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A310 aircraft taxiing from ramp at night in heavy rain. Reporter captain had difficulty seeing the taxiway. One row of lights marked the edge, but looked like centerline lights to the reporter. He recognized the mistake and, because there was no damage to any tires, assumed the aircraft had not hit any lights.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 401222 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199805 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : cymx |
| State Reference | PQ |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | A310 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | Other Other |
| 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 : 80 flight time total : 9100 flight time type : 640 |
| ASRS Report | 401222 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 4000 flight time type : 1500 |
| ASRS Report | 401223 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : ground less severe 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 |
| Situations | |
| Airport | other physical facility |
Narrative:
We pushed back from the parking spot on our ramp at mirabel, facing west. After disconnect from the tug, we had to make a left turn to taxi south down the ramp to the taxiway. It was raining hard and the visibility thru the windshield was poor so I turned on the wiper. As I turned to the south I had to turn a little toward the southeast to get back to what I perceived to be the centerline lights. There was ample pavement on either side of the lights and there was only one row of lights and I mistook them for green lights instead of blue lights. As I lined up on them and looked further ahead I realized that they were ramp edge lights and not taxiway centerline lights. I then turned right to get on the right side of the lights. I don't believe we hit any lights. We had maintenance check and the wheels all felt fine to us and this was confirmed after landing as well. I think these lights should be moved to the edge of the ramp and checked for blueness. It was impossible to see the taxi line (painted) due to the water on the ramp. I think our ramp diagram should be redrawn as well.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A310 ACFT TAXIING FROM RAMP AT NIGHT IN HEAVY RAIN. RPTR CAPT HAD DIFFICULTY SEEING THE TXWY. ONE ROW OF LIGHTS MARKED THE EDGE, BUT LOOKED LIKE CENTERLINE LIGHTS TO THE RPTR. HE RECOGNIZED THE MISTAKE AND, BECAUSE THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO ANY TIRES, ASSUMED THE ACFT HAD NOT HIT ANY LIGHTS.
Narrative: WE PUSHED BACK FROM THE PARKING SPOT ON OUR RAMP AT MIRABEL, FACING W. AFTER DISCONNECT FROM THE TUG, WE HAD TO MAKE A L TURN TO TAXI S DOWN THE RAMP TO THE TXWY. IT WAS RAINING HARD AND THE VISIBILITY THRU THE WINDSHIELD WAS POOR SO I TURNED ON THE WIPER. AS I TURNED TO THE S I HAD TO TURN A LITTLE TOWARD THE SE TO GET BACK TO WHAT I PERCEIVED TO BE THE CENTERLINE LIGHTS. THERE WAS AMPLE PAVEMENT ON EITHER SIDE OF THE LIGHTS AND THERE WAS ONLY ONE ROW OF LIGHTS AND I MISTOOK THEM FOR GREEN LIGHTS INSTEAD OF BLUE LIGHTS. AS I LINED UP ON THEM AND LOOKED FURTHER AHEAD I REALIZED THAT THEY WERE RAMP EDGE LIGHTS AND NOT TXWY CENTERLINE LIGHTS. I THEN TURNED R TO GET ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE LIGHTS. I DON'T BELIEVE WE HIT ANY LIGHTS. WE HAD MAINT CHECK AND THE WHEELS ALL FELT FINE TO US AND THIS WAS CONFIRMED AFTER LANDING AS WELL. I THINK THESE LIGHTS SHOULD BE MOVED TO THE EDGE OF THE RAMP AND CHECKED FOR BLUENESS. IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE THE TAXI LINE (PAINTED) DUE TO THE WATER ON THE RAMP. I THINK OUR RAMP DIAGRAM SHOULD BE REDRAWN AS WELL.
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.