Narrative:

After an ILS approach and landing on runway 8 at iah airport, completed the after landing checklist and contacted ground control. I was instructed to taxi to parking via txwys na, nk, iab (international terminal) across the east bridge, to the ramp. I taxied on taxiway nk towards the iab ramp and made a left turn onto a concrete patch which appeared to join the iab ramp. The area is poorly lit and there were no markings nor lights to show the edge of the ramp or taxiway. Furthermore the lights on the international building are pointed in a direction which created a glare and heavy shadows on the ramp area. Having believed that I was on the ramp area, I continued my left turn in an easterly direction to parallel the international building. The aircraft exited the concrete surface onto the grass surrounding the ramp area. The aircraft then struck a drainage ditch impacting and collapsing the nose gear. The throttles were jerked from my hands and jammed to approximately half open. (Maintenance personnel stated that when the nose gear collapsed it pulled the throttle cables causing the engines to spool up.) the aircraft slid approximately 8-10 ft and came to a stop resting on the nose. The first officer and I were able to shut down the engines by placing the condition levers in the fuel shut off position. The propellers never struck the ground, and there was no indication of a fire. We concluded that since there were no indications of a fire or any hazard which would call for an emergency evacuate/evacuation, I made a PA announcement for the passenger to remain seated. I notified ground control of our position and that we needed assistance from rescue crews. I then had my first officer begin the aircraft terminating checklist to shut down all system as I contacted operations for assistance. I then entered the cabin and told the flight attendant to open the main cabin door, and asked the passenger if there were any injuries. We completed the terminating checklist for the aircraft and assisted the passenger off the aircraft and onto buses to take them to the terminal. I then turned the aircraft over to maintenance personnel, and was escorted along with the rest of the crew away from the site by airline personnel. It is interesting to note that my incident at this location was not the first. In fact the evening before, a DC9 had a similar incident, and less than 3 months ago a DC10 dropped 1 of its main gear into the mud at the same location.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATR42-320 TAXIED OFF A POORLY LIT AND MARKED RAMP INTO THE GRASS, HIT A DITCH AND DAMAGED THE ACFT. JUST PRIOR TO THE EVENT, FLC WAS BLINDED BY LNDG AND TAXI LIGHTS OF ANOTHER TAXIING ACFT. A DC9 DID THE SAME THING THE NIGHT BEFORE.

Narrative: AFTER AN ILS APCH AND LNDG ON RWY 8 AT IAH ARPT, COMPLETED THE AFTER LNDG CHKLIST AND CONTACTED GND CTL. I WAS INSTRUCTED TO TAXI TO PARKING VIA TXWYS NA, NK, IAB (INTL TERMINAL) ACROSS THE E BRIDGE, TO THE RAMP. I TAXIED ON TXWY NK TOWARDS THE IAB RAMP AND MADE A L TURN ONTO A CONCRETE PATCH WHICH APPEARED TO JOIN THE IAB RAMP. THE AREA IS POORLY LIT AND THERE WERE NO MARKINGS NOR LIGHTS TO SHOW THE EDGE OF THE RAMP OR TXWY. FURTHERMORE THE LIGHTS ON THE INTL BUILDING ARE POINTED IN A DIRECTION WHICH CREATED A GLARE AND HVY SHADOWS ON THE RAMP AREA. HAVING BELIEVED THAT I WAS ON THE RAMP AREA, I CONTINUED MY L TURN IN AN EASTERLY DIRECTION TO PARALLEL THE INTL BUILDING. THE ACFT EXITED THE CONCRETE SURFACE ONTO THE GRASS SURROUNDING THE RAMP AREA. THE ACFT THEN STRUCK A DRAINAGE DITCH IMPACTING AND COLLAPSING THE NOSE GEAR. THE THROTTLES WERE JERKED FROM MY HANDS AND JAMMED TO APPROX HALF OPEN. (MAINT PERSONNEL STATED THAT WHEN THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED IT PULLED THE THROTTLE CABLES CAUSING THE ENGS TO SPOOL UP.) THE ACFT SLID APPROX 8-10 FT AND CAME TO A STOP RESTING ON THE NOSE. THE FO AND I WERE ABLE TO SHUT DOWN THE ENGS BY PLACING THE CONDITION LEVERS IN THE FUEL SHUT OFF POS. THE PROPS NEVER STRUCK THE GND, AND THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF A FIRE. WE CONCLUDED THAT SINCE THERE WERE NO INDICATIONS OF A FIRE OR ANY HAZARD WHICH WOULD CALL FOR AN EMER EVAC, I MADE A PA ANNOUNCEMENT FOR THE PAX TO REMAIN SEATED. I NOTIFIED GND CTL OF OUR POS AND THAT WE NEEDED ASSISTANCE FROM RESCUE CREWS. I THEN HAD MY FO BEGIN THE ACFT TERMINATING CHKLIST TO SHUT DOWN ALL SYS AS I CONTACTED OPS FOR ASSISTANCE. I THEN ENTERED THE CABIN AND TOLD THE FLT ATTENDANT TO OPEN THE MAIN CABIN DOOR, AND ASKED THE PAX IF THERE WERE ANY INJURIES. WE COMPLETED THE TERMINATING CHKLIST FOR THE ACFT AND ASSISTED THE PAX OFF THE ACFT AND ONTO BUSES TO TAKE THEM TO THE TERMINAL. I THEN TURNED THE ACFT OVER TO MAINT PERSONNEL, AND WAS ESCORTED ALONG WITH THE REST OF THE CREW AWAY FROM THE SITE BY AIRLINE PERSONNEL. IT IS INTERESTING TO NOTE THAT MY INCIDENT AT THIS LOCATION WAS NOT THE FIRST. IN FACT THE EVENING BEFORE, A DC9 HAD A SIMILAR INCIDENT, AND LESS THAN 3 MONTHS AGO A DC10 DROPPED 1 OF ITS MAIN GEAR INTO THE MUD AT THE SAME LOCATION.

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.