Narrative:

While taxiing on tarmac just before turning in to gate at hou hobby, I ran into mud on small strip of grass that was not visible to me or first officer. No lights, no visible marking sand not shown on plates. No damage. Towed aircraft out of grass. This airport has barriers all over that aren't lighted or marked. The latest charts do not show the tarmac as it really is. With tarmac and dark and wet, I could not see any visible markings anywhere. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: this incident happened at night. There were no lights marking the taxiways, only barricades. There were no paint lines to follow. If there had not been 2 days of rain, the aircraft would not have sunk into the mud and there would be no report. After the aircraft was unloaded, maintenance personnel taxied the aircraft out of the mud. Blue can-like markings were put into place after the aircraft went off of the pavement.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN LGT TAXIED OFF THE EDGE OF AN UNLIT TAXIWAY INTO SOFT GRASS WITH 1 MAIN GEAR.

Narrative: WHILE TAXIING ON TARMAC JUST BEFORE TURNING IN TO GATE AT HOU HOBBY, I RAN INTO MUD ON SMALL STRIP OF GRASS THAT WAS NOT VISIBLE TO ME OR FO. NO LIGHTS, NO VISIBLE MARKING SAND NOT SHOWN ON PLATES. NO DAMAGE. TOWED ACFT OUT OF GRASS. THIS ARPT HAS BARRIERS ALL OVER THAT AREN'T LIGHTED OR MARKED. THE LATEST CHARTS DO NOT SHOW THE TARMAC AS IT REALLY IS. WITH TARMAC AND DARK AND WET, I COULD NOT SEE ANY VISIBLE MARKINGS ANYWHERE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THIS INCIDENT HAPPENED AT NIGHT. THERE WERE NO LIGHTS MARKING THE TAXIWAYS, ONLY BARRICADES. THERE WERE NO PAINT LINES TO FOLLOW. IF THERE HAD NOT BEEN 2 DAYS OF RAIN, THE ACFT WOULD NOT HAVE SUNK INTO THE MUD AND THERE WOULD BE NO RPT. AFTER THE ACFT WAS UNLOADED, MAINT PERSONNEL TAXIED THE ACFT OUT OF THE MUD. BLUE CAN-LIKE MARKINGS WERE PUT INTO PLACE AFTER THE ACFT WENT OFF OF THE PAVEMENT.

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.