Narrative:

Normal landing runway 26L at el paso international airport. Cleared by tower to the end but told not to use taxiway F. Was also told that an air carrier B aircraft was 3 mi in trail. Came to the end of runway markings and saw taxiway K. Was unfamiliar with all the intersecting txwys, had briefed a turnoff at taxiway K and wanted to expedite for air carrier B, so made a turn of approximately 100-115 degrees to head for taxiway K. Called for the after landing checklist as we were clearing the runway and all the lights except for the taxi light were turned off. The taxi line was approximately 135-150 degrees in relation to runway 26L. As we pulled off the runway I did not see the taxi line but I had the ramp and the ramp taxi line directly in front. I visually cleared to the left and straightened out the aircraft to proceed to the ramp taxi line. Shortly after straightening out the aircraft, there was a mild bump as the aircraft definitely ran over something. I instructed the engineer to inspect the tires as soon as we blocked in, and upon inspection both right main tires had cuts. El paso maintenance confirmed that both tires needed to be changed. Didn't believe I had ever been off a taxiway and called the airport authority/authorized that I had hit something coming off the runway. They called back to report I had hit a taxiway indicator light/sign. Asked them to drive me out to the site and after driving on to the runway and simulating my turn, saw exactly what had happened. When turning off runway 26L, my taxi light was pointed away from the island with the taxi sign and I was looking left for the taxi line. The first officer turned off all remaining lights (after landing checklist) which left an extremely dark ramp area. I was concentrating on finding a taxi line (looking straight and left) and the taxi sign quickly disappeared on the right side. The first officer was engrossed in the after landing checklist and talking to tower. When I saw the taxi line, I thought I was on the ramp and straightened the taxi. As soon as I went straight ahead, we ran into the sign. My lack of situational awareness, dark area and preoccupation with the checklist all led to this incident. Reflective taxi lines/lighted taxi lines probably would have prevented it. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states the turn was to the left from the end of the runway and there are actually 2 small island areas which are to house the signs for the 2 txwys. They are surrounded by blue taxi lights but when leaving the runway and turning into a darkened ramp area they disappear to the right of the aircraft. These islands are not shown on the airport diagram, either the commercial or noa. Reporter went to airport authority/authorized and was given a copy of their lighting diagram on which the islands are clearly shown. The areas are about 50 ft by 15 ft. Reporter suggests using reflective paint to guide aircraft around these islands and at least give pilots something to follow when exiting the runway.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B727 FLC HITS SIGN WHEN TURNING OFF THE RWY ONTO RAMP AREA AT NIGHT.

Narrative: NORMAL LNDG RWY 26L AT EL PASO INTL ARPT. CLRED BY TWR TO THE END BUT TOLD NOT TO USE TXWY F. WAS ALSO TOLD THAT AN ACR B ACFT WAS 3 MI IN TRAIL. CAME TO THE END OF RWY MARKINGS AND SAW TXWY K. WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH ALL THE INTERSECTING TXWYS, HAD BRIEFED A TURNOFF AT TXWY K AND WANTED TO EXPEDITE FOR ACR B, SO MADE A TURN OF APPROX 100-115 DEGS TO HEAD FOR TXWY K. CALLED FOR THE AFTER LNDG CHKLIST AS WE WERE CLRING THE RWY AND ALL THE LIGHTS EXCEPT FOR THE TAXI LIGHT WERE TURNED OFF. THE TAXI LINE WAS APPROX 135-150 DEGS IN RELATION TO RWY 26L. AS WE PULLED OFF THE RWY I DID NOT SEE THE TAXI LINE BUT I HAD THE RAMP AND THE RAMP TAXI LINE DIRECTLY IN FRONT. I VISUALLY CLRED TO THE L AND STRAIGHTENED OUT THE ACFT TO PROCEED TO THE RAMP TAXI LINE. SHORTLY AFTER STRAIGHTENING OUT THE ACFT, THERE WAS A MILD BUMP AS THE ACFT DEFINITELY RAN OVER SOMETHING. I INSTRUCTED THE ENGINEER TO INSPECT THE TIRES AS SOON AS WE BLOCKED IN, AND UPON INSPECTION BOTH R MAIN TIRES HAD CUTS. EL PASO MAINT CONFIRMED THAT BOTH TIRES NEEDED TO BE CHANGED. DIDN'T BELIEVE I HAD EVER BEEN OFF A TXWY AND CALLED THE ARPT AUTH THAT I HAD HIT SOMETHING COMING OFF THE RWY. THEY CALLED BACK TO RPT I HAD HIT A TXWY INDICATOR LIGHT/SIGN. ASKED THEM TO DRIVE ME OUT TO THE SITE AND AFTER DRIVING ON TO THE RWY AND SIMULATING MY TURN, SAW EXACTLY WHAT HAD HAPPENED. WHEN TURNING OFF RWY 26L, MY TAXI LIGHT WAS POINTED AWAY FROM THE ISLAND WITH THE TAXI SIGN AND I WAS LOOKING L FOR THE TAXI LINE. THE FO TURNED OFF ALL REMAINING LIGHTS (AFTER LNDG CHKLIST) WHICH LEFT AN EXTREMELY DARK RAMP AREA. I WAS CONCENTRATING ON FINDING A TAXI LINE (LOOKING STRAIGHT AND L) AND THE TAXI SIGN QUICKLY DISAPPEARED ON THE R SIDE. THE FO WAS ENGROSSED IN THE AFTER LNDG CHKLIST AND TALKING TO TWR. WHEN I SAW THE TAXI LINE, I THOUGHT I WAS ON THE RAMP AND STRAIGHTENED THE TAXI. AS SOON AS I WENT STRAIGHT AHEAD, WE RAN INTO THE SIGN. MY LACK OF SITUATIONAL AWARENESS, DARK AREA AND PREOCCUPATION WITH THE CHKLIST ALL LED TO THIS INCIDENT. REFLECTIVE TAXI LINES/LIGHTED TAXI LINES PROBABLY WOULD HAVE PREVENTED IT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THE TURN WAS TO THE L FROM THE END OF THE RWY AND THERE ARE ACTUALLY 2 SMALL ISLAND AREAS WHICH ARE TO HOUSE THE SIGNS FOR THE 2 TXWYS. THEY ARE SURROUNDED BY BLUE TAXI LIGHTS BUT WHEN LEAVING THE RWY AND TURNING INTO A DARKENED RAMP AREA THEY DISAPPEAR TO THE R OF THE ACFT. THESE ISLANDS ARE NOT SHOWN ON THE ARPT DIAGRAM, EITHER THE COMMERCIAL OR NOA. RPTR WENT TO ARPT AUTH AND WAS GIVEN A COPY OF THEIR LIGHTING DIAGRAM ON WHICH THE ISLANDS ARE CLRLY SHOWN. THE AREAS ARE ABOUT 50 FT BY 15 FT. RPTR SUGGESTS USING REFLECTIVE PAINT TO GUIDE ACFT AROUND THESE ISLANDS AND AT LEAST GIVE PLTS SOMETHING TO FOLLOW WHEN EXITING THE RWY.

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.