Narrative:

The problem arose on the ground at cll. After landing runway 16, we were taxiing to the gate by way of taxiway C1, then across runway 28 on taxiway C. When turning from taxiway C to taxiway a, the aircraft pulled to the left and we stopped. When I first felt a vibration on the left side of the aircraft, I thought we had a flat tire, but as the aircraft pulled to the left, I realized we were in the grass off the taxiway. A contributing factor to this was the rain. It had rained all day in cll. We were delayed coming in due to thunderstorms and we landed and were taxiing in a moderate rainshower. Our windshield wipers worked well at keeping our windshield clear, but the txwys had a lot of standing water, and due to the standing water, my taxi light was reflected back, making it hard to see the already dim painted centerline taxi line. I believed I was on the centerline, but apparently I was not. I was taxiing very slow due to the darkness and the rain, and was shocked to find we went off the pavement. As for corrective actions, I think lines painted on the edge of the pavement would have helped. Also, a brighter painted centerline. Also, I have only flown into cll recently, and until this happened, I did not know it had happened 4 or 5 times before. If I had known, I would have been even more careful. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that the airport manager is the person who indicated this had happened before. He was present because the aircraft had to be towed out of the grass area. The passenger were deplaned on the taxiway. Some of the txwys have been expanded, near the end of runway 16. They have been repaved and visible lines painted. Reporter hopes that this will be continued to other txwys. The taxiway edge lines would be helpful because the taxiway lights are set back and it is hard to tell where the edge is.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A SAAB 340 HAS A TXWY EXCURSION DUE TO WX CONDITIONS, NIGHT OP AND POOR TXWY MARKINGS.

Narrative: THE PROB AROSE ON THE GND AT CLL. AFTER LNDG RWY 16, WE WERE TAXIING TO THE GATE BY WAY OF TXWY C1, THEN ACROSS RWY 28 ON TXWY C. WHEN TURNING FROM TXWY C TO TXWY A, THE ACFT PULLED TO THE L AND WE STOPPED. WHEN I FIRST FELT A VIBRATION ON THE L SIDE OF THE ACFT, I THOUGHT WE HAD A FLAT TIRE, BUT AS THE ACFT PULLED TO THE L, I REALIZED WE WERE IN THE GRASS OFF THE TXWY. A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO THIS WAS THE RAIN. IT HAD RAINED ALL DAY IN CLL. WE WERE DELAYED COMING IN DUE TO TSTMS AND WE LANDED AND WERE TAXIING IN A MODERATE RAINSHOWER. OUR WINDSHIELD WIPERS WORKED WELL AT KEEPING OUR WINDSHIELD CLR, BUT THE TXWYS HAD A LOT OF STANDING WATER, AND DUE TO THE STANDING WATER, MY TAXI LIGHT WAS REFLECTED BACK, MAKING IT HARD TO SEE THE ALREADY DIM PAINTED CTRLINE TAXI LINE. I BELIEVED I WAS ON THE CTRLINE, BUT APPARENTLY I WAS NOT. I WAS TAXIING VERY SLOW DUE TO THE DARKNESS AND THE RAIN, AND WAS SHOCKED TO FIND WE WENT OFF THE PAVEMENT. AS FOR CORRECTIVE ACTIONS, I THINK LINES PAINTED ON THE EDGE OF THE PAVEMENT WOULD HAVE HELPED. ALSO, A BRIGHTER PAINTED CTRLINE. ALSO, I HAVE ONLY FLOWN INTO CLL RECENTLY, AND UNTIL THIS HAPPENED, I DID NOT KNOW IT HAD HAPPENED 4 OR 5 TIMES BEFORE. IF I HAD KNOWN, I WOULD HAVE BEEN EVEN MORE CAREFUL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT THE ARPT MGR IS THE PERSON WHO INDICATED THIS HAD HAPPENED BEFORE. HE WAS PRESENT BECAUSE THE ACFT HAD TO BE TOWED OUT OF THE GRASS AREA. THE PAX WERE DEPLANED ON THE TXWY. SOME OF THE TXWYS HAVE BEEN EXPANDED, NEAR THE END OF RWY 16. THEY HAVE BEEN REPAVED AND VISIBLE LINES PAINTED. RPTR HOPES THAT THIS WILL BE CONTINUED TO OTHER TXWYS. THE TXWY EDGE LINES WOULD BE HELPFUL BECAUSE THE TXWY LIGHTS ARE SET BACK AND IT IS HARD TO TELL WHERE THE EDGE IS.

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.