Narrative:

It had been snowing all night and everything was covered with 6-8 inches on the ground. The runway had been plowed but there was plenty of compacted snow to make the braking action fair. We landed normally, xferred control of the aircraft between the first officer and myself in an orderly manner, slowed the aircraft to a very slow taxi speed, and the tower advised us that there was an airline flight on a 1 mi final and for us to expedite clearing the runway. The tower also said that we could use runway 9L/27R to get off. The first officer acknowledged the transmission and I replied we would use the runway to turn off. Because of the very little contrast between plowed versus unplowed areas, as well as the sense of urgency that ATC had put in our mindset, and the fact that with the blowing snow it made everything glare and bright, it was hard to get an exact bearing on where the intersection was from my vantage point. I asked the first officer if we were there yet, thinking he could see it better and he replied yes, turn! I made the right turnoff from runway 3L into a flat area just south of the intersection facing east. We advised tower of our situation, the aircraft was directed to go around, and the runway was closed. We used a little power and moved up to the taxiway with no damage to the aircraft. Several things I have learned from this experience: 1) do not let ATC rush me or put me in a rush mindset -- especially under less than ideal circumstances. 2) do not put all of my trust in the first officer when I am in the unusual spot of not exactly knowing where the edge of the taxiway or exit runway lies. 3) use all of my crew members -- especially the so, who could have been very valuable in providing another set of eyes to confirm where we were.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT TURNED SHORT OF RWY AND BRIEFLY LEFT THE PAVED SURFACE.

Narrative: IT HAD BEEN SNOWING ALL NIGHT AND EVERYTHING WAS COVERED WITH 6-8 INCHES ON THE GND. THE RWY HAD BEEN PLOWED BUT THERE WAS PLENTY OF COMPACTED SNOW TO MAKE THE BRAKING ACTION FAIR. WE LANDED NORMALLY, XFERRED CTL OF THE ACFT BTWN THE FO AND MYSELF IN AN ORDERLY MANNER, SLOWED THE ACFT TO A VERY SLOW TAXI SPD, AND THE TWR ADVISED US THAT THERE WAS AN AIRLINE FLT ON A 1 MI FINAL AND FOR US TO EXPEDITE CLRING THE RWY. THE TWR ALSO SAID THAT WE COULD USE RWY 9L/27R TO GET OFF. THE FO ACKNOWLEDGED THE XMISSION AND I REPLIED WE WOULD USE THE RWY TO TURN OFF. BECAUSE OF THE VERY LITTLE CONTRAST BTWN PLOWED VERSUS UNPLOWED AREAS, AS WELL AS THE SENSE OF URGENCY THAT ATC HAD PUT IN OUR MINDSET, AND THE FACT THAT WITH THE BLOWING SNOW IT MADE EVERYTHING GLARE AND BRIGHT, IT WAS HARD TO GET AN EXACT BEARING ON WHERE THE INTXN WAS FROM MY VANTAGE POINT. I ASKED THE FO IF WE WERE THERE YET, THINKING HE COULD SEE IT BETTER AND HE REPLIED YES, TURN! I MADE THE R TURNOFF FROM RWY 3L INTO A FLAT AREA JUST S OF THE INTXN FACING E. WE ADVISED TWR OF OUR SIT, THE ACFT WAS DIRECTED TO GO AROUND, AND THE RWY WAS CLOSED. WE USED A LITTLE PWR AND MOVED UP TO THE TXWY WITH NO DAMAGE TO THE ACFT. SEVERAL THINGS I HAVE LEARNED FROM THIS EXPERIENCE: 1) DO NOT LET ATC RUSH ME OR PUT ME IN A RUSH MINDSET -- ESPECIALLY UNDER LESS THAN IDEAL CIRCUMSTANCES. 2) DO NOT PUT ALL OF MY TRUST IN THE FO WHEN I AM IN THE UNUSUAL SPOT OF NOT EXACTLY KNOWING WHERE THE EDGE OF THE TXWY OR EXIT RWY LIES. 3) USE ALL OF MY CREW MEMBERS -- ESPECIALLY THE SO, WHO COULD HAVE BEEN VERY VALUABLE IN PROVIDING ANOTHER SET OF EYES TO CONFIRM WHERE WE WERE.

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.