Captain of an medium large transport hit a taxiway light during taxi out for takeoff.

Attributes
ACN	299396
Time
Date	199503
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ont
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dawn
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
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 : 230 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	299396
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation
Situations
Airport	other physical facility

Narrative:

The aircraft was pushed back abeam taxiway north. We were cleared to taxi to runway 8R at ont. The captain started towards taxiway north but it became apparent that an immediate right turn was necessary to prevent entering runway 8L. Having made the turn, it appears that the right main wheel was close to a taxiway light and it could roll over it. We continued the taxi since we felt nothing which indicated we had struck it. We were advised that the light was broken by ground operation and on arrival at our destination. There was no visible sign of damage to the right main wheel or its assembly. My recommendation is that a second look at exit and/or entrance north at ont from the ramp perspective could lead some aircraft to enter runway 8L. In the early morning hours a flashing amber light at the runway hold short line would prevent any errors.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF AN MLG HIT A TXWY LIGHT DURING TAXI OUT FOR TKOF.

Narrative: THE ACFT WAS PUSHED BACK ABEAM TXWY N. WE WERE CLRED TO TAXI TO RWY 8R AT ONT. THE CAPT STARTED TOWARDS TXWY N BUT IT BECAME APPARENT THAT AN IMMEDIATE R TURN WAS NECESSARY TO PREVENT ENTERING RWY 8L. HAVING MADE THE TURN, IT APPEARS THAT THE R MAIN WHEEL WAS CLOSE TO A TXWY LIGHT AND IT COULD ROLL OVER IT. WE CONTINUED THE TAXI SINCE WE FELT NOTHING WHICH INDICATED WE HAD STRUCK IT. WE WERE ADVISED THAT THE LIGHT WAS BROKEN BY GND OP AND ON ARR AT OUR DEST. THERE WAS NO VISIBLE SIGN OF DAMAGE TO THE R MAIN WHEEL OR ITS ASSEMBLY. MY RECOMMENDATION IS THAT A SECOND LOOK AT EXIT AND/OR ENTRANCE N AT ONT FROM THE RAMP PERSPECTIVE COULD LEAD SOME ACFT TO ENTER RWY 8L. IN THE EARLY MORNING HRS A FLASHING AMBER LIGHT AT THE RWY HOLD SHORT LINE WOULD PREVENT ANY ERRORS.

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.