY C WAS COMPLETED WITHOUT PROB, THOUGH IT WAS DETERMINED LATER THAT OUR L GEAR TRUCK DEPARTED THE TXWY SLIGHTLY ABOUT 130 DEGS THROUGH THE TURN. WE PROCEEDED TO THE RAMP VIA TXWY X, AND THEN TO OUR GATE. GIVEN THE TIGHTNESS OF THE TURN BACK TO TXWY C, WE PROCEEDED TO THE WHEEL WELLS TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANY EVIDENCE THAT WE HAD DEPARTED THE TXWY. WHILE THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE GEAR, THERE WAS A THIN STREAK OF DIRT ON THE TIRES CONFIRMING AN EXCURSION. I CERTAINLY WILL NEVER TURN DOWN TXWY B AGAIN, AND HAD IT BEEN DAY TIME, I DO NOT BELIEVE I WOULD HAVE CHOSEN TO DO SO IN THIS INSTANCE, BUT AT NIGHT WITH POOR VISUAL CUES, RAMP CONGESTION, AND NO PUBLISHED RESTRICTIONS PRECLUDING ITS USE BY LARGER ACFT, I BELIEVE TXWY B WILL CONTINUE TO BE A SOURCE OF TXWY EXCURSIONS FOR ACR CREWS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE LEXINGTON ARPT. SUGGESTIONS: A NOTE ON THE ARPT DIAGRAM RESTRICTING THE USE OF TXWYS C AND B TO GROSS WTS 70000 LBS AND LESS. A SIGN SHOWING TXWYS B AND C AS ROUTING TO THE CIVIL AVIATION RAMP. MORE RESTRICTIVE PARKING PROCS THAT REQUIRE ACFT PARKED ON THE ACR RAMP OVERNIGHT, TO BE POSITIONED CLOSER TO THE TERMINAL TO ALLOW GREATER TAXI CLRNCS FOR NIGHT TIME OPS (THE EDGE OF THE APRON IS POORLY LIT AND TRYING TO ASSESS TAXI CLRNCS AT A DISTANCE IS VERY TENUOUS).

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.