Small aircraft pilot mistakes taxiway edge lights for taxiway centerline lights. Taxiway excursion.

Attributes
ACN	324625
Time
Date	199601
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : vny
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Bonanza 35
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 8 flight time total : 5620 flight time type : 4600
ASRS Report	324625
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : ground
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was returning to my home base vny after landing and turned off on the high speed taxiway. My right wheel went off the blacktop about 4 or 5 ft. My right wing hit an unlighted sign that is about 15 ft off the blacktop. I also knocked out the lamp and bulb on 1 green taxiway light. There is substantial damage to my right wing. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states the main problem was pilot behavior/fatigue. The flight had been very turbulent and it was concluding at night. While reporter is familiar with the airport, he mistook the taxiway edge lights for the taxiway centerline lights. This put him off center and was the reason for his taxiway excursion. The sign was the second problem as it was not lighted and he feels it is too high for low wing aircraft. The sign is lighted in the opposite direction. He spoke with FAA personnel but has heard nothing further. He feels the airport management knows the sign should be lighted. They have said nothing to him nor sent him a bill for the repairs.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT MISTAKES TXWY EDGE LIGHTS FOR TXWY CTRLINE LIGHTS. TXWY EXCURSION.

Narrative: I WAS RETURNING TO MY HOME BASE VNY AFTER LNDG AND TURNED OFF ON THE HIGH SPD TXWY. MY R WHEEL WENT OFF THE BLACKTOP ABOUT 4 OR 5 FT. MY R WING HIT AN UNLIGHTED SIGN THAT IS ABOUT 15 FT OFF THE BLACKTOP. I ALSO KNOCKED OUT THE LAMP AND BULB ON 1 GREEN TXWY LIGHT. THERE IS SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO MY R WING. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THE MAIN PROB WAS PLT BEHAVIOR/FATIGUE. THE FLT HAD BEEN VERY TURBULENT AND IT WAS CONCLUDING AT NIGHT. WHILE RPTR IS FAMILIAR WITH THE ARPT, HE MISTOOK THE TXWY EDGE LIGHTS FOR THE TXWY CTRLINE LIGHTS. THIS PUT HIM OFF CTR AND WAS THE REASON FOR HIS TXWY EXCURSION. THE SIGN WAS THE SECOND PROB AS IT WAS NOT LIGHTED AND HE FEELS IT IS TOO HIGH FOR LOW WING ACFT. THE SIGN IS LIGHTED IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. HE SPOKE WITH FAA PERSONNEL BUT HAS HEARD NOTHING FURTHER. HE FEELS THE ARPT MGMNT KNOWS THE SIGN SHOULD BE LIGHTED. THEY HAVE SAID NOTHING TO HIM NOR SENT HIM A BILL FOR THE REPAIRS.

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.