Taxiway excursion, taxiway edge lights covered with snow.

Attributes
ACN	298502
Time
Date	199503
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : rme
State Reference	NY
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-10 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 80 flight time total : 8000
ASRS Report	298502
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

The ramp had 2-4 inches of fresh snow and was well lit. We were cleared to taxi to runway 33. There is a parallel taxiway adjacent to the ramp, and 1 side of this taxiway had raised blue taxiway lights, which were visible. The other side of the taxiway and the edge of the ramp had flush taxiway lights, which were not visible under the snow. I had to make a 180 degree turn to exit the ramp, and halfway through the turn I shallowed the turn to proceed towards the blue taxiway lights. The nosewheel left the ramp surface, and the aircraft was stopped with the mains still on the ramp, and the nosewheel about 40 ft off the ramp surface on frozen ground. The aircraft was pulled back onto the ramp using ground equipment, and after inspection no damage was found. I believe this incident could have been prevented by insisting on a 'follow me' truck to lead the aircraft to the ramp exit, and the elimination of flush taxiway lighting, at least in areas subject to snowfall conditions.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TXWY EXCURSION, TXWY EDGE LIGHTS COVERED WITH SNOW.

Narrative: THE RAMP HAD 2-4 INCHES OF FRESH SNOW AND WAS WELL LIT. WE WERE CLRED TO TAXI TO RWY 33. THERE IS A PARALLEL TXWY ADJACENT TO THE RAMP, AND 1 SIDE OF THIS TXWY HAD RAISED BLUE TXWY LIGHTS, WHICH WERE VISIBLE. THE OTHER SIDE OF THE TXWY AND THE EDGE OF THE RAMP HAD FLUSH TXWY LIGHTS, WHICH WERE NOT VISIBLE UNDER THE SNOW. I HAD TO MAKE A 180 DEG TURN TO EXIT THE RAMP, AND HALFWAY THROUGH THE TURN I SHALLOWED THE TURN TO PROCEED TOWARDS THE BLUE TXWY LIGHTS. THE NOSEWHEEL LEFT THE RAMP SURFACE, AND THE ACFT WAS STOPPED WITH THE MAINS STILL ON THE RAMP, AND THE NOSEWHEEL ABOUT 40 FT OFF THE RAMP SURFACE ON FROZEN GND. THE ACFT WAS PULLED BACK ONTO THE RAMP USING GND EQUIP, AND AFTER INSPECTION NO DAMAGE WAS FOUND. I BELIEVE THIS INCIDENT COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED BY INSISTING ON A 'FOLLOW ME' TRUCK TO LEAD THE ACFT TO THE RAMP EXIT, AND THE ELIMINATION OF FLUSH TXWY LIGHTING, AT LEAST IN AREAS SUBJECT TO SNOWFALL CONDITIONS.

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.