Captain of an medium large transport inadvertently taxied across an unpaved median toward the gate a...

Attributes
ACN	291261
Time
Date	199412
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : las
State Reference	NV
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 130 flight time total : 13000 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	291261
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : exited adverse environment
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

After a night landing on runway 25R at las, I cleared the runway at A6 and started taxiing to the gate on taxiway G. I was familiar with the airport and thought I knew where I was. While taxiing to the gate on taxiway G, I noticed my ramp personnel at our gate with their directional flash lights on. I saw no blue lights marking the taxiway G boundaries or the ramp area boundaries. I thought I was positioned in an area of unrestr access to the ramp area and made a right turn. The aircraft was immediately taxiing across the unpaved median area between taxiway G and the inner ramp area. The median area was very smooth and I continued to the inner ramp area without stopping. There was no damage sustained by the aircraft. My first officer was looking at the airport diagram and did not know what happened until the aircraft was already in the median area. He was not as familiar with the airport as I was and was doing what he should have been doing. He was identing where we were and where we should be going. He had no chance to stop me until after the aircraft was in the median area. WX was clear and visibility unrestr. Taxiway G is slightly higher than the ramp area and looking to the right, across the cockpit, I saw no restrs between the aircraft and the gate area. I reacted to visual clues that I believed had placed me in an unrestr ramp area. I should have idented my position before turning the aircraft.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF AN MLG INADVERTENTLY TAXIED ACROSS AN UNPAVED MEDIAN TOWARD THE GATE AT NIGHT RESULTING IN NO DAMAGE TO THE ACFT SINCE THE SURFACE WAS SUFFICIENTLY HARD.

Narrative: AFTER A NIGHT LNDG ON RWY 25R AT LAS, I CLRED THE RWY AT A6 AND STARTED TAXIING TO THE GATE ON TXWY G. I WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE ARPT AND THOUGHT I KNEW WHERE I WAS. WHILE TAXIING TO THE GATE ON TXWY G, I NOTICED MY RAMP PERSONNEL AT OUR GATE WITH THEIR DIRECTIONAL FLASH LIGHTS ON. I SAW NO BLUE LIGHTS MARKING THE TXWY G BOUNDARIES OR THE RAMP AREA BOUNDARIES. I THOUGHT I WAS POSITIONED IN AN AREA OF UNRESTR ACCESS TO THE RAMP AREA AND MADE A R TURN. THE ACFT WAS IMMEDIATELY TAXIING ACROSS THE UNPAVED MEDIAN AREA BTWN TXWY G AND THE INNER RAMP AREA. THE MEDIAN AREA WAS VERY SMOOTH AND I CONTINUED TO THE INNER RAMP AREA WITHOUT STOPPING. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE SUSTAINED BY THE ACFT. MY FO WAS LOOKING AT THE ARPT DIAGRAM AND DID NOT KNOW WHAT HAPPENED UNTIL THE ACFT WAS ALREADY IN THE MEDIAN AREA. HE WAS NOT AS FAMILIAR WITH THE ARPT AS I WAS AND WAS DOING WHAT HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN DOING. HE WAS IDENTING WHERE WE WERE AND WHERE WE SHOULD BE GOING. HE HAD NO CHANCE TO STOP ME UNTIL AFTER THE ACFT WAS IN THE MEDIAN AREA. WX WAS CLR AND VISIBILITY UNRESTR. TXWY G IS SLIGHTLY HIGHER THAN THE RAMP AREA AND LOOKING TO THE R, ACROSS THE COCKPIT, I SAW NO RESTRS BTWN THE ACFT AND THE GATE AREA. I REACTED TO VISUAL CLUES THAT I BELIEVED HAD PLACED ME IN AN UNRESTR RAMP AREA. I SHOULD HAVE IDENTED MY POS BEFORE TURNING THE ACFT.

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.

Captain of an medium large transport inadvertently taxied across an unpaved median toward the gate at night resulting in no damage to the aircraft since the surface was sufficiently hard.