Taxiway excursion. Captain of an MD80 failed to complete a turn onto a taxiway due being distraction...

Attributes
ACN	351115
Time
Date	199610
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : oak
State Reference	CA
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	MD-80 Super 80
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 190 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 7000
ASRS Report	351115
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

After landing on runway 29 I was making our turn onto the parallel taxiway. Both pilots were unfamiliar with the airport and parking location. As I commenced the turn onto the parallel ground control gave us taxi instructions to a remote parking pad. The copilot was looking inside the cockpit trying to find a frequency for the airline that was going to park us. I was unfamiliar with the taxi areas and looked down at my taxiway chart. I must have decreased the turning radius while looking at the chart. The copilot first noted our taxiing towards the taxiway blue lights. I looked up and tried to correct but our left gear knocked over a landing light. No aircraft damage. We had just completed an aircraft divert and had completed over 14 hours on duty. We were tired and this along with the unfamiliar diversion airport and parking area caused a loss of attention to taxiing for just a few seconds. This goes to show how quickly things can go wrong when only a momentary attention error is made. When tired and experiencing out of the ordinary events, extra vigilance is required.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TXWY EXCURSION. CAPT OF AN MD80 FAILED TO COMPLETE A TURN ONTO A TXWY DUE BEING DISTR RESULTING IN RUNNING OVER A TXWY LIGHT.

Narrative: AFTER LNDG ON RWY 29 I WAS MAKING OUR TURN ONTO THE PARALLEL TXWY. BOTH PLTS WERE UNFAMILIAR WITH THE ARPT AND PARKING LOCATION. AS I COMMENCED THE TURN ONTO THE PARALLEL GND CTL GAVE US TAXI INSTRUCTIONS TO A REMOTE PARKING PAD. THE COPLT WAS LOOKING INSIDE THE COCKPIT TRYING TO FIND A FREQ FOR THE AIRLINE THAT WAS GOING TO PARK US. I WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE TAXI AREAS AND LOOKED DOWN AT MY TXWY CHART. I MUST HAVE DECREASED THE TURNING RADIUS WHILE LOOKING AT THE CHART. THE COPLT FIRST NOTED OUR TAXIING TOWARDS THE TXWY BLUE LIGHTS. I LOOKED UP AND TRIED TO CORRECT BUT OUR L GEAR KNOCKED OVER A LNDG LIGHT. NO ACFT DAMAGE. WE HAD JUST COMPLETED AN ACFT DIVERT AND HAD COMPLETED OVER 14 HRS ON DUTY. WE WERE TIRED AND THIS ALONG WITH THE UNFAMILIAR DIVERSION ARPT AND PARKING AREA CAUSED A LOSS OF ATTN TO TAXIING FOR JUST A FEW SECONDS. THIS GOES TO SHOW HOW QUICKLY THINGS CAN GO WRONG WHEN ONLY A MOMENTARY ATTN ERROR IS MADE. WHEN TIRED AND EXPERIENCING OUT OF THE ORDINARY EVENTS, EXTRA VIGILANCE IS REQUIRED.

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.

Taxiway excursion. Captain of an MD80 failed to complete a turn onto a taxiway due being distraction resulting in running over a taxiway light.