Flight crew taxies aircraft off intended taxi route into dirt.

Attributes
ACN	330045
Time
Date	199603
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sfo
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
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 : 100 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	330045
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Airport
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other
Situations
Airport	other physical facility
Publication	Unspecified

Narrative:

Taxi to runway 01R from hangar at sfo. Cleared to taxi via taxiway C to taxiway right, hold short of runway 28R. Cleared to cross and to continue taxi on taxiway right to taxiway south, taxiway a to runway 1R. Taxied straight ahead as depicted on airport chart. Nose gear left runway 28 into dirt (main mounts remained on runway 28). Extraction occurred by tug with straps attached to main mounts. No damage to aircraft. Visual inspection by maintenance and flight continued with no incidents. Green taxi lights on taxiway right indicate straight ahead taxi as does airport diagram (actually about 110 ft jog to right is required to stay on taxiway right). Bright construction lights and terminal create illusion taxiway right straight ahead. Blue lights at throat of taxiway U and runway 28R can be mistaken for right side of taxiway right. Txwys right and U poorly lighted, if lighted at all. Distinctive square yellow sign with black diagonals should be placed on left side of runway 28R to show taxiway right is not straight ahead. Taxi instructions should include taxi on runway 28R to taxiway right or rename disjoined part of taxiway right.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC TAXIES ACFT OFF INTENDED TAXI RTE INTO DIRT.

Narrative: TAXI TO RWY 01R FROM HANGAR AT SFO. CLRED TO TAXI VIA TXWY C TO TXWY R, HOLD SHORT OF RWY 28R. CLRED TO CROSS AND TO CONTINUE TAXI ON TXWY R TO TXWY S, TXWY A TO RWY 1R. TAXIED STRAIGHT AHEAD AS DEPICTED ON ARPT CHART. NOSE GEAR LEFT RWY 28 INTO DIRT (MAIN MOUNTS REMAINED ON RWY 28). EXTRACTION OCCURRED BY TUG WITH STRAPS ATTACHED TO MAIN MOUNTS. NO DAMAGE TO ACFT. VISUAL INSPECTION BY MAINT AND FLT CONTINUED WITH NO INCIDENTS. GREEN TAXI LIGHTS ON TXWY R INDICATE STRAIGHT AHEAD TAXI AS DOES ARPT DIAGRAM (ACTUALLY ABOUT 110 FT JOG TO R IS REQUIRED TO STAY ON TXWY R). BRIGHT CONSTRUCTION LIGHTS AND TERMINAL CREATE ILLUSION TXWY R STRAIGHT AHEAD. BLUE LIGHTS AT THROAT OF TXWY U AND RWY 28R CAN BE MISTAKEN FOR R SIDE OF TXWY R. TXWYS R AND U POORLY LIGHTED, IF LIGHTED AT ALL. DISTINCTIVE SQUARE YELLOW SIGN WITH BLACK DIAGONALS SHOULD BE PLACED ON L SIDE OF RWY 28R TO SHOW TXWY R IS NOT STRAIGHT AHEAD. TAXI INSTRUCTIONS SHOULD INCLUDE TAXI ON RWY 28R TO TXWY R OR RENAME DISJOINED PART OF TXWY R.

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.