Narrative:

Home airport is undergoing extensive construction and rerouting or taxiways in anticipation of opening new terminal building. Local area had received 10 inches of snow preceding 24 hours, plowing had not removed much of snow cover. Taxied slowly to follow winding taxi route from southwest ramp in the dark. Snow obscured all taxiway borders and painted lines. Snow continued to fall, obscuring visibility. Reached fork in taxiway near aircraft ramp. Area to right had not been plowed recently nor was it marked by temporary reflective taxiway posts/side markers. Area to left was freshly plowed and hardpacked with standard reflective taxiway markers on either side of route (same markers used at ewr, for example). In the dark with unlimited visibility, these standard airport markers combined with freshly plowed track led us to believe we were following winding route of temporary taxiway. Shortly ahead I saw clearance (horizontal) from wingtips narrowing and brought aircraft to a stop. Called ground control and they confirmed we had departed taxiway and entered construction access route. Called company to see if they wanted us to shutdown and tow aircraft back to taxiway. Company sent wingwalker along with airport authority employee who served as wing guides as we crept forward to join nearest taxiway. We proceeded to gate without incident and shut down engines to perform a second thorough preflight. No part of airframe or appurtenances came in contact with snow drifts and no damage noted. Signed crew airworthiness check box in aircraft log and proceeded to first destination airport with no difficulty. In daylight, performed another visual inspection to make certain aircraft untouched -- all ok. Provided check pilot with oral report per company policy.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF ACR SMT ACFT INADVERTENTLY TAXIED OFF OF TAXIWAY ONTO A CONSTRUCTION ROAD ACCESS AT NIGHT DUE TO SNOW ON ACTUAL TAXIWAY AND MARKINGS.

Narrative: HOME ARPT IS UNDERGOING EXTENSIVE CONSTRUCTION AND REROUTING OR TAXIWAYS IN ANTICIPATION OF OPENING NEW TERMINAL BUILDING. LCL AREA HAD RECEIVED 10 INCHES OF SNOW PRECEDING 24 HRS, PLOWING HAD NOT REMOVED MUCH OF SNOW COVER. TAXIED SLOWLY TO FOLLOW WINDING TAXI RTE FROM SW RAMP IN THE DARK. SNOW OBSCURED ALL TAXIWAY BORDERS AND PAINTED LINES. SNOW CONTINUED TO FALL, OBSCURING VISIBILITY. REACHED FORK IN TAXIWAY NEAR ACFT RAMP. AREA TO R HAD NOT BEEN PLOWED RECENTLY NOR WAS IT MARKED BY TEMPORARY REFLECTIVE TAXIWAY POSTS/SIDE MARKERS. AREA TO L WAS FRESHLY PLOWED AND HARDPACKED WITH STANDARD REFLECTIVE TAXIWAY MARKERS ON EITHER SIDE OF RTE (SAME MARKERS USED AT EWR, FOR EXAMPLE). IN THE DARK WITH UNLIMITED VISIBILITY, THESE STANDARD ARPT MARKERS COMBINED WITH FRESHLY PLOWED TRACK LED US TO BELIEVE WE WERE FOLLOWING WINDING RTE OF TEMPORARY TAXIWAY. SHORTLY AHEAD I SAW CLRNC (HORIZ) FROM WINGTIPS NARROWING AND BROUGHT ACFT TO A STOP. CALLED GND CTL AND THEY CONFIRMED WE HAD DEPARTED TAXIWAY AND ENTERED CONSTRUCTION ACCESS RTE. CALLED COMPANY TO SEE IF THEY WANTED US TO SHUTDOWN AND TOW ACFT BACK TO TAXIWAY. COMPANY SENT WINGWALKER ALONG WITH ARPT AUTHORITY EMPLOYEE WHO SERVED AS WING GUIDES AS WE CREPT FORWARD TO JOIN NEAREST TAXIWAY. WE PROCEEDED TO GATE WITHOUT INCIDENT AND SHUT DOWN ENGS TO PERFORM A SECOND THOROUGH PREFLT. NO PART OF AIRFRAME OR APPURTENANCES CAME IN CONTACT WITH SNOW DRIFTS AND NO DAMAGE NOTED. SIGNED CREW AIRWORTHINESS CHK BOX IN ACFT LOG AND PROCEEDED TO FIRST DEST ARPT WITH NO DIFFICULTY. IN DAYLIGHT, PERFORMED ANOTHER VISUAL INSPECTION TO MAKE CERTAIN ACFT UNTOUCHED -- ALL OK. PROVIDED CHK PLT WITH ORAL RPT PER COMPANY POLICY.

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.