Flight crew taxiing for departure exits ramp area at oaj.

Attributes
ACN	608513
Time
Date	200402
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : oaj.airport
State Reference	NC
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Weather Elements	Fog Rain
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Medium Transport, High Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 160 flight time total : 6800 flight time type : 4900
ASRS Report	608513
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 3500 flight time type : 2300
ASRS Report	608511
Events
Anomaly	excursion : taxiway
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Supplementary
Problem Areas	FAA Flight Crew Human Performance Airport
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

We were taxiing from the ramp to runway 5 at oaj. It was dark, overcast and misting, creating low visibility. What we thought was the taxiway connecting the ramp to the parallel taxiway turned out to be grass. By the time we realized this, we were stuck in the mud. It turned out there is a stretch of ramp with no taxiway lights. Directly across the grass from that was a burned out taxiway light on the parallel taxiway. In the pitch black, the remaining taxiway lights create the illusion of a taxiway. In addition, there were airport signs on either side of us that said ramp, pointing back toward the ramp. With all of this information, we thought we were on the taxiway. The station personnel told me another crew went through the exact same spot a couple of months ago, but was able to power through. They also said a half dozen other planes almost went through there, but caught it in time. Unfortunately, we did not. While there is no excuse for this, (I wish I had left the ramp with all my lndging lights on, not just my taxi light). This area is poorly marked, poorly lit and needs to be addressed to prevent this from happening again.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW TAXIING FOR DEP EXITS RAMP AREA AT OAJ.

Narrative: WE WERE TAXIING FROM THE RAMP TO RWY 5 AT OAJ. IT WAS DARK, OVERCAST AND MISTING, CREATING LOW VISIBILITY. WHAT WE THOUGHT WAS THE TXWY CONNECTING THE RAMP TO THE PARALLEL TXWY TURNED OUT TO BE GRASS. BY THE TIME WE REALIZED THIS, WE WERE STUCK IN THE MUD. IT TURNED OUT THERE IS A STRETCH OF RAMP WITH NO TXWY LIGHTS. DIRECTLY ACROSS THE GRASS FROM THAT WAS A BURNED OUT TXWY LIGHT ON THE PARALLEL TXWY. IN THE PITCH BLACK, THE REMAINING TXWY LIGHTS CREATE THE ILLUSION OF A TXWY. IN ADDITION, THERE WERE ARPT SIGNS ON EITHER SIDE OF US THAT SAID RAMP, POINTING BACK TOWARD THE RAMP. WITH ALL OF THIS INFO, WE THOUGHT WE WERE ON THE TXWY. THE STATION PERSONNEL TOLD ME ANOTHER CREW WENT THROUGH THE EXACT SAME SPOT A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO, BUT WAS ABLE TO POWER THROUGH. THEY ALSO SAID A HALF DOZEN OTHER PLANES ALMOST WENT THROUGH THERE, BUT CAUGHT IT IN TIME. UNFORTUNATELY, WE DID NOT. WHILE THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR THIS, (I WISH I HAD LEFT THE RAMP WITH ALL MY LNDGING LIGHTS ON, NOT JUST MY TAXI LIGHT). THIS AREA IS POORLY MARKED, POORLY LIT AND NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN.

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.