Narrative:

I arrived at FBO a located at msy around XA40 am. The msy metar read as follows: msy 10SM BKN041 12/11 A2986 rmk A02 SLP113 to 20106. Having received my aircraft assignment from operations, I proceeded to preflight a BE58. Completed my walkaround, and entered the aircraft. Noticing that the windscreen had a considerable amount of condensation on it, I got out and wiped the water off the outside with my hand, returned to the cockpit and set up my working environment. I checked the hobbs against our maintenance for airworthiness directives, inspections due, squawks, and VOR checks. All was satisfactory. I started both engines to warm them to an acceptable operating level. My aircraft was located on FBO a's ramp where a white line divides the areas between FBO a and FBO B. I was facing southeast towards the FBO a building and parking lot where the glare from lights on poles restr my vision. These lights are pointed in the ramp's direction and limit anyone's vision who would enter the ramp from the runway and darken the ramp when leaving towards the runway. Condensation continued to fog up the inside and outside of the windscreen. The right and left pilot windows were no better. I did my run-up while parked there and taxied closer to the FBO a building slowly and cautiously. The lineman waved me closer but due to my limited visibility, I could only see his light sticks. I shut down and went to get paper towels to wipe both sides of the windscreen down. After loading my freight, I noticed again that my windscreen had more mist and condensation in and outside of it. I again wiped the condensation off. I quickly got into the aircraft, started both engines and started to taxi after talking to ground at about XB08 am. By the time I taxied out, the window was fogged again so I proceeded slowly, being guided off my right wing by a lineman. I could barely see him except for his lighted waving wands. As I headed for what I thought was taxiway B, I searched for a taxi line, looking to my left where my landing light showed. I found no taxi line so I continued in the direction I thought was correct. I was cleared to taxi to taxiway B and then right on taxiway east to runway 28 at taxiway C. Taxiway B exits runways 28 and 10 into the west ramp where the FBO a building, if entering the ramp to the south, would be straight ahead. I saw ahead of me in the distance a red runway 28/10/B sign on the left and an east/B/east sign to the right and proceeded directly between them. I decided to go slowly and cautiously towards the gap. I saw blue taxi lights in that direction thinking they indicated the taxiway B and if not I would parallel the lights if needed to exit the ramp via taxiway B. I never got close to the lights before I felt the airplane roll off the ramp onto the grass. There were no taxiway lights on the ramp edge at all. The taxi lights I had mistaken for the taxiway B were taxiway edge lights for taxiway east which paralleled the ramp's edge. I missed taxiway B's centerline by approximately 70 ft to the left while exiting. Taxiway B only has edge lights which lead you in and out of the GA ramp. The ramp itself is not lined with lights. When I returned later that afternoon, I examined the ramp and what I had done. There were a lot of factors which led to my mistake. 1) I noticed that FBO a does have a taxi line to taxiway B but I did not see it because I could not see out my right window due to glare from lights that are pointed from the FBO a building north towards taxiway B. These lights make it difficult to see, especially if any precipitation or condensation is a factor. 2) I didn't taxi far enough to the right to see the taxi line. 3) I looked ahead more and not to the left or right where my lights shined and got disoriented due to illusions created by taxiway east's lights which I had mistaken for ramp edge lights. Looking ahead and not to my left caused me to miss the taxiway line out of FBO B and also a helipad marking which I taxied over. Ultimately, I made a mistake that luckily hurt no one and caused no damage to property or the aircraft itself. I am a very cautious person as it is, especially with my career. I have learned a great dealfrom this experience and will work to ensure that sits like this never happen again. The following are some hazards I feel would help the new orleans ramp area if implemented: 1) line the edge of the GA ramp with taxi lights. It is difficult enough to see at night in that area and is one of the factors which led to my problem. 2) find some other way to light the ramp besides shining lights in the direction of oncoming txwys or traffic. The large amber and white lights that point towards the taxiway B limit all aircraft's vision especially in bad WX or when the ground is wet. 3) repaint the taxi lines. The taxi lines are so old, they don't reflect any light.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF AIR TAXI FREIGHT OP TAXIING AT NIGHT ROLLS OFF THE RAMP AREA INTO THE GRASS.

Narrative: I ARRIVED AT FBO A LOCATED AT MSY AROUND XA40 AM. THE MSY METAR READ AS FOLLOWS: MSY 10SM BKN041 12/11 A2986 RMK A02 SLP113 TO 20106. HAVING RECEIVED MY ACFT ASSIGNMENT FROM OPS, I PROCEEDED TO PREFLT A BE58. COMPLETED MY WALKAROUND, AND ENTERED THE ACFT. NOTICING THAT THE WINDSCREEN HAD A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF CONDENSATION ON IT, I GOT OUT AND WIPED THE WATER OFF THE OUTSIDE WITH MY HAND, RETURNED TO THE COCKPIT AND SET UP MY WORKING ENVIRONMENT. I CHKED THE HOBBS AGAINST OUR MAINT FOR AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES, INSPECTIONS DUE, SQUAWKS, AND VOR CHKS. ALL WAS SATISFACTORY. I STARTED BOTH ENGS TO WARM THEM TO AN ACCEPTABLE OPERATING LEVEL. MY ACFT WAS LOCATED ON FBO A'S RAMP WHERE A WHITE LINE DIVIDES THE AREAS BTWN FBO A AND FBO B. I WAS FACING SE TOWARDS THE FBO A BUILDING AND PARKING LOT WHERE THE GLARE FROM LIGHTS ON POLES RESTR MY VISION. THESE LIGHTS ARE POINTED IN THE RAMP'S DIRECTION AND LIMIT ANYONE'S VISION WHO WOULD ENTER THE RAMP FROM THE RWY AND DARKEN THE RAMP WHEN LEAVING TOWARDS THE RWY. CONDENSATION CONTINUED TO FOG UP THE INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF THE WINDSCREEN. THE R AND L PLT WINDOWS WERE NO BETTER. I DID MY RUN-UP WHILE PARKED THERE AND TAXIED CLOSER TO THE FBO A BUILDING SLOWLY AND CAUTIOUSLY. THE LINEMAN WAVED ME CLOSER BUT DUE TO MY LIMITED VISIBILITY, I COULD ONLY SEE HIS LIGHT STICKS. I SHUT DOWN AND WENT TO GET PAPER TOWELS TO WIPE BOTH SIDES OF THE WINDSCREEN DOWN. AFTER LOADING MY FREIGHT, I NOTICED AGAIN THAT MY WINDSCREEN HAD MORE MIST AND CONDENSATION IN AND OUTSIDE OF IT. I AGAIN WIPED THE CONDENSATION OFF. I QUICKLY GOT INTO THE ACFT, STARTED BOTH ENGS AND STARTED TO TAXI AFTER TALKING TO GND AT ABOUT XB08 AM. BY THE TIME I TAXIED OUT, THE WINDOW WAS FOGGED AGAIN SO I PROCEEDED SLOWLY, BEING GUIDED OFF MY R WING BY A LINEMAN. I COULD BARELY SEE HIM EXCEPT FOR HIS LIGHTED WAVING WANDS. AS I HEADED FOR WHAT I THOUGHT WAS TXWY B, I SEARCHED FOR A TAXI LINE, LOOKING TO MY L WHERE MY LNDG LIGHT SHOWED. I FOUND NO TAXI LINE SO I CONTINUED IN THE DIRECTION I THOUGHT WAS CORRECT. I WAS CLRED TO TAXI TO TXWY B AND THEN R ON TXWY E TO RWY 28 AT TXWY C. TXWY B EXITS RWYS 28 AND 10 INTO THE W RAMP WHERE THE FBO A BUILDING, IF ENTERING THE RAMP TO THE S, WOULD BE STRAIGHT AHEAD. I SAW AHEAD OF ME IN THE DISTANCE A RED RWY 28/10/B SIGN ON THE L AND AN E/B/E SIGN TO THE R AND PROCEEDED DIRECTLY BETWEEN THEM. I DECIDED TO GO SLOWLY AND CAUTIOUSLY TOWARDS THE GAP. I SAW BLUE TAXI LIGHTS IN THAT DIRECTION THINKING THEY INDICATED THE TXWY B AND IF NOT I WOULD PARALLEL THE LIGHTS IF NEEDED TO EXIT THE RAMP VIA TXWY B. I NEVER GOT CLOSE TO THE LIGHTS BEFORE I FELT THE AIRPLANE ROLL OFF THE RAMP ONTO THE GRASS. THERE WERE NO TXWY LIGHTS ON THE RAMP EDGE AT ALL. THE TAXI LIGHTS I HAD MISTAKEN FOR THE TXWY B WERE TXWY EDGE LIGHTS FOR TXWY E WHICH PARALLELED THE RAMP'S EDGE. I MISSED TXWY B'S CTRLINE BY APPROX 70 FT TO THE L WHILE EXITING. TXWY B ONLY HAS EDGE LIGHTS WHICH LEAD YOU IN AND OUT OF THE GA RAMP. THE RAMP ITSELF IS NOT LINED WITH LIGHTS. WHEN I RETURNED LATER THAT AFTERNOON, I EXAMINED THE RAMP AND WHAT I HAD DONE. THERE WERE A LOT OF FACTORS WHICH LED TO MY MISTAKE. 1) I NOTICED THAT FBO A DOES HAVE A TAXI LINE TO TXWY B BUT I DID NOT SEE IT BECAUSE I COULD NOT SEE OUT MY R WINDOW DUE TO GLARE FROM LIGHTS THAT ARE POINTED FROM THE FBO A BUILDING N TOWARDS TXWY B. THESE LIGHTS MAKE IT DIFFICULT TO SEE, ESPECIALLY IF ANY PRECIPITATION OR CONDENSATION IS A FACTOR. 2) I DIDN'T TAXI FAR ENOUGH TO THE R TO SEE THE TAXI LINE. 3) I LOOKED AHEAD MORE AND NOT TO THE L OR R WHERE MY LIGHTS SHINED AND GOT DISORIENTED DUE TO ILLUSIONS CREATED BY TXWY E'S LIGHTS WHICH I HAD MISTAKEN FOR RAMP EDGE LIGHTS. LOOKING AHEAD AND NOT TO MY L CAUSED ME TO MISS THE TXWY LINE OUT OF FBO B AND ALSO A HELIPAD MARKING WHICH I TAXIED OVER. ULTIMATELY, I MADE A MISTAKE THAT LUCKILY HURT NO ONE AND CAUSED NO DAMAGE TO PROPERTY OR THE ACFT ITSELF. I AM A VERY CAUTIOUS PERSON AS IT IS, ESPECIALLY WITH MY CAREER. I HAVE LEARNED A GREAT DEALFROM THIS EXPERIENCE AND WILL WORK TO ENSURE THAT SITS LIKE THIS NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN. THE FOLLOWING ARE SOME HAZARDS I FEEL WOULD HELP THE NEW ORLEANS RAMP AREA IF IMPLEMENTED: 1) LINE THE EDGE OF THE GA RAMP WITH TAXI LIGHTS. IT IS DIFFICULT ENOUGH TO SEE AT NIGHT IN THAT AREA AND IS ONE OF THE FACTORS WHICH LED TO MY PROB. 2) FIND SOME OTHER WAY TO LIGHT THE RAMP BESIDES SHINING LIGHTS IN THE DIRECTION OF ONCOMING TXWYS OR TFC. THE LARGE AMBER AND WHITE LIGHTS THAT POINT TOWARDS THE TXWY B LIMIT ALL ACFT'S VISION ESPECIALLY IN BAD WX OR WHEN THE GND IS WET. 3) REPAINT THE TAXI LINES. THE TAXI LINES ARE SO OLD, THEY DON'T REFLECT ANY LIGHT.

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.