Narrative:

After landing from an ILS 1 approach at cak airport; and clearing the runway; ground control cleared us to taxi to FBO located east of tower; parallel to runway 5/23. While taxiing on the outer terminal taxiway; plowing was underway and visibility was reduced due to continuous snow fall. The first officer was copying our ATC clearance to pittsburgh and I was taxiing in to the FBO. From the main terminal ramp and where the parallel taxiway breaks off for runway 5/23 there is also an access road that looks like a taxiway and is unclearly marked that goes in to the ramp area of the FBO and other corporate hangars. I could not clearly make out the dogleg. I saw a fuel truck and snow plow moving to my right on what seemed to be the taxiway leading in to the ramp area of the FBO; so I turned and got my left tire caught in a snow drift that was off the access road/taxiway by 2-3 ft. We shut down and requested the FBO come out and help tow us back onto the taxiway. No damage occurred to the aircraft. Due to the reduced inclement WX conditions; the fact that it was still night operations and my unfamiliarity with the airport I should have insisted on progressive taxi instruction. Furthermore; I would recommend that better signage and/or lighting be considered for that area. It is very difficult to distinguish between the ramp; taxiway; and ramp areas and I understand that they have had similar occurrences take place (1-3 per month).

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CE560 PLT CAUGHT THE ACFT'S L MAIN TIRE IN A SNOW BANK AFTER TURNING OFF A TXWY ONTO AN UNPLOWED VEHICLE ACCESS ROAD.

Narrative: AFTER LNDG FROM AN ILS 1 APCH AT CAK ARPT; AND CLRING THE RWY; GND CTL CLRED US TO TAXI TO FBO LOCATED E OF TWR; PARALLEL TO RWY 5/23. WHILE TAXIING ON THE OUTER TERMINAL TXWY; PLOWING WAS UNDERWAY AND VISIBILITY WAS REDUCED DUE TO CONTINUOUS SNOW FALL. THE FO WAS COPYING OUR ATC CLRNC TO PITTSBURGH AND I WAS TAXIING IN TO THE FBO. FROM THE MAIN TERMINAL RAMP AND WHERE THE PARALLEL TXWY BREAKS OFF FOR RWY 5/23 THERE IS ALSO AN ACCESS ROAD THAT LOOKS LIKE A TXWY AND IS UNCLRLY MARKED THAT GOES IN TO THE RAMP AREA OF THE FBO AND OTHER CORPORATE HANGARS. I COULD NOT CLRLY MAKE OUT THE DOGLEG. I SAW A FUEL TRUCK AND SNOW PLOW MOVING TO MY R ON WHAT SEEMED TO BE THE TXWY LEADING IN TO THE RAMP AREA OF THE FBO; SO I TURNED AND GOT MY L TIRE CAUGHT IN A SNOW DRIFT THAT WAS OFF THE ACCESS ROAD/TXWY BY 2-3 FT. WE SHUT DOWN AND REQUESTED THE FBO COME OUT AND HELP TOW US BACK ONTO THE TXWY. NO DAMAGE OCCURRED TO THE ACFT. DUE TO THE REDUCED INCLEMENT WX CONDITIONS; THE FACT THAT IT WAS STILL NIGHT OPS AND MY UNFAMILIARITY WITH THE ARPT I SHOULD HAVE INSISTED ON PROGRESSIVE TAXI INSTRUCTION. FURTHERMORE; I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT BETTER SIGNAGE AND/OR LIGHTING BE CONSIDERED FOR THAT AREA. IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO DISTINGUISH BTWN THE RAMP; TXWY; AND RAMP AREAS AND I UNDERSTAND THAT THEY HAVE HAD SIMILAR OCCURRENCES TAKE PLACE (1-3 PER MONTH).

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.