Aircraft taxied into a drainage ditch at night.

Attributes
ACN	302957
Time
Date	199504
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : vgt
State Reference	NV
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Bonanza 35
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 6 flight time total : 552 flight time type : 45
ASRS Report	302957
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 0 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On landing rollout (runway 7) at vgt, I exited runway at taxiway C at a slow speed. At that time I noticed my landing lights were inoperative. Continuing to locate taxiway C, a 90 degree turn was initiated, blue taxiway lights located in my view, but could not see yellow centerline stripe. The taxiway was a reverse high speed requiring 135 degrees of turn rather than 90 degrees. Approximately 33 ft from center of taxiway, aircraft left hard surface and continued into open culvert (drainage ditch) 43 ft from centerline of taxiway. Aircraft sustained little damage and was pulled out by certified mechanics on night duty. Adding to pilot's visual problem with no landing lights, was 'sea of lights' to south of the airport (city of las vegas) which made it impossible to discern direction of taxiway. This situation could have been prevented by: 1) operative landing lights. 2) more taxiway lights to counteract 'sea of lights' to the south. 3) closing in a very dangerous open drainage culvert. Reverse high speed txwys are inherently prone to incidents of this nature because pilots are not used to 135 degree turns, left seat visibility during a right turn and poor visibility out of a beech bonanza.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT TAXIED INTO A DRAINAGE DITCH AT NIGHT.

Narrative: ON LNDG ROLLOUT (RWY 7) AT VGT, I EXITED RWY AT TXWY C AT A SLOW SPD. AT THAT TIME I NOTICED MY LNDG LIGHTS WERE INOP. CONTINUING TO LOCATE TXWY C, A 90 DEG TURN WAS INITIATED, BLUE TXWY LIGHTS LOCATED IN MY VIEW, BUT COULD NOT SEE YELLOW CTRLINE STRIPE. THE TXWY WAS A REVERSE HIGH SPD REQUIRING 135 DEGS OF TURN RATHER THAN 90 DEGS. APPROX 33 FT FROM CTR OF TXWY, ACFT LEFT HARD SURFACE AND CONTINUED INTO OPEN CULVERT (DRAINAGE DITCH) 43 FT FROM CTRLINE OF TXWY. ACFT SUSTAINED LITTLE DAMAGE AND WAS PULLED OUT BY CERTIFIED MECHS ON NIGHT DUTY. ADDING TO PLT'S VISUAL PROB WITH NO LNDG LIGHTS, WAS 'SEA OF LIGHTS' TO S OF THE ARPT (CITY OF LAS VEGAS) WHICH MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO DISCERN DIRECTION OF TXWY. THIS SIT COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED BY: 1) OPERATIVE LNDG LIGHTS. 2) MORE TXWY LIGHTS TO COUNTERACT 'SEA OF LIGHTS' TO THE S. 3) CLOSING IN A VERY DANGEROUS OPEN DRAINAGE CULVERT. REVERSE HIGH SPD TXWYS ARE INHERENTLY PRONE TO INCIDENTS OF THIS NATURE BECAUSE PLTS ARE NOT USED TO 135 DEG TURNS, L SEAT VISIBILITY DURING A R TURN AND POOR VISIBILITY OUT OF A BEECH BONANZA.

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.