Narrative:

Aircraft was inadvertently taxied across taxiway boundary line while exiting runway. Routine ILS approach to sfo runway 19L at night with light rain. First officer decelerated after landing intending to exit the runway at taxiway F. Although braking was not excessive, aircraft was slowed to near zero forward motion approximately abeam taxiway exit when the first officer signaled for change of control. As I completed the exit turn and began to center the nosewheel steering tiller, the first officer reported that it appeared we had crossed the taxiway boundary (on the south side of taxiway F near the runway edge). Simultaneously, I observed the taxiway boundary line about to pass under the nose and a taxiway light that would pass left of the left main gear. I slowed to a near stop and asked the first officer to open his window if necessary to assure that we would remain clear of other taxiway lights. Clearing the runway we reported the braking action as good, however, the visibility was poor. After arrival, I asked the first officer to inspect all 4 main tires and he reported no damage and normal pressure. The aircraft was taken OTS due to an inoperative windshield wiper on the captain's forward windshield that had failed en route. We changed aircraft for the continuation of the flight to rno. The next morning, returning to sfo, we observed a damaged taxiway light in the vicinity of the south side of taxiway F near runway 19L. I reported our incident of the previous night to the chief pilot immediately after arrival. In addition to the contributing factors above, I am unfamiliar with exiting taxiway F. Landing runway 19L/right is unusual and taxiway F is only about 4500 ft from the threshold. Also, it is an unusual runway exit because it bisects the runway at a slightly acute angle but has the appearance of a normal perpendicular taxiway. This puts the roll-out side of the taxiway boundary line and lights closer to the taxiway centerline than you would expect with a perpendicular taxiway. I cannot be certain that these lights were illuminated as they were not visible until we were on top of them. Additionally, although there is regular literature from the company discouraging early runway exits, there continues to be incentives to make these exits. Not the least of which is reducing exposure to longer taxi rtes, especially with marginal WX conditions. This incident is a good example of the benefits of staying further toward the center of the envelope and resisting the temptation to make an earlier runway exit.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR MLG RAN OVER A TXWY LIGHT ON LEAVING THE RWY. ERROR ADMITTED.

Narrative: ACFT WAS INADVERTENTLY TAXIED ACROSS TXWY BOUNDARY LINE WHILE EXITING RWY. ROUTINE ILS APCH TO SFO RWY 19L AT NIGHT WITH LIGHT RAIN. FO DECELERATED AFTER LNDG INTENDING TO EXIT THE RWY AT TXWY F. ALTHOUGH BRAKING WAS NOT EXCESSIVE, ACFT WAS SLOWED TO NEAR ZERO FORWARD MOTION APPROX ABEAM TXWY EXIT WHEN THE FO SIGNALED FOR CHANGE OF CTL. AS I COMPLETED THE EXIT TURN AND BEGAN TO CTR THE NOSEWHEEL STEERING TILLER, THE FO RPTED THAT IT APPEARED WE HAD CROSSED THE TXWY BOUNDARY (ON THE S SIDE OF TXWY F NEAR THE RWY EDGE). SIMULTANEOUSLY, I OBSERVED THE TXWY BOUNDARY LINE ABOUT TO PASS UNDER THE NOSE AND A TXWY LIGHT THAT WOULD PASS L OF THE L MAIN GEAR. I SLOWED TO A NEAR STOP AND ASKED THE FO TO OPEN HIS WINDOW IF NECESSARY TO ASSURE THAT WE WOULD REMAIN CLR OF OTHER TXWY LIGHTS. CLRING THE RWY WE RPTED THE BRAKING ACTION AS GOOD, HOWEVER, THE VISIBILITY WAS POOR. AFTER ARR, I ASKED THE FO TO INSPECT ALL 4 MAIN TIRES AND HE RPTED NO DAMAGE AND NORMAL PRESSURE. THE ACFT WAS TAKEN OTS DUE TO AN INOP WINDSHIELD WIPER ON THE CAPT'S FORWARD WINDSHIELD THAT HAD FAILED ENRTE. WE CHANGED ACFT FOR THE CONTINUATION OF THE FLT TO RNO. THE NEXT MORNING, RETURNING TO SFO, WE OBSERVED A DAMAGED TXWY LIGHT IN THE VICINITY OF THE S SIDE OF TXWY F NEAR RWY 19L. I RPTED OUR INCIDENT OF THE PREVIOUS NIGHT TO THE CHIEF PLT IMMEDIATELY AFTER ARR. IN ADDITION TO THE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS ABOVE, I AM UNFAMILIAR WITH EXITING TXWY F. LNDG RWY 19L/R IS UNUSUAL AND TXWY F IS ONLY ABOUT 4500 FT FROM THE THRESHOLD. ALSO, IT IS AN UNUSUAL RWY EXIT BECAUSE IT BISECTS THE RWY AT A SLIGHTLY ACUTE ANGLE BUT HAS THE APPEARANCE OF A NORMAL PERPENDICULAR TXWY. THIS PUTS THE ROLL-OUT SIDE OF THE TXWY BOUNDARY LINE AND LIGHTS CLOSER TO THE TXWY CTRLINE THAN YOU WOULD EXPECT WITH A PERPENDICULAR TXWY. I CANNOT BE CERTAIN THAT THESE LIGHTS WERE ILLUMINATED AS THEY WERE NOT VISIBLE UNTIL WE WERE ON TOP OF THEM. ADDITIONALLY, ALTHOUGH THERE IS REGULAR LITERATURE FROM THE COMPANY DISCOURAGING EARLY RWY EXITS, THERE CONTINUES TO BE INCENTIVES TO MAKE THESE EXITS. NOT THE LEAST OF WHICH IS REDUCING EXPOSURE TO LONGER TAXI RTES, ESPECIALLY WITH MARGINAL WX CONDITIONS. THIS INCIDENT IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF THE BENEFITS OF STAYING FURTHER TOWARD THE CTR OF THE ENVELOPE AND RESISTING THE TEMPTATION TO MAKE AN EARLIER RWY EXIT.

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.