Narrative:

Landed 6R ground control cleared flight to taxi via parallel, cleared to cross runway 18/36 at bravo. Taxiway angles to right before (and without) intersecting runway 18/36. Flight did not execute right angle and drove into grass on extended centerline of parallel taxiway. Left inboard main tire blew as aircraft ran over taxi light. Aircraft settled into soft earth. Normal shutdown, normal passenger departure via aft stairs to buses. Captain saw blue lights both sides and continuing blue lights ahead and interpreted dark area to be runway 18/36. (See dayton 11-1 backside.) flight was line check for first officer, so newly arrived from another airline (first officer was former large transport captain). Line check captain had flown 6 line checks for 14 crew members (12 legs) plus 2 day 6 leg international flight as PIC on widebody transport in past 6 days. Line check program was intended to avoid night lndgs, however, change to standard time and 1 hour late departure put landing into dark. Line check captain had not flown into dayton for about 1 yr which was prior to company moving gates to other side of terminal, except that in last month had 6 lndgs all on 24L. Aircraft was acquired in merger and had non standard radio panels. Immediately before leaving taxiway, captain queried first officer about crossing clearance and received a cleared to cross. He took his eyes off taxiway to look at first officer. Also at this time, nose taxiway light was turned off to avoid blinding departing aircraft on parallel runway (runway turnoff lights were on). As captain turned on taxi light, aircraft left taxiway. Aircraft was purposely being taxied slowly to allow extra time for new crew members to accomplish after landing checklist. All crew members perceived parallel taxiway to be continuous full length of runway and were reinforced by continuing blue lights on other side of 18/36.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NIGHT OP OF LGT ACFT. CAPT TAXIED INTO GRASS AREA, STUCK, DEPLANED PAX, TIRE BLOWN, TAXIWAY LIGHT DEMOLISHED.

Narrative: LANDED 6R GND CTL CLRED FLT TO TAXI VIA PARALLEL, CLRED TO CROSS RWY 18/36 AT BRAVO. TAXIWAY ANGLES TO R BEFORE (AND WITHOUT) INTERSECTING RWY 18/36. FLT DID NOT EXECUTE R ANGLE AND DROVE INTO GRASS ON EXTENDED CENTERLINE OF PARALLEL TAXIWAY. L INBOARD MAIN TIRE BLEW AS ACFT RAN OVER TAXI LIGHT. ACFT SETTLED INTO SOFT EARTH. NORMAL SHUTDOWN, NORMAL PAX DEP VIA AFT STAIRS TO BUSES. CAPT SAW BLUE LIGHTS BOTH SIDES AND CONTINUING BLUE LIGHTS AHEAD AND INTERPRETED DARK AREA TO BE RWY 18/36. (SEE DAYTON 11-1 BACKSIDE.) FLT WAS LINE CHK FOR FO, SO NEWLY ARRIVED FROM ANOTHER AIRLINE (FO WAS FORMER LGT CAPT). LINE CHK CAPT HAD FLOWN 6 LINE CHKS FOR 14 CREW MEMBERS (12 LEGS) PLUS 2 DAY 6 LEG INTL FLT AS PIC ON WDB IN PAST 6 DAYS. LINE CHK PROGRAM WAS INTENDED TO AVOID NIGHT LNDGS, HOWEVER, CHANGE TO STANDARD TIME AND 1 HR LATE DEP PUT LNDG INTO DARK. LINE CHK CAPT HAD NOT FLOWN INTO DAYTON FOR ABOUT 1 YR WHICH WAS PRIOR TO COMPANY MOVING GATES TO OTHER SIDE OF TERMINAL, EXCEPT THAT IN LAST MONTH HAD 6 LNDGS ALL ON 24L. ACFT WAS ACQUIRED IN MERGER AND HAD NON STANDARD RADIO PANELS. IMMEDIATELY BEFORE LEAVING TAXIWAY, CAPT QUERIED FO ABOUT XING CLRNC AND RECEIVED A CLRED TO CROSS. HE TOOK HIS EYES OFF TAXIWAY TO LOOK AT FO. ALSO AT THIS TIME, NOSE TAXIWAY LIGHT WAS TURNED OFF TO AVOID BLINDING DEPARTING ACFT ON PARALLEL RWY (RWY TURNOFF LIGHTS WERE ON). AS CAPT TURNED ON TAXI LIGHT, ACFT LEFT TAXIWAY. ACFT WAS PURPOSELY BEING TAXIED SLOWLY TO ALLOW EXTRA TIME FOR NEW CREW MEMBERS TO ACCOMPLISH AFTER LNDG CHKLIST. ALL CREW MEMBERS PERCEIVED PARALLEL TAXIWAY TO BE CONTINUOUS FULL LENGTH OF RWY AND WERE REINFORCED BY CONTINUING BLUE LIGHTS ON OTHER SIDE OF 18/36.

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.