Narrative:

After completing a run-up for the first flight of the day, we received taxi instructions from the tower to return to the ramp from N2 intersection via taxiway V hold short of runway 25 (the active). Once we began to taxi, tower cleared us to cross 'runway 25' onto taxiway B4 into the ramp. Before crossing 'runway 25,' I asked my first officer 'if the right was clear.' he replied, 'yes,' as I proceeded to clear the left side. I then began to taxi across runway 25. The taxi light was on and both pilots had the airport diagram out for reference. I noticed that the runway had a 'high cap' or gradient for drainage purposes which in turn limited my visual reference to the other side of the runway. It was dark and very difficult to see any taxi lines or to identify if taxiway B4 began directly across from taxiway north. Upon reaching the top of the runway gradient, we saw 2 runway edge lights spaced far enough apart from each other, that it appeared to be the beginning of a taxiway. A little bit further, I realized that it was not. I gave a hard left turn to join the high speed exit onto taxiway B4 which was now visible. Right propeller grazed a runway edge light. Corrective recommendations: I would recommend better visual cues for night taxi purposes. It was too easily interpreted visually by 2 pilots, to be either taxiway B4 or at least a taxiway. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter advised that as a result of his in house report on the incident his company and the airport manager are working to develop improved signage at this location. In addition, tower controllers have modified their taxi instructions at this intersection to address the significant difference in the entry and exit location and size at this crossing. In addition, the reporter noted that his visual acuity during this period was somewhat impaired due to the very bright construction illumination lights installed at the airport for nighttime construction in progress. He felt the extreme brightness of these lights caused his night vision to be less acute than normal. Supplemental information from acn 595533: I saw a light flash by my window then I heard a noise on the right side of the aircraft. I told the captain 'I think we ran over a runway light.' we checked engine indications and continued to the gate. Once we shut down, we inspected the aircraft and discovered the propeller damage. Contributing to this occurrence was the difficulty in seeing across the runway and the expectation of seeing the taxiway on the other side. More explicit taxi instructions would make this a much less hazardous intersection.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AFTER EARLY MORNING RUN-UP AT TOL, FLT CREW OF BE1900D XING RWY 25 AT NB 4 INTXN DISCOVER THE WIDTH OF B4 IS MUCH NARROWER THAN THE SCALLOPED INTXN AT TXWY N. SUBSEQUENT ABRUPT L TURN FAILS TO AVOID CONTACT WITH A RWY LIGHT, DAMAGING LIGHT AND R PROP.

Narrative: AFTER COMPLETING A RUN-UP FOR THE FIRST FLT OF THE DAY, WE RECEIVED TAXI INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE TWR TO RETURN TO THE RAMP FROM N2 INTXN VIA TXWY V HOLD SHORT OF RWY 25 (THE ACTIVE). ONCE WE BEGAN TO TAXI, TWR CLRED US TO CROSS 'RWY 25' ONTO TXWY B4 INTO THE RAMP. BEFORE XING 'RWY 25,' I ASKED MY FO 'IF THE R WAS CLR.' HE REPLIED, 'YES,' AS I PROCEEDED TO CLR THE L SIDE. I THEN BEGAN TO TAXI ACROSS RWY 25. THE TAXI LIGHT WAS ON AND BOTH PLTS HAD THE ARPT DIAGRAM OUT FOR REF. I NOTICED THAT THE RWY HAD A 'HIGH CAP' OR GRADIENT FOR DRAINAGE PURPOSES WHICH IN TURN LIMITED MY VISUAL REF TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE RWY. IT WAS DARK AND VERY DIFFICULT TO SEE ANY TAXI LINES OR TO IDENT IF TXWY B4 BEGAN DIRECTLY ACROSS FROM TXWY N. UPON REACHING THE TOP OF THE RWY GRADIENT, WE SAW 2 RWY EDGE LIGHTS SPACED FAR ENOUGH APART FROM EACH OTHER, THAT IT APPEARED TO BE THE BEGINNING OF A TXWY. A LITTLE BIT FURTHER, I REALIZED THAT IT WAS NOT. I GAVE A HARD L TURN TO JOIN THE HIGH SPD EXIT ONTO TXWY B4 WHICH WAS NOW VISIBLE. R PROP GRAZED A RWY EDGE LIGHT. CORRECTIVE RECOMMENDATIONS: I WOULD RECOMMEND BETTER VISUAL CUES FOR NIGHT TAXI PURPOSES. IT WAS TOO EASILY INTERPED VISUALLY BY 2 PLTS, TO BE EITHER TXWY B4 OR AT LEAST A TXWY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR ADVISED THAT AS A RESULT OF HIS IN HOUSE RPT ON THE INCIDENT HIS COMPANY AND THE ARPT MGR ARE WORKING TO DEVELOP IMPROVED SIGNAGE AT THIS LOCATION. IN ADDITION, TWR CTLRS HAVE MODIFIED THEIR TAXI INSTRUCTIONS AT THIS INTXN TO ADDRESS THE SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN THE ENTRY AND EXIT LOCATION AND SIZE AT THIS XING. IN ADDITION, THE RPTR NOTED THAT HIS VISUAL ACUITY DURING THIS PERIOD WAS SOMEWHAT IMPAIRED DUE TO THE VERY BRIGHT CONSTRUCTION ILLUMINATION LIGHTS INSTALLED AT THE ARPT FOR NIGHTTIME CONSTRUCTION IN PROGRESS. HE FELT THE EXTREME BRIGHTNESS OF THESE LIGHTS CAUSED HIS NIGHT VISION TO BE LESS ACUTE THAN NORMAL. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 595533: I SAW A LIGHT FLASH BY MY WINDOW THEN I HEARD A NOISE ON THE R SIDE OF THE ACFT. I TOLD THE CAPT 'I THINK WE RAN OVER A RWY LIGHT.' WE CHKED ENG INDICATIONS AND CONTINUED TO THE GATE. ONCE WE SHUT DOWN, WE INSPECTED THE ACFT AND DISCOVERED THE PROP DAMAGE. CONTRIBUTING TO THIS OCCURRENCE WAS THE DIFFICULTY IN SEEING ACROSS THE RWY AND THE EXPECTATION OF SEEING THE TXWY ON THE OTHER SIDE. MORE EXPLICIT TAXI INSTRUCTIONS WOULD MAKE THIS A MUCH LESS HAZARDOUS INTXN.

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.