Narrative:

While taxiing to terminal apron, inadvertently taxied nosewheel off concrete into grass area on right side of taxiway. Btr airport has been under construction for years. Lights on right side of taxiway D were OTS. Aircraft recog/taxi and nosewheel lights were on. We landed on runway 13, turned off at the end, right turn on taxiway B, then a left turn on taxiway D. While taxiing toward the terminal apron on the centerline of taxiway D, lights from the terminal area were somewhat distracting. At about a third of the distance down taxiway D, I visually picked up the ramp, aircraft marshaller giving the signal for parking position/identify the gate. Due to no right side taxiway lights on taxiway D and the effects of terminal lights and aircraft taxi lights, I believe an optical illusion was created. There was no contrast between taxiway D, the grassy area and the terminal apron. It appeared as if the whole area was concrete and suitable for taxi. I began a gentle right turn to position the aircraft for a left turn into the gate. At approximately 5 ft from the right edge of taxiway D, the first officer said, 'stop. We're heading for the grass.' I applied brakes and the aircraft came to a stop with the nosewheel approximately 2 and a half ft off the concrete in the grass. I had been on duty since XA58. Incident occurred at XL23 due to WX delays and three aircraft swaps during the course of the day. We were running approximately two hours behind schedule. I feel this incident was caused by a number of factors, but the main factor was taxi lighting OTS along with an optical illusion created by airport terminal lighting. I am familiar with this airport and always take extra care while taxiing at night. After getting off the aircraft and seeing the actual distance the aircraft was from the normal turn area, I was in disbelief. I was informed that this was the fourth such incident at approximately the same area of taxiway D to occur in the past 12 months. I also learned that my statement of what happened, closely paralleled the statements of all other capts as to what they saw or perceived. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter said he has heard that several aircraft that have been into the grass because of lighting on taxiway D. The yellow centerline is faded, and cannot be seen at night. The reporter thinks there should be barricades along the grass area to the north of taxiway D. Supplemental information from acn 639786: btr at end of new runway construction (4L/22R). At this time only 4 txwys had operational lighting. All others had some lights on one side only or none at all. This situation has been going on for several months. At this time the airport has no contract bid out for the repair of the taxiway lights. This was the third aircraft to miss or run off of a taxiway. This happened at night after intermittent rain, on taxiway D, which is the main entrance onto the terminal ramp. Most taxiway lights are out in this area, dark, wet concrete and many bright lights from the terminal area shining into your face and reflecting off of the ramp area. With over 60 air carriers/air taxi operations per day I feel that the FAA airports division should act on this issue.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR, ON TXWY D, TAXIED THE NOSEWHEEL INTO A GRASSY AREA. PLT AND CTLR STATE TXWY D LIGHTING OUT OF SERVICE.

Narrative: WHILE TAXIING TO TERMINAL APRON, INADVERTENTLY TAXIED NOSEWHEEL OFF CONCRETE INTO GRASS AREA ON R SIDE OF TXWY. BTR ARPT HAS BEEN UNDER CONSTRUCTION FOR YEARS. LIGHTS ON R SIDE OF TXWY D WERE OTS. ACFT RECOG/TAXI AND NOSEWHEEL LIGHTS WERE ON. WE LANDED ON RWY 13, TURNED OFF AT THE END, R TURN ON TXWY B, THEN A L TURN ON TXWY D. WHILE TAXIING TOWARD THE TERMINAL APRON ON THE CTRLINE OF TXWY D, LIGHTS FROM THE TERMINAL AREA WERE SOMEWHAT DISTRACTING. AT ABOUT A THIRD OF THE DISTANCE DOWN TXWY D, I VISUALLY PICKED UP THE RAMP, ACFT MARSHALLER GIVING THE SIGNAL FOR PARKING POS/IDENTIFY THE GATE. DUE TO NO R SIDE TXWY LIGHTS ON TXWY D AND THE EFFECTS OF TERMINAL LIGHTS AND ACFT TAXI LIGHTS, I BELIEVE AN OPTICAL ILLUSION WAS CREATED. THERE WAS NO CONTRAST BETWEEN TXWY D, THE GRASSY AREA AND THE TERMINAL APRON. IT APPEARED AS IF THE WHOLE AREA WAS CONCRETE AND SUITABLE FOR TAXI. I BEGAN A GENTLE RIGHT TURN TO POS THE ACFT FOR A L TURN INTO THE GATE. AT APPROX 5 FT FROM THE R EDGE OF TXWY D, THE FO SAID, 'STOP. WE'RE HEADING FOR THE GRASS.' I APPLIED BRAKES AND THE ACFT CAME TO A STOP WITH THE NOSEWHEEL APPROX 2 AND A HALF FT OFF THE CONCRETE IN THE GRASS. I HAD BEEN ON DUTY SINCE XA58. INCIDENT OCCURRED AT XL23 DUE TO WX DELAYS AND THREE ACFT SWAPS DURING THE COURSE OF THE DAY. WE WERE RUNNING APPROX TWO HOURS BEHIND SCHEDULE. I FEEL THIS INCIDENT WAS CAUSED BY A NUMBER OF FACTORS, BUT THE MAIN FACTOR WAS TAXI LIGHTING OTS ALONG WITH AN OPTICAL ILLUSION CREATED BY ARPT TERMINAL LIGHTING. I AM FAMILIAR WITH THIS ARPT AND ALWAYS TAKE EXTRA CARE WHILE TAXIING AT NIGHT. AFTER GETTING OFF THE ACFT AND SEEING THE ACTUAL DISTANCE THE ACFT WAS FROM THE NORMAL TURN AREA, I WAS IN DISBELIEF. I WAS INFORMED THAT THIS WAS THE FOURTH SUCH INCIDENT AT APPROX THE SAME AREA OF TXWY D TO OCCUR IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS. I ALSO LEARNED THAT MY STATEMENT OF WHAT HAPPENED, CLOSELY PARALLELED THE STATEMENTS OF ALL OTHER CAPTS AS TO WHAT THEY SAW OR PERCEIVED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR SAID HE HAS HEARD THAT SEVERAL ACFT THAT HAVE BEEN INTO THE GRASS BECAUSE OF LIGHTING ON TXWY D. THE YELLOW CTRLINE IS FADED, AND CANNOT BE SEEN AT NIGHT. THE RPTR THINKS THERE SHOULD BE BARRICADES ALONG THE GRASS AREA TO THE N OF TXWY D. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 639786: BTR AT END OF NEW RWY CONSTRUCTION (4L/22R). AT THIS TIME ONLY 4 TXWYS HAD OPERATIONAL LIGHTING. ALL OTHERS HAD SOME LIGHTS ON ONE SIDE ONLY OR NONE AT ALL. THIS SIT HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR SEVERAL MONTHS. AT THIS TIME THE ARPT HAS NO CONTRACT BID OUT FOR THE REPAIR OF THE TXWY LIGHTS. THIS WAS THE THIRD ACFT TO MISS OR RUN OFF OF A TXWY. THIS HAPPENED AT NIGHT AFTER INTERMITTENT RAIN, ON TXWY D, WHICH IS THE MAIN ENTRANCE ONTO THE TERMINAL RAMP. MOST TXWY LIGHTS ARE OUT IN THIS AREA, DARK, WET CONCRETE AND MANY BRIGHT LIGHTS FROM THE TERMINAL AREA SHINING INTO YOUR FACE AND REFLECTING OFF OF THE RAMP AREA. WITH OVER 60 AIR CARRIERS/AIR TAXI OPS PER DAY I FEEL THAT THE FAA ARPTS DIVISION SHOULD ACT ON THIS ISSUE.

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.