Narrative:

In an effort to avoid overheated brakes, the captain elected to roll to the end of the runway and exit to the left since the company's cargo facility was on that side of the airfield. (The captain had just recently upgraded to the B747 and was not overly familiar with the jfk airport.) as the aircraft neared the end of the runway at a normal taxi speed, the captain became distraction looking for a taxiway exit that, as it turned out, did not exist. To add to the distraction, a perpendicular taxiway with blue taxiway lighting was visible just beyond the end of the runway. In the ensuing seconds of trying to determine how to exit the runway, the captain failed to notice the runway end lights disappear under the nose of the aircraft. (The first officer, meanwhile, was talking to tower and referring to his airport diagram to resolve our situation and was, therefore, not immediately aware of our tenuous position.) finally realizing that there was no apparent turnoff available, the aircraft was stopped but not before the nose gear had passed beyond the runway end, damaging one runway end light. A tug was summoned, and the aircraft was towed to the cargo facility having sustained no damage.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NEW CAPT TAXIED OVER RWY END LIGHT AT JFK.

Narrative: IN AN EFFORT TO AVOID OVERHEATED BRAKES, THE CAPT ELECTED TO ROLL TO THE END OF THE RWY AND EXIT TO THE L SINCE THE COMPANY'S CARGO FACILITY WAS ON THAT SIDE OF THE AIRFIELD. (THE CAPT HAD JUST RECENTLY UPGRADED TO THE B747 AND WAS NOT OVERLY FAMILIAR WITH THE JFK ARPT.) AS THE ACFT NEARED THE END OF THE RWY AT A NORMAL TAXI SPD, THE CAPT BECAME DISTR LOOKING FOR A TXWY EXIT THAT, AS IT TURNED OUT, DID NOT EXIST. TO ADD TO THE DISTR, A PERPENDICULAR TXWY WITH BLUE TXWY LIGHTING WAS VISIBLE JUST BEYOND THE END OF THE RWY. IN THE ENSUING SECONDS OF TRYING TO DETERMINE HOW TO EXIT THE RWY, THE CAPT FAILED TO NOTICE THE RWY END LIGHTS DISAPPEAR UNDER THE NOSE OF THE ACFT. (THE FO, MEANWHILE, WAS TALKING TO TWR AND REFERRING TO HIS ARPT DIAGRAM TO RESOLVE OUR SIT AND WAS, THEREFORE, NOT IMMEDIATELY AWARE OF OUR TENUOUS POS.) FINALLY REALIZING THAT THERE WAS NO APPARENT TURNOFF AVAILABLE, THE ACFT WAS STOPPED BUT NOT BEFORE THE NOSE GEAR HAD PASSED BEYOND THE RWY END, DAMAGING ONE RWY END LIGHT. A TUG WAS SUMMONED, AND THE ACFT WAS TOWED TO THE CARGO FACILITY HAVING SUSTAINED NO DAMAGE.

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.