Medium large transport makes taxiway excursion when entering ramp at phl.

Attributes
ACN	252703
Time
Date	199309
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : phl
State Reference	PA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : san
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 : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	252703
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

After landing on 27R in phl we were cleared to spot H and to call ramp control by the tower controller (no need to call ground). Using spots in phl is anew procedure at phl. I looked on the taxi chart and found spot 4 and the ramp control frequency. I called ramp control and we were cleared to the gate. I then started on the after landing checklist. There were some bumps and the captain said it felt like we had run through a hole or something on the taxiway. When we got to the gate I went out to check the gear and found some dirt on the #1 main tire, nothing else looked abnormal. When I looked back out at the txwys, I then noticed that they did not have any blue edge lights and though it was very hard to tell where the grass was between the txwys and we may have gotten a tire on the dirt. It seems that this would be a real problem at times of reduced visibility. There was not even any edge reflectors like at some airports.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG MAKES TXWY EXCURSION WHEN ENTERING RAMP AT PHL.

Narrative: AFTER LNDG ON 27R IN PHL WE WERE CLRED TO SPOT H AND TO CALL RAMP CTL BY THE TWR CTLR (NO NEED TO CALL GND). USING SPOTS IN PHL IS ANEW PROC AT PHL. I LOOKED ON THE TAXI CHART AND FOUND SPOT 4 AND THE RAMP CTL FREQ. I CALLED RAMP CTL AND WE WERE CLRED TO THE GATE. I THEN STARTED ON THE AFTER LNDG CHKLIST. THERE WERE SOME BUMPS AND THE CAPT SAID IT FELT LIKE WE HAD RUN THROUGH A HOLE OR SOMETHING ON THE TXWY. WHEN WE GOT TO THE GATE I WENT OUT TO CHK THE GEAR AND FOUND SOME DIRT ON THE #1 MAIN TIRE, NOTHING ELSE LOOKED ABNORMAL. WHEN I LOOKED BACK OUT AT THE TXWYS, I THEN NOTICED THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE ANY BLUE EDGE LIGHTS AND THOUGH IT WAS VERY HARD TO TELL WHERE THE GRASS WAS BTWN THE TXWYS AND WE MAY HAVE GOTTEN A TIRE ON THE DIRT. IT SEEMS THAT THIS WOULD BE A REAL PROB AT TIMES OF REDUCED VISIBILITY. THERE WAS NOT EVEN ANY EDGE REFLECTORS LIKE AT SOME ARPTS.

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.