Narrative:

Flight departed gate with apron control. We were instructed to taxi to runway 24R via taxiway east and to contact ground control short of taxiway F. Approaching taxiway F, I changed over to ground control. Ground then changed our taxi instructions to 'taxi to runway 24R via txwys F and B cleared to cross runway 10/28.' as we approached the runway 28 hold line we asked each other if it was clear left and right. It was so we proceeded across runway 28. During the crossing, ground changed our departure SID. I said 'I'll look it up.' I looked down into my lap to find the new SID when outside to my right front I saw the taxiway sign that indicated that taxiway B was an approaching right turn. I promptly told the captain that I had seen the sign and taxiway B was a right turn ahead as he had stated a few seconds earlier. We had also just briefed our new taxi instructions and were in agreement. I then checked our progress taxiing across runway 28 and started to look at the SID when we felt a bump. I then saw something hit the right windshield. I then told the captain to stop as we both applied the brakes. This is when I realized we had struck the first taxiway light on the r-hand side after crossing runway 28. A few notes: 1) the captain and I had never been to montreal international (dorval). 2) I had been awake since XA00 that morning and was about to time out. 3) the captain and I did brief both of our taxi instructions before we proceeded to move the aircraft. Contributing factors: 1) at night. 2) unfamiliar with the airport. We taxied very slow. This is the only reason why we struck only 1 light because the lights are very close together, approximately 20 ft. 3) changing taxi instructions that required looking at the airport page. 4) changing the SID that required looking inside the aircraft. 5) lack of taxiway edge markings. There are no painted yellow lines to help identify the taxiway edges. 6) the lights are mounted approximately 20 ft from the edge of the concrete towards the center of the taxiway with no yellow edge lines painted. 7) there is no continuing taxiway centerline to help you find the center of the taxiway after crossing runway 28. There are only the yellow lead off lines from the runway that join a 'dashed' taxiway centerline. 8) the right turn depicted on the 10-9 page approachs sooner than one might think by interpreting the depiction. 9) the first taxiway light is mounted very close to the runway white edge line. I would say that my biggest mistake was that I stopped looking outside while we were crossing runway 28. At this time there is no taxi line to follow across the runway and all eyes should be outside.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATR42 FLC STRIKES TXWY LIGHT AT YUL.

Narrative: FLT DEPARTED GATE WITH APRON CTL. WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO TAXI TO RWY 24R VIA TXWY E AND TO CONTACT GND CTL SHORT OF TXWY F. APCHING TXWY F, I CHANGED OVER TO GND CTL. GND THEN CHANGED OUR TAXI INSTRUCTIONS TO 'TAXI TO RWY 24R VIA TXWYS F AND B CLRED TO CROSS RWY 10/28.' AS WE APCHED THE RWY 28 HOLD LINE WE ASKED EACH OTHER IF IT WAS CLR L AND R. IT WAS SO WE PROCEEDED ACROSS RWY 28. DURING THE XING, GND CHANGED OUR DEP SID. I SAID 'I'LL LOOK IT UP.' I LOOKED DOWN INTO MY LAP TO FIND THE NEW SID WHEN OUTSIDE TO MY R FRONT I SAW THE TXWY SIGN THAT INDICATED THAT TXWY B WAS AN APCHING R TURN. I PROMPTLY TOLD THE CAPT THAT I HAD SEEN THE SIGN AND TXWY B WAS A R TURN AHEAD AS HE HAD STATED A FEW SECONDS EARLIER. WE HAD ALSO JUST BRIEFED OUR NEW TAXI INSTRUCTIONS AND WERE IN AGREEMENT. I THEN CHKED OUR PROGRESS TAXIING ACROSS RWY 28 AND STARTED TO LOOK AT THE SID WHEN WE FELT A BUMP. I THEN SAW SOMETHING HIT THE R WINDSHIELD. I THEN TOLD THE CAPT TO STOP AS WE BOTH APPLIED THE BRAKES. THIS IS WHEN I REALIZED WE HAD STRUCK THE FIRST TXWY LIGHT ON THE R-HAND SIDE AFTER XING RWY 28. A FEW NOTES: 1) THE CAPT AND I HAD NEVER BEEN TO MONTREAL INTL (DORVAL). 2) I HAD BEEN AWAKE SINCE XA00 THAT MORNING AND WAS ABOUT TO TIME OUT. 3) THE CAPT AND I DID BRIEF BOTH OF OUR TAXI INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE WE PROCEEDED TO MOVE THE ACFT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 1) AT NIGHT. 2) UNFAMILIAR WITH THE ARPT. WE TAXIED VERY SLOW. THIS IS THE ONLY REASON WHY WE STRUCK ONLY 1 LIGHT BECAUSE THE LIGHTS ARE VERY CLOSE TOGETHER, APPROX 20 FT. 3) CHANGING TAXI INSTRUCTIONS THAT REQUIRED LOOKING AT THE ARPT PAGE. 4) CHANGING THE SID THAT REQUIRED LOOKING INSIDE THE ACFT. 5) LACK OF TXWY EDGE MARKINGS. THERE ARE NO PAINTED YELLOW LINES TO HELP IDENT THE TXWY EDGES. 6) THE LIGHTS ARE MOUNTED APPROX 20 FT FROM THE EDGE OF THE CONCRETE TOWARDS THE CTR OF THE TXWY WITH NO YELLOW EDGE LINES PAINTED. 7) THERE IS NO CONTINUING TXWY CTRLINE TO HELP YOU FIND THE CTR OF THE TXWY AFTER XING RWY 28. THERE ARE ONLY THE YELLOW LEAD OFF LINES FROM THE RWY THAT JOIN A 'DASHED' TXWY CTRLINE. 8) THE R TURN DEPICTED ON THE 10-9 PAGE APCHS SOONER THAN ONE MIGHT THINK BY INTERPRETING THE DEPICTION. 9) THE FIRST TXWY LIGHT IS MOUNTED VERY CLOSE TO THE RWY WHITE EDGE LINE. I WOULD SAY THAT MY BIGGEST MISTAKE WAS THAT I STOPPED LOOKING OUTSIDE WHILE WE WERE XING RWY 28. AT THIS TIME THERE IS NO TAXI LINE TO FOLLOW ACROSS THE RWY AND ALL EYES SHOULD BE OUTSIDE.

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.