Narrative:

Pushback 20 mins late on taxiway V with ATC approval. Pushback ended well to left of taxiway centerline (approximately 1/2 way between centerline (right) and taxi lights (left)). When cleared off, began taxi and proceeded about 100 ft before realizing how far off taxiway centerline I was, and how at risk I was of contacting taxiway lights. Stopped aircraft, summoned maintenance, and requested visual inspection of aircraft, tires, and taxiway lights. Maintenance reported, via interphone, that aircraft was undamaged, but that 1 taxiway light was damaged, and that a second light was out, but apparently not hit by us. Delay was under 5 mins. Taxi was resumed and aircraft proceeded to destination without further incident. Contributing factors were: 1) fatigue (middle of night after only 1 1/2 hours sleep). 2) failure to use taxi lights out of courtesy to other aircraft, vehicles and personnel in immediate area. 3) positioning of aircraft after pushback. 4) confusion about position on taxiway exacerbated by fatigue and recent experience in simulator (earlier same day) in loft training scenario which involved taxiing under nearly identical circumstances using taxiway centerline lighting which exists in simulator on that taxiway (V, memphis) but not in reality. In simulator, lights have different colors (mostly white). Supplemental information from acn 293972: we were cleared to runway 18R. The captain proceeded to taxi the aircraft, I was doing the before takeoff flow (flaps, trim, etc) and was not looking outside. I should have been looking outside the aircraft until we were well clear of the ramp.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TXWY EXCURSION BY WDB FREIGHTER IN A NIGHT OP.

Narrative: PUSHBACK 20 MINS LATE ON TXWY V WITH ATC APPROVAL. PUSHBACK ENDED WELL TO L OF TXWY CTRLINE (APPROX 1/2 WAY BTWN CTRLINE (R) AND TAXI LIGHTS (L)). WHEN CLRED OFF, BEGAN TAXI AND PROCEEDED ABOUT 100 FT BEFORE REALIZING HOW FAR OFF TXWY CTRLINE I WAS, AND HOW AT RISK I WAS OF CONTACTING TXWY LIGHTS. STOPPED ACFT, SUMMONED MAINT, AND REQUESTED VISUAL INSPECTION OF ACFT, TIRES, AND TXWY LIGHTS. MAINT RPTED, VIA INTERPHONE, THAT ACFT WAS UNDAMAGED, BUT THAT 1 TXWY LIGHT WAS DAMAGED, AND THAT A SECOND LIGHT WAS OUT, BUT APPARENTLY NOT HIT BY US. DELAY WAS UNDER 5 MINS. TAXI WAS RESUMED AND ACFT PROCEEDED TO DEST WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE: 1) FATIGUE (MIDDLE OF NIGHT AFTER ONLY 1 1/2 HRS SLEEP). 2) FAILURE TO USE TAXI LIGHTS OUT OF COURTESY TO OTHER ACFT, VEHICLES AND PERSONNEL IN IMMEDIATE AREA. 3) POSITIONING OF ACFT AFTER PUSHBACK. 4) CONFUSION ABOUT POS ON TXWY EXACERBATED BY FATIGUE AND RECENT EXPERIENCE IN SIMULATOR (EARLIER SAME DAY) IN LOFT TRAINING SCENARIO WHICH INVOLVED TAXIING UNDER NEARLY IDENTICAL CIRCUMSTANCES USING TXWY CTRLINE LIGHTING WHICH EXISTS IN SIMULATOR ON THAT TXWY (V, MEMPHIS) BUT NOT IN REALITY. IN SIMULATOR, LIGHTS HAVE DIFFERENT COLORS (MOSTLY WHITE). SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 293972: WE WERE CLRED TO RWY 18R. THE CAPT PROCEEDED TO TAXI THE ACFT, I WAS DOING THE BEFORE TKOF FLOW (FLAPS, TRIM, ETC) AND WAS NOT LOOKING OUTSIDE. I SHOULD HAVE BEEN LOOKING OUTSIDE THE ACFT UNTIL WE WERE WELL CLR OF THE RAMP.

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.