Narrative:

While taxiing aircraft to gate at phl aircraft nose wheel became stuck in grass and soft shoulder dirt area on side of taxiway alpha and corner of taxiway romeo. The grassy area looked like concrete to me with the reflection of lights from the philadelphia terminal. Phl has no blue taxiway edge lighting just green centerline lighting. 2 taxiway marking identifiers marking the edge of alpha and romeo were not lighted, i.e., burned out and not notamed. The edge of the taxiways are difficult to define from glare of the terminal lighting. I just assumed I was on a large concrete apron. I could see our gate personnel flagging me in so I was concentrating on lining up with the gate. No damage was incurred to the aircraft -- just my ego.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF MLG TAXIED OFF TAXIWAY HARD SURFACE INTO GRASS AREA, BECAME STUCK IN SOFT GND.

Narrative: WHILE TAXIING ACFT TO GATE AT PHL ACFT NOSE WHEEL BECAME STUCK IN GRASS AND SOFT SHOULDER DIRT AREA ON SIDE OF TAXIWAY ALPHA AND CORNER OF TAXIWAY ROMEO. THE GRASSY AREA LOOKED LIKE CONCRETE TO ME WITH THE REFLECTION OF LIGHTS FROM THE PHILADELPHIA TERMINAL. PHL HAS NO BLUE TAXIWAY EDGE LIGHTING JUST GREEN CENTERLINE LIGHTING. 2 TAXIWAY MARKING IDENTIFIERS MARKING THE EDGE OF ALPHA AND ROMEO WERE NOT LIGHTED, I.E., BURNED OUT AND NOT NOTAMED. THE EDGE OF THE TAXIWAYS ARE DIFFICULT TO DEFINE FROM GLARE OF THE TERMINAL LIGHTING. I JUST ASSUMED I WAS ON A LARGE CONCRETE APRON. I COULD SEE OUR GATE PERSONNEL FLAGGING ME IN SO I WAS CONCENTRATING ON LINING UP WITH THE GATE. NO DAMAGE WAS INCURRED TO THE ACFT -- JUST MY EGO.

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.