Narrative:

We were given clearance to land on runway 4 and advised tower that we would be 'rolling to the end' to turn left onto taxiway C5. Approaching taxiway C5, I noticed that this taxiway had an estimated snow bank of 12-18 inches high blocking its entrance. I advised tower that we could not turn on taxiway C5 due to the snow bank. Tower asked what we wanted to do and we requested clearance to taxi to the airline run-up pad and have the county snow plows make the taxiway clear. There was a blade equipped ford bronco and a snow plow (large dump truck with blade) within 100 yards of us. Tower contacted the county and they sent the bronco to clear the taxiway. After 10 mins, we heard communication between the tower and the bronco saying that the taxiway was clear and there was room for us to get through. We crossed runway 4, entered taxiway C5, aligning ourselves with the blue taxi lights and proceeded to the cargo ramp at FBO. Shortly after passing the intersection of taxiway C5/C, we felt our aircraft sinking into the snow and left propeller contacting the snow. I immediately positioned both condition levers in the idle cutoff position and feathered both propellers. Taxiway C5 has 2 blue taxi lights on the right and left between the runway and the intersection of taxiway C5 and taxiway C. After this intersection there are no lights on the left or right for a distance of an estimated 500-600 ft, except for a 'burned out' blue taxiway light at the south corner of the cargo ramp. Taxiway C5 was not plowed and we were told by FBO personnel that taxiway C5 hadn't been plowed for 'quite some time' and had been a mess all day. Install additional blue taxi lights on both sides on taxiway C5 and especially at the taxiway intersection. Also make certain all lights are illuminated. Install signs informing pilots of this intersection and the direction to turn for the appropriate taxiway. Keep taxiway clean by adequate plowing or close taxiway if unable to plow clean. This was our second time into the FBO ramp this day -- our estimated 50TH time in the last 90 days. Talking with 2 other air crews who were in and out of FBO ramp using taxiway C5 that day, say that they almost had the same situation occur. Also the personnel at FBO said that this taxiway has been a mess all day and that they were not surprised that an aircraft strayed off the taxiway. Lack of adequate taxiway lighting, inadequate signs, and no snow removal or cautions regarding this taxiway caused our incident at roc, ny. In times of low visibility and poor runway/taxiway conditions due to contamination, adequate lighting is an absolute necessity to safe aircraft operations. Pilots and airport personnel both feel that there will be another incident on this taxiway if this situation is not remedied. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states the damage was to the propellers only, but still costs several thousand dollars. Insurance has taken care of it and will try for recovery. Reporter feels this need not have happened had the taxiway lights been better. It appears that snow plows may have damaged a light, but there are no lights at all on the right side of the taxiway along the ramp. There should be a light on the taxiway where taxiway C5 and taxiway C intersect. This is where the aircraft went off the taxiway. 2 other planes had trouble the same day but earlier in the day when ambient light helped them to find their way around. This was at night and snowing, 4-5 inches of new snow. Reporter aircraft makes about 6 trips into this airport per week and crew is very familiar with the ramp so it really surprised them that this could happen to them. Even at times when the txwys are cleared it is hard to manage in this ramp area. Reporter thinks the airport has now put a taxiway light in the area of taxiway C5 and taxiway C intersection.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE30 CORP ACFT HAS TXWY EXCURSION WHEN TAXIING TO FBO DUE TO POOR LIGHTING AND SNOW CLRING.

Narrative: WE WERE GIVEN CLRNC TO LAND ON RWY 4 AND ADVISED TWR THAT WE WOULD BE 'ROLLING TO THE END' TO TURN L ONTO TXWY C5. APCHING TXWY C5, I NOTICED THAT THIS TXWY HAD AN ESTIMATED SNOW BANK OF 12-18 INCHES HIGH BLOCKING ITS ENTRANCE. I ADVISED TWR THAT WE COULD NOT TURN ON TXWY C5 DUE TO THE SNOW BANK. TWR ASKED WHAT WE WANTED TO DO AND WE REQUESTED CLRNC TO TAXI TO THE AIRLINE RUN-UP PAD AND HAVE THE COUNTY SNOW PLOWS MAKE THE TXWY CLR. THERE WAS A BLADE EQUIPPED FORD BRONCO AND A SNOW PLOW (LARGE DUMP TRUCK WITH BLADE) WITHIN 100 YARDS OF US. TWR CONTACTED THE COUNTY AND THEY SENT THE BRONCO TO CLR THE TXWY. AFTER 10 MINS, WE HEARD COM BTWN THE TWR AND THE BRONCO SAYING THAT THE TXWY WAS CLR AND THERE WAS ROOM FOR US TO GET THROUGH. WE CROSSED RWY 4, ENTERED TXWY C5, ALIGNING OURSELVES WITH THE BLUE TAXI LIGHTS AND PROCEEDED TO THE CARGO RAMP AT FBO. SHORTLY AFTER PASSING THE INTXN OF TXWY C5/C, WE FELT OUR ACFT SINKING INTO THE SNOW AND L PROP CONTACTING THE SNOW. I IMMEDIATELY POSITIONED BOTH CONDITION LEVERS IN THE IDLE CUTOFF POS AND FEATHERED BOTH PROPS. TXWY C5 HAS 2 BLUE TAXI LIGHTS ON THE R AND L BTWN THE RWY AND THE INTXN OF TXWY C5 AND TXWY C. AFTER THIS INTXN THERE ARE NO LIGHTS ON THE L OR R FOR A DISTANCE OF AN ESTIMATED 500-600 FT, EXCEPT FOR A 'BURNED OUT' BLUE TXWY LIGHT AT THE S CORNER OF THE CARGO RAMP. TXWY C5 WAS NOT PLOWED AND WE WERE TOLD BY FBO PERSONNEL THAT TXWY C5 HADN'T BEEN PLOWED FOR 'QUITE SOME TIME' AND HAD BEEN A MESS ALL DAY. INSTALL ADDITIONAL BLUE TAXI LIGHTS ON BOTH SIDES ON TXWY C5 AND ESPECIALLY AT THE TXWY INTXN. ALSO MAKE CERTAIN ALL LIGHTS ARE ILLUMINATED. INSTALL SIGNS INFORMING PLTS OF THIS INTXN AND THE DIRECTION TO TURN FOR THE APPROPRIATE TXWY. KEEP TXWY CLEAN BY ADEQUATE PLOWING OR CLOSE TXWY IF UNABLE TO PLOW CLEAN. THIS WAS OUR SECOND TIME INTO THE FBO RAMP THIS DAY -- OUR ESTIMATED 50TH TIME IN THE LAST 90 DAYS. TALKING WITH 2 OTHER AIR CREWS WHO WERE IN AND OUT OF FBO RAMP USING TXWY C5 THAT DAY, SAY THAT THEY ALMOST HAD THE SAME SIT OCCUR. ALSO THE PERSONNEL AT FBO SAID THAT THIS TXWY HAS BEEN A MESS ALL DAY AND THAT THEY WERE NOT SURPRISED THAT AN ACFT STRAYED OFF THE TXWY. LACK OF ADEQUATE TXWY LIGHTING, INADEQUATE SIGNS, AND NO SNOW REMOVAL OR CAUTIONS REGARDING THIS TXWY CAUSED OUR INCIDENT AT ROC, NY. IN TIMES OF LOW VISIBILITY AND POOR RWY/TXWY CONDITIONS DUE TO CONTAMINATION, ADEQUATE LIGHTING IS AN ABSOLUTE NECESSITY TO SAFE ACFT OPS. PLTS AND ARPT PERSONNEL BOTH FEEL THAT THERE WILL BE ANOTHER INCIDENT ON THIS TXWY IF THIS SIT IS NOT REMEDIED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THE DAMAGE WAS TO THE PROPS ONLY, BUT STILL COSTS SEVERAL THOUSAND DOLLARS. INSURANCE HAS TAKEN CARE OF IT AND WILL TRY FOR RECOVERY. RPTR FEELS THIS NEED NOT HAVE HAPPENED HAD THE TXWY LIGHTS BEEN BETTER. IT APPEARS THAT SNOW PLOWS MAY HAVE DAMAGED A LIGHT, BUT THERE ARE NO LIGHTS AT ALL ON THE R SIDE OF THE TXWY ALONG THE RAMP. THERE SHOULD BE A LIGHT ON THE TXWY WHERE TXWY C5 AND TXWY C INTERSECT. THIS IS WHERE THE ACFT WENT OFF THE TXWY. 2 OTHER PLANES HAD TROUBLE THE SAME DAY BUT EARLIER IN THE DAY WHEN AMBIENT LIGHT HELPED THEM TO FIND THEIR WAY AROUND. THIS WAS AT NIGHT AND SNOWING, 4-5 INCHES OF NEW SNOW. RPTR ACFT MAKES ABOUT 6 TRIPS INTO THIS ARPT PER WK AND CREW IS VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE RAMP SO IT REALLY SURPRISED THEM THAT THIS COULD HAPPEN TO THEM. EVEN AT TIMES WHEN THE TXWYS ARE CLRED IT IS HARD TO MANAGE IN THIS RAMP AREA. RPTR THINKS THE ARPT HAS NOW PUT A TXWY LIGHT IN THE AREA OF TXWY C5 AND TXWY C INTXN.

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.