Narrative:

It was day 3 of a 3 day trip. After pushback at las, ramp control told us to proceed to taxiway B5 and contact ground. At this time, I was taxiing towards taxiway B5 in the area of a lot of construction, barricades, flashing yellow lights, washed out lines, when ground tells us to take taxiway B for intersection 1I departure, hold short of runway 1R on taxiway B. I was at that moment in a gentle right turn heading towards taxiway B5 when I looked down at my chart to check the route. When I looked up, what I believe happened is, I changed my focus a little left of where I should have been. I saw some green taxi lead in lights for taxiway B and didn't see or notice the blue edge light until too late. I caught my mistake the moment I passed into the edge area and got on the brakes and made a right turn and was out within a few seconds. Once clear, I set the brakes and called ground and told them what happened, and asked for someone to come out and see if I hit any lights. They did, and I had. We went back to the gate where maintenance found a small cut on the #1 tire, which they changed out quickly, and we completed the trip about 1/2 hour late. How could this happen? I wasn't fatigued, and I wasn't in a hurry. I have no excuses here, especially considering how many times I have been in and out of las. I had a good first officer, but he was reviewing the route at the same time I was. Better aircraft taxi light could have helped. Sometimes you can hardly tell if they are on. The lesson I take away from this is that whenever there is construction going on near txwys and runways, to be extra vigilant, never looking down at a chart unless 100% sure it is safe to do so.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF B737 EXITED PAVED TXWY AT LAS.

Narrative: IT WAS DAY 3 OF A 3 DAY TRIP. AFTER PUSHBACK AT LAS, RAMP CTL TOLD US TO PROCEED TO TXWY B5 AND CONTACT GND. AT THIS TIME, I WAS TAXIING TOWARDS TXWY B5 IN THE AREA OF A LOT OF CONSTRUCTION, BARRICADES, FLASHING YELLOW LIGHTS, WASHED OUT LINES, WHEN GND TELLS US TO TAKE TXWY B FOR INTXN 1I DEP, HOLD SHORT OF RWY 1R ON TXWY B. I WAS AT THAT MOMENT IN A GENTLE R TURN HEADING TOWARDS TXWY B5 WHEN I LOOKED DOWN AT MY CHART TO CHK THE RTE. WHEN I LOOKED UP, WHAT I BELIEVE HAPPENED IS, I CHANGED MY FOCUS A LITTLE L OF WHERE I SHOULD HAVE BEEN. I SAW SOME GREEN TAXI LEAD IN LIGHTS FOR TXWY B AND DIDN'T SEE OR NOTICE THE BLUE EDGE LIGHT UNTIL TOO LATE. I CAUGHT MY MISTAKE THE MOMENT I PASSED INTO THE EDGE AREA AND GOT ON THE BRAKES AND MADE A R TURN AND WAS OUT WITHIN A FEW SECONDS. ONCE CLR, I SET THE BRAKES AND CALLED GND AND TOLD THEM WHAT HAPPENED, AND ASKED FOR SOMEONE TO COME OUT AND SEE IF I HIT ANY LIGHTS. THEY DID, AND I HAD. WE WENT BACK TO THE GATE WHERE MAINT FOUND A SMALL CUT ON THE #1 TIRE, WHICH THEY CHANGED OUT QUICKLY, AND WE COMPLETED THE TRIP ABOUT 1/2 HR LATE. HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN? I WASN'T FATIGUED, AND I WASN'T IN A HURRY. I HAVE NO EXCUSES HERE, ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING HOW MANY TIMES I HAVE BEEN IN AND OUT OF LAS. I HAD A GOOD FO, BUT HE WAS REVIEWING THE RTE AT THE SAME TIME I WAS. BETTER ACFT TAXI LIGHT COULD HAVE HELPED. SOMETIMES YOU CAN HARDLY TELL IF THEY ARE ON. THE LESSON I TAKE AWAY FROM THIS IS THAT WHENEVER THERE IS CONSTRUCTION GOING ON NEAR TXWYS AND RWYS, TO BE EXTRA VIGILANT, NEVER LOOKING DOWN AT A CHART UNLESS 100% SURE IT IS SAFE TO DO SO.

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.