Narrative:

When landing runway 25L at las; we ordinarily turn off at taxiway A6 and hold short of runway 25R at taxiway A6. This night; however we were instructed to taxi west on taxiway a and hold short of runway 25R at intersection A7 which we did. After being cleared to cross runway 25R we were instructed by las ground to taxi via Z and G2 and told to contact las ramp control which we did. Las ramp control cleared us 'straight in to ramp' via G2 for our parking spot at gate. His verbiage 'straight in to the ramp' along with the series of blue taxiway lights ahead gave the appearance that this taxiway went straight in. However; at the far end it is necessary to make an south turn to the left and back to the right to stay on the taxiway. The far (end 4 blue lights) 4 blue lights (2 on the right and 2 on the left) are aligned with G2 but are actually part of the taxi lights involved in outlining a taxi island north of G. We taxied perfectly thru (between) the two on the right; two on the left thru the island on hard ground. No damage to the aircraft or airport. Red face for the pilot! Recommend painting hash marks on island to prevent a similar occurrence in the future. Also; possibly small marker flags. I have been told that this was not the first time that this has happened at this airport. Might prevent a future occurrence. This occurred at night.callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that his aircraft's taxi light did not illuminate the ground but appeared to point more upward. As a result the four blue taxiway lights stuck up more than the surrounding tarmac and made the infield area look like a normal taxiway. The only abnormal thing about the taxi was the taxiway appeared to make a slight dip as they taxied between the lights. The reporter did write the taxiway excursion in the aircraft logbook but maintenance found no damage and the aircraft was returned to service.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR PLT TAXIED ACROSS AN INFIELD AREA AT NIGHT WHEN TWO BLUE LIGHTS APPEARED TO EXTEND TXWY G2 STRAIGHT INTO THE LAS NORTH RAMP.

Narrative: WHEN LNDG RWY 25L AT LAS; WE ORDINARILY TURN OFF AT TXWY A6 AND HOLD SHORT OF RWY 25R AT TXWY A6. THIS NIGHT; HOWEVER WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO TAXI W ON TXWY A AND HOLD SHORT OF RWY 25R AT INTXN A7 WHICH WE DID. AFTER BEING CLEARED TO CROSS RWY 25R WE WERE INSTRUCTED BY LAS GND TO TAXI VIA Z AND G2 AND TOLD TO CONTACT LAS RAMP CTL WHICH WE DID. LAS RAMP CTL CLRED US 'STRAIGHT IN TO RAMP' VIA G2 FOR OUR PARKING SPOT AT GATE. HIS VERBIAGE 'STRAIGHT IN TO THE RAMP' ALONG WITH THE SERIES OF BLUE TXWY LIGHTS AHEAD GAVE THE APPEARANCE THAT THIS TXWY WENT STRAIGHT IN. HOWEVER; AT THE FAR END IT IS NECESSARY TO MAKE AN S TURN TO THE L AND BACK TO THE R TO STAY ON THE TXWY. THE FAR (END 4 BLUE LIGHTS) 4 BLUE LIGHTS (2 ON THE R AND 2 ON THE L) ARE ALIGNED WITH G2 BUT ARE ACTUALLY PART OF THE TAXI LIGHTS INVOLVED IN OUTLINING A TAXI ISLAND N OF G. WE TAXIED PERFECTLY THRU (BETWEEN) THE TWO ON THE R; TWO ON THE L THRU THE ISLAND ON HARD GND. NO DAMAGE TO THE ACFT OR ARPT. RED FACE FOR THE PLT! RECOMMEND PAINTING HASH MARKS ON ISLAND TO PREVENT A SIMILAR OCCURRENCE IN THE FUTURE. ALSO; POSSIBLY SMALL MARKER FLAGS. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THIS WAS NOT THE FIRST TIME THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED AT THIS ARPT. MIGHT PREVENT A FUTURE OCCURRENCE. THIS OCCURRED AT NIGHT.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT HIS ACFT'S TAXI LIGHT DID NOT ILLUMINATE THE GND BUT APPEARED TO POINT MORE UPWARD. AS A RESULT THE FOUR BLUE TXWY LIGHTS STUCK UP MORE THAN THE SURROUNDING TARMAC AND MADE THE INFIELD AREA LOOK LIKE A NORMAL TXWY. THE ONLY ABNORMAL THING ABOUT THE TAXI WAS THE TXWY APPEARED TO MAKE A SLIGHT DIP AS THEY TAXIED BETWEEN THE LIGHTS. THE RPTR DID WRITE THE TXWY EXCURSION IN THE ACFT LOGBOOK BUT MAINT FOUND NO DAMAGE AND THE ACFT WAS RETURNED TO SERVICE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.