B737 flight crew reports runway excursion at approach end of runway 24L; lax; after taxi back due to...

Narrative:

Approach and landing at lax were uneventful. Exited at reverse Y and while crossing runway 24L; received taxi instructions to back-taxi on runway 24L and exit at taxiway V. While approaching the end (approach end) of runway 24L; I was unable to identify taxiway V until we were abeam it. There were no end of runway lights or turnoff lights visible from our direction. I told the captain to stop; but it was too late. The captain smoothly brought the aircraft to a stop but the nose gear had passed the end of runway 24L. While turning back to taxiway V; the right main gear also went past the end of the runway. None of the gear left a paved surface at any time. We continued our taxi to the gate. We terminated the aircraft due to the maintenance issue. The captain informed maintenance and I did a more thorough postflt of the landing gear and found nothing abnormal. We then proceeded to our new aircraft to complete the final leg. The last leg afforded us time to thoroughly debrief the event; which the captain did professionally. 2 primary issues were the late taxi clearance/back taxiing on an active runway and the poor lighting at the end of the runway. Lax is busy; even at that time of night. We were almost all the way across runway 24L when given the back taxi instructions. There are no lights to indicate the end of the runway when you are back taxiing. The north intersection of taxiway V and runway 24L is poorly lit. First; the lighting at lax needs to be more visible at the end of runway 24L for back taxi operations which will continue until the construction is complete. Second; taxi instructions could be more clear given this abnormal taxi route. After debriefing; it was evident the captain was not 100% sure of the turn direction on taxiway V. 'Back taxi to the end of 24L and turn left on V...' would have solved this confusion. For me; I learned a lesson in monitoring taxiing. I think this was the first time for me to be in a situation where I needed to give direction to the captain while taxiing. I should have told him to slow down much sooner to account for reaction time and braking; ie; don't wait until he would have to slam on the brakes to make the turn.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 FLT CREW REPORTS RWY EXCURSION AT APPROACH END OF RWY 24L; LAX; AFTER TAXI BACK DUE TO POOR LIGHTING AND LACK OF FAMILIARITY WITH TAXI ROUTE USED DURING CONSTRUCTION.

Narrative: APCH AND LNDG AT LAX WERE UNEVENTFUL. EXITED AT REVERSE Y AND WHILE XING RWY 24L; RECEIVED TAXI INSTRUCTIONS TO BACK-TAXI ON RWY 24L AND EXIT AT TXWY V. WHILE APCHING THE END (APCH END) OF RWY 24L; I WAS UNABLE TO IDENT TXWY V UNTIL WE WERE ABEAM IT. THERE WERE NO END OF RWY LIGHTS OR TURNOFF LIGHTS VISIBLE FROM OUR DIRECTION. I TOLD THE CAPT TO STOP; BUT IT WAS TOO LATE. THE CAPT SMOOTHLY BROUGHT THE ACFT TO A STOP BUT THE NOSE GEAR HAD PASSED THE END OF RWY 24L. WHILE TURNING BACK TO TXWY V; THE R MAIN GEAR ALSO WENT PAST THE END OF THE RWY. NONE OF THE GEAR LEFT A PAVED SURFACE AT ANY TIME. WE CONTINUED OUR TAXI TO THE GATE. WE TERMINATED THE ACFT DUE TO THE MAINT ISSUE. THE CAPT INFORMED MAINT AND I DID A MORE THOROUGH POSTFLT OF THE LNDG GEAR AND FOUND NOTHING ABNORMAL. WE THEN PROCEEDED TO OUR NEW ACFT TO COMPLETE THE FINAL LEG. THE LAST LEG AFFORDED US TIME TO THOROUGHLY DEBRIEF THE EVENT; WHICH THE CAPT DID PROFESSIONALLY. 2 PRIMARY ISSUES WERE THE LATE TAXI CLRNC/BACK TAXIING ON AN ACTIVE RWY AND THE POOR LIGHTING AT THE END OF THE RWY. LAX IS BUSY; EVEN AT THAT TIME OF NIGHT. WE WERE ALMOST ALL THE WAY ACROSS RWY 24L WHEN GIVEN THE BACK TAXI INSTRUCTIONS. THERE ARE NO LIGHTS TO INDICATE THE END OF THE RWY WHEN YOU ARE BACK TAXIING. THE N INTXN OF TXWY V AND RWY 24L IS POORLY LIT. FIRST; THE LIGHTING AT LAX NEEDS TO BE MORE VISIBLE AT THE END OF RWY 24L FOR BACK TAXI OPS WHICH WILL CONTINUE UNTIL THE CONSTRUCTION IS COMPLETE. SECOND; TAXI INSTRUCTIONS COULD BE MORE CLR GIVEN THIS ABNORMAL TAXI RTE. AFTER DEBRIEFING; IT WAS EVIDENT THE CAPT WAS NOT 100% SURE OF THE TURN DIRECTION ON TXWY V. 'BACK TAXI TO THE END OF 24L AND TURN L ON V...' WOULD HAVE SOLVED THIS CONFUSION. FOR ME; I LEARNED A LESSON IN MONITORING TAXIING. I THINK THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME FOR ME TO BE IN A SITUATION WHERE I NEEDED TO GIVE DIRECTION TO THE CAPT WHILE TAXIING. I SHOULD HAVE TOLD HIM TO SLOW DOWN MUCH SOONER TO ACCOUNT FOR REACTION TIME AND BRAKING; IE; DON'T WAIT UNTIL HE WOULD HAVE TO SLAM ON THE BRAKES TO MAKE THE TURN.

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.

Attributes
ACN	809325
Time
Date	200810
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lax.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 205 flight time type : 1500
ASRS Report	809325
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time type : 12000
ASRS Report	809328
Events
Anomaly	excursion : runway
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : became reoriented
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Airport Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	Ambiguous

B737 flight crew reports runway excursion at approach end of runway 24L; lax; after taxi back due to poor lighting and lack of familiarity with taxi route used during construction.