Crew on air carrier DC9 at las received taxi clearance to follow an air carrier B757 to the runway. ...

Attributes
ACN	407820
Time
Date	199807
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : las
State Reference	NV
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	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other 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 : 150 flight time total : 9600 flight time type : 77
ASRS Report	407820
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
Airport	other physical facility procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

Air carrier #1 was parked at gate xx. The first officer contacted ramp control for push clearance, we pushed at XA45. The push crew had the aircraft facing southeast on the ramp near spot 4. We started both engines and completed the after start checklist. At that time the first officer called ramp control for taxi. We were instructed to go to spot 3 and contact ground on 121.1. Upon reaching spot 3, first officer called ground for taxi clearance with information and a special request for runway 25L departure. Ground instructions were to follow air carrier #2, taxi runway 25L via taxiway C, hold short runway 25R at A2. We requested ground to reconfirm that the air carrier #2 B757 passing us from right to left was in fact the traffic to follow. They confirmed and we proceeded to follow the B757 to what I believed was taxiway C to make our way to runway 25L. While taxiing, I felt an unusual rumble in the tail and I immediately stopped. The APU automatically shut down. We had come to a stop in an area south of spot 3. The entire area was not properly lit, there weren't any taxiway edge lights or adequate markings. This led me to believe that the area was part of the ramp and taxiway B was taxiway C. I proceeded to approach the taxiway straight ahead to follow, as instructed, when I taxied into an area I later found out was used for drainage purposes. My taxi lights were on. Both the first officer and I kept looking straight ahead outside. There was no way to differentiate the drainage area from the taxiway or ramp as the contrast/color was consistently the same throughout the whole area. This also proved to be true during the daylight, so one can imagine how the problems, I stated above, escalated at night. I have now become aware of previous complaints that have been made about insufficient lighting at las, to the airport auths.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CREW ON ACR DC9 AT LAS RECEIVED TAXI CLRNC TO FOLLOW AN ACR B757 TO THE RWY. DURING TAXI, THE DC9 INADVERTENTLY TAXIED INTO A DRAINAGE AREA RESULTING IN SHUTTING DOWN AND DEPLANING PAX ONTO BUSSES BACK TO THE TERMINAL. RPTR CLAIMS RAMP WAS POORLY LIT.

Narrative: ACR #1 WAS PARKED AT GATE XX. THE FO CONTACTED RAMP CTL FOR PUSH CLRNC, WE PUSHED AT XA45. THE PUSH CREW HAD THE ACFT FACING SE ON THE RAMP NEAR SPOT 4. WE STARTED BOTH ENGS AND COMPLETED THE AFTER START CHKLIST. AT THAT TIME THE FO CALLED RAMP CTL FOR TAXI. WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO GO TO SPOT 3 AND CONTACT GND ON 121.1. UPON REACHING SPOT 3, FO CALLED GND FOR TAXI CLRNC WITH INFO AND A SPECIAL REQUEST FOR RWY 25L DEP. GND INSTRUCTIONS WERE TO FOLLOW ACR #2, TAXI RWY 25L VIA TXWY C, HOLD SHORT RWY 25R AT A2. WE REQUESTED GND TO RECONFIRM THAT THE ACR #2 B757 PASSING US FROM R TO L WAS IN FACT THE TFC TO FOLLOW. THEY CONFIRMED AND WE PROCEEDED TO FOLLOW THE B757 TO WHAT I BELIEVED WAS TXWY C TO MAKE OUR WAY TO RWY 25L. WHILE TAXIING, I FELT AN UNUSUAL RUMBLE IN THE TAIL AND I IMMEDIATELY STOPPED. THE APU AUTOMATICALLY SHUT DOWN. WE HAD COME TO A STOP IN AN AREA S OF SPOT 3. THE ENTIRE AREA WAS NOT PROPERLY LIT, THERE WEREN'T ANY TXWY EDGE LIGHTS OR ADEQUATE MARKINGS. THIS LED ME TO BELIEVE THAT THE AREA WAS PART OF THE RAMP AND TXWY B WAS TXWY C. I PROCEEDED TO APCH THE TXWY STRAIGHT AHEAD TO FOLLOW, AS INSTRUCTED, WHEN I TAXIED INTO AN AREA I LATER FOUND OUT WAS USED FOR DRAINAGE PURPOSES. MY TAXI LIGHTS WERE ON. BOTH THE FO AND I KEPT LOOKING STRAIGHT AHEAD OUTSIDE. THERE WAS NO WAY TO DIFFERENTIATE THE DRAINAGE AREA FROM THE TXWY OR RAMP AS THE CONTRAST/COLOR WAS CONSISTENTLY THE SAME THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE AREA. THIS ALSO PROVED TO BE TRUE DURING THE DAYLIGHT, SO ONE CAN IMAGINE HOW THE PROBS, I STATED ABOVE, ESCALATED AT NIGHT. I HAVE NOW BECOME AWARE OF PREVIOUS COMPLAINTS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE ABOUT INSUFFICIENT LIGHTING AT LAS, TO THE ARPT AUTHS.

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.

Crew on air carrier DC9 at las received taxi clearance to follow an air carrier B757 to the runway. During taxi, the DC9 inadvertently taxied into a drainage area resulting in shutting down and deplaning passenger onto busses back to the terminal. Reporter claims ramp was poorly lit.