Narrative:

We landed on runway 26L. On landing rollout, visibility was reduced due to snow and blowing snow. Grr tower told us to exit at A2. I saw the A2 taxi signs and the blue taxi lights. I began a turn to the right when my first officer stated, 'I don't think we are on the taxiway.' the nose gear and right main gear went approximately 18 inches off the edge of the runway on to snow covered grass. No injuries to passenger or crew. No damage to the aircraft. Runway 26L has been open since nov/01. The taxiway A2 sign is approximately 500 ft before the high speed taxiway. Runway 26L also has blue taxi lights along the runway edge between A1 and A2 high speed taxiway. In good visibility, having the blue taxi lights along the edge of the runway would not be a problem. But on this night, with reduced visibility because of the blowing snow it is a problem. I made the turn because I had just past the A2 taxi sign and I had a blue taxi light on my right and a blue taxi light on my left spaced about 100 ft apart. I have never been to an airport that has blue taxi light along the edge of the runway for this great of a distance. I spoke to the grr tower the next day, and the controller stated that the airport knows that the sign is not in the right spot and the blue taxi lights should not be along the runway for that great of a distance. The A2 taxi sign should be moved just prior of the high speed taxiway and the blue taxi lights removed from along the runway edge. Supplemental information from acn 541075: captain (PF) stopped aircraft on the runway. Tower told us to exit at taxiway A2. Captain turned towards what we agreed to be A2 taxiway since we had seen the A2 sign pass by as we rolled out. We had blue taxi light on our left and right. Captain was now taxiing extremely slow due to poor visibility. I suddenly see something that looks like the runway edge and state 'I don't think this is the taxiway.' captain immediately stops the aircraft. Nose gear and right main went approximately 18 inches off the edge of runway. Passenger was deplaned by airstairs and bussed to terminal. No injuries to passenger and no aircraft damage. Entry was made in aircraft logbook. The lighting of the runway and taxiway exits was confusing, especially in poor visibility. There are several blue taxi lights aligned with the runway which leads you to believe that you are entering or on a taxiway. Callback conversation with a grr tower specialist revealed the following information: when runway 8/26 recently underwent a refurbishing, certain additions like the high speed turnoffs were hoped to be rewarding improvements. For the most part they are. However, under certain WX conditions, that area between the 2 high speeds, gives crews the illusion to make a premature turn off the runway. High speed turnoff radius, blue taxiway light placement, and the close proximity of taxiway a to the high speed, were all explained as being part of the problem. Although the problem has been defined, a solution to the problem has yet to be found. The FAA, along with the airport authority/authorized, and users of the airport have had numerous meetings trying to solve the problem.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN 3145 CREW, LNDG AT GRR IN LIMITED VISIBILITY, BECAME DISORIENTED BY TXWY SIGNAGE AND BLUE LIGHTS, RESULTING IN AN EXCURSION FROM THE RWY.

Narrative: WE LANDED ON RWY 26L. ON LNDG ROLLOUT, VISIBILITY WAS REDUCED DUE TO SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW. GRR TWR TOLD US TO EXIT AT A2. I SAW THE A2 TAXI SIGNS AND THE BLUE TAXI LIGHTS. I BEGAN A TURN TO THE R WHEN MY FO STATED, 'I DON'T THINK WE ARE ON THE TXWY.' THE NOSE GEAR AND R MAIN GEAR WENT APPROX 18 INCHES OFF THE EDGE OF THE RWY ON TO SNOW COVERED GRASS. NO INJURIES TO PAX OR CREW. NO DAMAGE TO THE ACFT. RWY 26L HAS BEEN OPEN SINCE NOV/01. THE TXWY A2 SIGN IS APPROX 500 FT BEFORE THE HIGH SPD TXWY. RWY 26L ALSO HAS BLUE TAXI LIGHTS ALONG THE RWY EDGE BTWN A1 AND A2 HIGH SPD TXWY. IN GOOD VISIBILITY, HAVING THE BLUE TAXI LIGHTS ALONG THE EDGE OF THE RWY WOULD NOT BE A PROB. BUT ON THIS NIGHT, WITH REDUCED VISIBILITY BECAUSE OF THE BLOWING SNOW IT IS A PROB. I MADE THE TURN BECAUSE I HAD JUST PAST THE A2 TAXI SIGN AND I HAD A BLUE TAXI LIGHT ON MY R AND A BLUE TAXI LIGHT ON MY L SPACED ABOUT 100 FT APART. I HAVE NEVER BEEN TO AN ARPT THAT HAS BLUE TAXI LIGHT ALONG THE EDGE OF THE RWY FOR THIS GREAT OF A DISTANCE. I SPOKE TO THE GRR TWR THE NEXT DAY, AND THE CTLR STATED THAT THE ARPT KNOWS THAT THE SIGN IS NOT IN THE R SPOT AND THE BLUE TAXI LIGHTS SHOULD NOT BE ALONG THE RWY FOR THAT GREAT OF A DISTANCE. THE A2 TAXI SIGN SHOULD BE MOVED JUST PRIOR OF THE HIGH SPD TXWY AND THE BLUE TAXI LIGHTS REMOVED FROM ALONG THE RWY EDGE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 541075: CAPT (PF) STOPPED ACFT ON THE RWY. TWR TOLD US TO EXIT AT TXWY A2. CAPT TURNED TOWARDS WHAT WE AGREED TO BE A2 TXWY SINCE WE HAD SEEN THE A2 SIGN PASS BY AS WE ROLLED OUT. WE HAD BLUE TAXI LIGHT ON OUR L AND R. CAPT WAS NOW TAXIING EXTREMELY SLOW DUE TO POOR VISIBILITY. I SUDDENLY SEE SOMETHING THAT LOOKS LIKE THE RWY EDGE AND STATE 'I DON'T THINK THIS IS THE TXWY.' CAPT IMMEDIATELY STOPS THE ACFT. NOSE GEAR AND R MAIN WENT APPROX 18 INCHES OFF THE EDGE OF RWY. PAX WAS DEPLANED BY AIRSTAIRS AND BUSSED TO TERMINAL. NO INJURIES TO PAX AND NO ACFT DAMAGE. ENTRY WAS MADE IN ACFT LOGBOOK. THE LIGHTING OF THE RWY AND TXWY EXITS WAS CONFUSING, ESPECIALLY IN POOR VISIBILITY. THERE ARE SEVERAL BLUE TAXI LIGHTS ALIGNED WITH THE RWY WHICH LEADS YOU TO BELIEVE THAT YOU ARE ENTERING OR ON A TXWY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH A GRR TWR SPECIALIST REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: WHEN RWY 8/26 RECENTLY UNDERWENT A REFURBISHING, CERTAIN ADDITIONS LIKE THE HIGH SPD TURNOFFS WERE HOPED TO BE REWARDING IMPROVEMENTS. FOR THE MOST PART THEY ARE. HOWEVER, UNDER CERTAIN WX CONDITIONS, THAT AREA BTWN THE 2 HIGH SPDS, GIVES CREWS THE ILLUSION TO MAKE A PREMATURE TURN OFF THE RWY. HIGH SPD TURNOFF RADIUS, BLUE TXWY LIGHT PLACEMENT, AND THE CLOSE PROX OF TXWY A TO THE HIGH SPD, WERE ALL EXPLAINED AS BEING PART OF THE PROB. ALTHOUGH THE PROB HAS BEEN DEFINED, A SOLUTION TO THE PROB HAS YET TO BE FOUND. THE FAA, ALONG WITH THE ARPT AUTH, AND USERS OF THE ARPT HAVE HAD NUMEROUS MEETINGS TRYING TO SOLVE THE PROB.

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.