Private pilot of a small aircraft sel runs off of paved taxiway resulting in nose gear collapse.

Attributes
ACN	288465
Time
Date	199411
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : fat
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 40 flight time total : 2700 flight time type : 800
ASRS Report	288465
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	faa : investigated Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Airport
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

Restarted engine and began to taxi. It was now night and while taxiing panel lights and enunciator lights became erratic, suddenly very bright. I was slowly taxiing to departure end of runway and didn't notice end of paved taxiway. (No special lights, just widely spaced blue lights and beyond paved taxiway was a firm gravel surface with bright lights beyond). I was distracted by bright panel lights and erratic enunciator lights and inadvertently taxied off paved taxiway onto gravel surface. I applied brakes and nose gear collapsed. Nose gear actuator rod sheared. I didn't hit any pot holes or soft soil and was taxiing slowly (5 mph). Cause was mechanical failure precipitated by off taxiway excursion. Taxiway night markings and end of taxiway poorly marked and deceptive for runway 29L. Pilot could have exercised greater care taxiing airplane. However, failure of gear I believe was eminent and would have failed on a short field or soft field landing at a higher speed. No substantial damage. Not an NTSB rptable accident.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PVT PLT OF A SMA SEL RUNS OFF OF PAVED TXWY RESULTING IN NOSE GEAR COLLAPSE.

Narrative: RESTARTED ENG AND BEGAN TO TAXI. IT WAS NOW NIGHT AND WHILE TAXIING PANEL LIGHTS AND ENUNCIATOR LIGHTS BECAME ERRATIC, SUDDENLY VERY BRIGHT. I WAS SLOWLY TAXIING TO DEP END OF RWY AND DIDN'T NOTICE END OF PAVED TXWY. (NO SPECIAL LIGHTS, JUST WIDELY SPACED BLUE LIGHTS AND BEYOND PAVED TXWY WAS A FIRM GRAVEL SURFACE WITH BRIGHT LIGHTS BEYOND). I WAS DISTRACTED BY BRIGHT PANEL LIGHTS AND ERRATIC ENUNCIATOR LIGHTS AND INADVERTENTLY TAXIED OFF PAVED TXWY ONTO GRAVEL SURFACE. I APPLIED BRAKES AND NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED. NOSE GEAR ACTUATOR ROD SHEARED. I DIDN'T HIT ANY POT HOLES OR SOFT SOIL AND WAS TAXIING SLOWLY (5 MPH). CAUSE WAS MECHANICAL FAILURE PRECIPITATED BY OFF TXWY EXCURSION. TXWY NIGHT MARKINGS AND END OF TXWY POORLY MARKED AND DECEPTIVE FOR RWY 29L. PLT COULD HAVE EXERCISED GREATER CARE TAXIING AIRPLANE. HOWEVER, FAILURE OF GEAR I BELIEVE WAS EMINENT AND WOULD HAVE FAILED ON A SHORT FIELD OR SOFT FIELD LNDG AT A HIGHER SPD. NO SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. NOT AN NTSB RPTABLE ACCIDENT.

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.