C172 pilot taxies into a ditch at dwh in houston, tx. He complains of lack of adequate taxiway light...

Attributes
ACN	484708
Time
Date	200009
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dwh.airport
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	government other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 10 flight time total : 706 flight time type : 314
ASRS Report	484708
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : ground
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	excursion : taxiway
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Airport Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

Aircraft was being repositioned during night operations from one location at dwh to another location at dwh. The area where the mishap occurred was poorly lighted and the aircraft was taxied into a ditch that was not observed by either crew member. The earthen ditch separates paved areas on either side and is approximately 8 ft wide and 4 ft deep. There were no identify markings on either side of the ditch or taxiway centerline markings on the paved area. Taxiway centerline markings and taxiway edge markings (lights) would prevent future incidents during night operations. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter said that the distance between taxiway east, that he was taxiing on, and the paved area is about 8 ft. It is lower than the paved surfaces and at night the illusion is that it is a flat paved area, when in fact it is a ditch. The taxiway is curved at the point he left the paved surface. It has lights, but they are widely spaced. The aircraft endured propeller and wing damage.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 PLT TAXIES INTO A DITCH AT DWH IN HOUSTON, TX. HE COMPLAINS OF LACK OF ADEQUATE TXWY LIGHTING.

Narrative: ACFT WAS BEING REPOSITIONED DURING NIGHT OPS FROM ONE LOCATION AT DWH TO ANOTHER LOCATION AT DWH. THE AREA WHERE THE MISHAP OCCURRED WAS POORLY LIGHTED AND THE ACFT WAS TAXIED INTO A DITCH THAT WAS NOT OBSERVED BY EITHER CREW MEMBER. THE EARTHEN DITCH SEPARATES PAVED AREAS ON EITHER SIDE AND IS APPROX 8 FT WIDE AND 4 FT DEEP. THERE WERE NO IDENT MARKINGS ON EITHER SIDE OF THE DITCH OR TXWY CTRLINE MARKINGS ON THE PAVED AREA. TXWY CTRLINE MARKINGS AND TXWY EDGE MARKINGS (LIGHTS) WOULD PREVENT FUTURE INCIDENTS DURING NIGHT OPS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR SAID THAT THE DISTANCE BTWN TXWY E, THAT HE WAS TAXIING ON, AND THE PAVED AREA IS ABOUT 8 FT. IT IS LOWER THAN THE PAVED SURFACES AND AT NIGHT THE ILLUSION IS THAT IT IS A FLAT PAVED AREA, WHEN IN FACT IT IS A DITCH. THE TXWY IS CURVED AT THE POINT HE LEFT THE PAVED SURFACE. IT HAS LIGHTS, BUT THEY ARE WIDELY SPACED. THE ACFT ENDURED PROP AND WING 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.

C172 pilot taxies into a ditch at dwh in houston, tx. He complains of lack of adequate taxiway lighting.