Narrative:

The following occurred on arrival at efd. The first officer had flown the ferry leg from the right seat; and on the landing roll; control of the aircraft was transferred to me; seated in the left seat. We exited the runway at taxiway C and told the ground controller we were unfamiliar. He directed us to turn left (onto taxiway H) and said we would see the FBO marked by an XXXX sign. We turned left onto taxiway H; spotted a marshaller waiting on the FBO ramp; and made a right turn onto what appeared to be the FBO ramp area. We discovered that it was a grassy area; not pavement; and stopped immediately. The nose and right main tires were in the grassy area; and the left main was still on the pavement. We discussed the situation with the ground controller; letting him know we would be staying in that spot with the aircraft aft of the mains blocking what was a roadway adjacent to the taxiway. We left the aircraft chocked with warning cones positioned around it until maintenance control could have the aircraft moved safely. A contributing factor to this occurrence is that taxiway lighting and signage at efd is not adequate. Taxiway H has blue taxiway lights along the east side of the taxiway (nearest runway 17R) but has no taxiway lights along the west (ramp) side of the taxiway. Taxiway J into the FBO ramp is also unlit and designated only with an unlit taxiway J sign. In the dark; the entire area (including the grassy area) appears to be continuous pavement.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CE750 PLT TAXIES ONTO GRASS AT EFD; CITING A LACK OF TXWY EDGE LIGHTS.

Narrative: THE FOLLOWING OCCURRED ON ARR AT EFD. THE FO HAD FLOWN THE FERRY LEG FROM THE RIGHT SEAT; AND ON THE LNDG ROLL; CTL OF THE ACFT WAS TRANSFERRED TO ME; SEATED IN THE LEFT SEAT. WE EXITED THE RWY AT TXWY C AND TOLD THE GND CTLR WE WERE UNFAMILIAR. HE DIRECTED US TO TURN LEFT (ONTO TXWY H) AND SAID WE WOULD SEE THE FBO MARKED BY AN XXXX SIGN. WE TURNED LEFT ONTO TXWY H; SPOTTED A MARSHALLER WAITING ON THE FBO RAMP; AND MADE A RIGHT TURN ONTO WHAT APPEARED TO BE THE FBO RAMP AREA. WE DISCOVERED THAT IT WAS A GRASSY AREA; NOT PAVEMENT; AND STOPPED IMMEDIATELY. THE NOSE AND RIGHT MAIN TIRES WERE IN THE GRASSY AREA; AND THE LEFT MAIN WAS STILL ON THE PAVEMENT. WE DISCUSSED THE SITUATION WITH THE GND CTLR; LETTING HIM KNOW WE WOULD BE STAYING IN THAT SPOT WITH THE ACFT AFT OF THE MAINS BLOCKING WHAT WAS A ROADWAY ADJACENT TO THE TXWY. WE LEFT THE ACFT CHOCKED WITH WARNING CONES POSITIONED AROUND IT UNTIL MAINT CTL COULD HAVE THE ACFT MOVED SAFELY. A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO THIS OCCURRENCE IS THAT TXWY LIGHTING AND SIGNAGE AT EFD IS NOT ADEQUATE. TXWY H HAS BLUE TXWY LIGHTS ALONG THE E SIDE OF THE TXWY (NEAREST RWY 17R) BUT HAS NO TXWY LIGHTS ALONG THE W (RAMP) SIDE OF THE TXWY. TXWY J INTO THE FBO RAMP IS ALSO UNLIT AND DESIGNATED ONLY WITH AN UNLIT TXWY J SIGN. IN THE DARK; THE ENTIRE AREA (INCLUDING THE GRASSY AREA) APPEARS TO BE CONTINUOUS PAVEMENT.

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.