Narrative:

Upon arrival at shv we landed on runway 14. After clearing the runway we were instructed to taxi via taxiway a and taxiway C to the ramp. At no time was there any mention made regarding any OTS lighting at the intersection of taxiway a and taxiway C. There were also no NOTAMS of the outage. Upon reaching the intersection, I viewed the turn. I visualized the width of the corner without the aid of the light directly on the corner point. The one light being missing gave the appearance of a more rounded corner like most turns on a taxiway. Upon turning the corner of taxiway C, the right main gear left the taxiway and came to rest in 10 inches of soil. After the excursion, we were told that a DC10 had gone off in the same spot 6 days earlier. When the DC10 had the earlier excursion the corner taxiway light was destroyed and was still missing. The airport authority/authorized had not issued a NOTAM of the problem. The airport authority/authorized also neglected to make repairs after 6 days. This chain of previous events led to the excursion by our aircraft. I have been told by another crew member that another aircraft also had an excursion the day following our occurrence at the same intersection. I believe had a NOTAM been issued and/or the lighting been repaired in a reasonable time frame the event would not have occurred. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter advised no NOTAM has been issued that he is aware of. The last time he was at shv he noted metal posts have been installed at the intersection of taxiway a and taxiway C -- reflective, not lights. They were able to get the aircraft out of the soft dirt before any damage was done. Was concerned it might settle on the #4 engine nacelle. Aircraft out in about 1 hour. Previous incident involving another freight carrier DC10 heavily loaded took 13 hours. No action by company or FAA. Airport manager did not want a written report. The reporter had the impression the airport manager just wanted them to get out of town.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DC8-63 FREIGHTER TAXI TO CARGO AREA. TURN FROM TXWY A TO TXWY C THOUGHT THE CORNER WAS MORE ROUNDED AND ENDED WITH THE R MAIN GEAR OFF THE TXWY IN 10 INCHES OF SOIL. TXWY LIGHT WAS MISSING ACCOUNT DC10 HAD GONE OFF THE TXWY AT THE SAME INTXN 6 DAYS EARLIER. NO NOTAMS OR ADVISORY FROM THE TWR.

Narrative: UPON ARR AT SHV WE LANDED ON RWY 14. AFTER CLRING THE RWY WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO TAXI VIA TXWY A AND TXWY C TO THE RAMP. AT NO TIME WAS THERE ANY MENTION MADE REGARDING ANY OTS LIGHTING AT THE INTXN OF TXWY A AND TXWY C. THERE WERE ALSO NO NOTAMS OF THE OUTAGE. UPON REACHING THE INTXN, I VIEWED THE TURN. I VISUALIZED THE WIDTH OF THE CORNER WITHOUT THE AID OF THE LIGHT DIRECTLY ON THE CORNER POINT. THE ONE LIGHT BEING MISSING GAVE THE APPEARANCE OF A MORE ROUNDED CORNER LIKE MOST TURNS ON A TXWY. UPON TURNING THE CORNER OF TXWY C, THE R MAIN GEAR LEFT THE TXWY AND CAME TO REST IN 10 INCHES OF SOIL. AFTER THE EXCURSION, WE WERE TOLD THAT A DC10 HAD GONE OFF IN THE SAME SPOT 6 DAYS EARLIER. WHEN THE DC10 HAD THE EARLIER EXCURSION THE CORNER TXWY LIGHT WAS DESTROYED AND WAS STILL MISSING. THE ARPT AUTH HAD NOT ISSUED A NOTAM OF THE PROB. THE ARPT AUTH ALSO NEGLECTED TO MAKE REPAIRS AFTER 6 DAYS. THIS CHAIN OF PREVIOUS EVENTS LED TO THE EXCURSION BY OUR ACFT. I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY ANOTHER CREW MEMBER THAT ANOTHER ACFT ALSO HAD AN EXCURSION THE DAY FOLLOWING OUR OCCURRENCE AT THE SAME INTXN. I BELIEVE HAD A NOTAM BEEN ISSUED AND/OR THE LIGHTING BEEN REPAIRED IN A REASONABLE TIME FRAME THE EVENT WOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR ADVISED NO NOTAM HAS BEEN ISSUED THAT HE IS AWARE OF. THE LAST TIME HE WAS AT SHV HE NOTED METAL POSTS HAVE BEEN INSTALLED AT THE INTXN OF TXWY A AND TXWY C -- REFLECTIVE, NOT LIGHTS. THEY WERE ABLE TO GET THE ACFT OUT OF THE SOFT DIRT BEFORE ANY DAMAGE WAS DONE. WAS CONCERNED IT MIGHT SETTLE ON THE #4 ENG NACELLE. ACFT OUT IN ABOUT 1 HR. PREVIOUS INCIDENT INVOLVING ANOTHER FREIGHT CARRIER DC10 HEAVILY LOADED TOOK 13 HRS. NO ACTION BY COMPANY OR FAA. ARPT MGR DID NOT WANT A WRITTEN RPT. THE RPTR HAD THE IMPRESSION THE ARPT MGR JUST WANTED THEM TO GET OUT OF TOWN.

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.