BE02 departs paved surface during night taxi at pou.

Attributes
ACN	423758
Time
Date	199812
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : pou
State Reference	NY
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	Beech 1900
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 300 flight time total : 7200 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	423758
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other
Situations
Airport	other physical facility

Narrative:

While taxiing from terminal to runway 6, I taxied onto the grass north of the terminal. I immediately returned the aircraft to the ramp pavement and continued to taxi to runway 6. The problem arose because: the ramp is lighted by low lights above the terminal. 2) there is no way to determine where the ramp ended and the grass began. (No lights, no reflective posts, no double yellow lines, etc.) 3) there are no lines (visible at night) until established on the west taxiway between ramp and parallel taxiway. 4) taxi light was weak due to obscured lens. It was discovered by looking down from my window and a rough taxi surface. (Fortunately, the terrain had been frozen for the previous 24+ hours.) corrective action should be made to identify edge of pavement more definitively. Human performance factors are: 1) first officer should have been more 'in the loop' and more 'heads up.' 2) I should have had more common sense and used more lights than just taxi. 3) I should have returned to the gate and had the aircraft inspected for damage. 4) the initial worry over what happened caused a small chain of small mistakes afterward. Suggest, if published, to advise crews to stop, take a deep breath, think! Don't let one mistake breed more.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE02 DEPARTS PAVED SURFACE DURING NIGHT TAXI AT POU.

Narrative: WHILE TAXIING FROM TERMINAL TO RWY 6, I TAXIED ONTO THE GRASS N OF THE TERMINAL. I IMMEDIATELY RETURNED THE ACFT TO THE RAMP PAVEMENT AND CONTINUED TO TAXI TO RWY 6. THE PROB AROSE BECAUSE: THE RAMP IS LIGHTED BY LOW LIGHTS ABOVE THE TERMINAL. 2) THERE IS NO WAY TO DETERMINE WHERE THE RAMP ENDED AND THE GRASS BEGAN. (NO LIGHTS, NO REFLECTIVE POSTS, NO DOUBLE YELLOW LINES, ETC.) 3) THERE ARE NO LINES (VISIBLE AT NIGHT) UNTIL ESTABLISHED ON THE W TXWY BTWN RAMP AND PARALLEL TXWY. 4) TAXI LIGHT WAS WEAK DUE TO OBSCURED LENS. IT WAS DISCOVERED BY LOOKING DOWN FROM MY WINDOW AND A ROUGH TAXI SURFACE. (FORTUNATELY, THE TERRAIN HAD BEEN FROZEN FOR THE PREVIOUS 24+ HRS.) CORRECTIVE ACTION SHOULD BE MADE TO IDENT EDGE OF PAVEMENT MORE DEFINITIVELY. HUMAN PERFORMANCE FACTORS ARE: 1) FO SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE 'IN THE LOOP' AND MORE 'HEADS UP.' 2) I SHOULD HAVE HAD MORE COMMON SENSE AND USED MORE LIGHTS THAN JUST TAXI. 3) I SHOULD HAVE RETURNED TO THE GATE AND HAD THE ACFT INSPECTED FOR DAMAGE. 4) THE INITIAL WORRY OVER WHAT HAPPENED CAUSED A SMALL CHAIN OF SMALL MISTAKES AFTERWARD. SUGGEST, IF PUBLISHED, TO ADVISE CREWS TO STOP, TAKE A DEEP BREATH, THINK! DON'T LET ONE MISTAKE BREED MORE.

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.