Narrative:

This is a description of a series of events and airport facilities that could have led to a potential runway excursion. We were landing at fll with the ATIS winds 34 degrees at 6 KTS, 7 mi visibility, RA, 23 cumulo nimbus broken, ILS runway 27R. There was a thunderstorm just east of jumar (11.3 DME on final). We were following aircraft Y (B757) with minimum spacing, so we were slowed to final approach speed. At 500 ft AGL, we heard aircraft Z check on tower frequency. Tower advised him he was 30 KTS faster than us and approved s-turns. Aircraft Z asked for a 360 degree turn which was not approved. We touched down normally with the first officer flying. I was aware of the closeness of the aircraft Z and also the position of the aircraft Y B757 which was now taxiing in on taxiway B, just east of runway 13/31. Tower asked me to exit on runway 13/31 sign and past it, a white runway edge light. This was my first night landing on runway 27R. From my experience, I knew that there was a white runway edge light in the middle of high speed turnoff B3 (on runway 9L), so I assumed that the white light I saw past the runway 13/31 sign was a similar situation with that light being in the middle of runway 13/31. Sensing aircraft Z short final, I started to turn off runway 27R onto runway 13/31. As I approached the edge, I noticed the double yellow lines, indicating that I had not yet reached runway 13/31. I steered back toward the center, went past that white light, then exited on runway 13/31. My familiarity with the presence of the white runway 9L edge light in the middle of taxiway B3, and my unfamiliarity with runway 27R, almost led me to turn off early from runway 27R to runway 13/31. I suggest that either green lead-off lights be placed on B3 or the white edge light in the middle of B3 be removed so that pilots don't get lulled into a situation where they normally turn off over a white edge light. Contributing factors were night, rain and minimal separation leading to an expeditious turn-off. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: correction to reporter's original report: 'tower asked me to exit behind delta, as I slowed to turn off, I saw the runway 13/31 sign and continued past it, I then saw a white runway edge light. This was my first night landing on runway 27R....' the reporter stated it was raining, so visibility was somewhat impaired. Based on his past experience landing on runway 9L where B3 turnoff has a runway edge light in the middle of it, he assumed that the white light he saw after passing the runway 13/31 sign was the center of runway 13/31. Seeing the double yellow lines at the runway edge he corrected to the center of the runway, exiting on runway 13/31. The reporter feels the runway edge light in the middle of be may lull pilots, in some sits, to exit over a runway edge light.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737 CREW ON ROLLOUT AT FLL STARTED THEIR TURN TO EXIT RWY PRIOR TO REACHING THE EXIT.

Narrative: THIS IS A DESCRIPTION OF A SERIES OF EVENTS AND ARPT FACILITIES THAT COULD HAVE LED TO A POTENTIAL RWY EXCURSION. WE WERE LNDG AT FLL WITH THE ATIS WINDS 34 DEGS AT 6 KTS, 7 MI VISIBILITY, RA, 23 CUMULO NIMBUS BROKEN, ILS RWY 27R. THERE WAS A TSTM JUST E OF JUMAR (11.3 DME ON FINAL). WE WERE FOLLOWING ACFT Y (B757) WITH MINIMUM SPACING, SO WE WERE SLOWED TO FINAL APCH SPD. AT 500 FT AGL, WE HEARD ACFT Z CHK ON TWR FREQ. TWR ADVISED HIM HE WAS 30 KTS FASTER THAN US AND APPROVED S-TURNS. ACFT Z ASKED FOR A 360 DEG TURN WHICH WAS NOT APPROVED. WE TOUCHED DOWN NORMALLY WITH THE FO FLYING. I WAS AWARE OF THE CLOSENESS OF THE ACFT Z AND ALSO THE POSITION OF THE ACFT Y B757 WHICH WAS NOW TAXIING IN ON TXWY B, JUST E OF RWY 13/31. TWR ASKED ME TO EXIT ON RWY 13/31 SIGN AND PAST IT, A WHITE RWY EDGE LIGHT. THIS WAS MY FIRST NIGHT LNDG ON RWY 27R. FROM MY EXPERIENCE, I KNEW THAT THERE WAS A WHITE RWY EDGE LIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF HIGH SPD TURNOFF B3 (ON RWY 9L), SO I ASSUMED THAT THE WHITE LIGHT I SAW PAST THE RWY 13/31 SIGN WAS A SIMILAR SIT WITH THAT LIGHT BEING IN THE MIDDLE OF RWY 13/31. SENSING ACFT Z SHORT FINAL, I STARTED TO TURN OFF RWY 27R ONTO RWY 13/31. AS I APCHED THE EDGE, I NOTICED THE DOUBLE YELLOW LINES, INDICATING THAT I HAD NOT YET REACHED RWY 13/31. I STEERED BACK TOWARD THE CTR, WENT PAST THAT WHITE LIGHT, THEN EXITED ON RWY 13/31. MY FAMILIARITY WITH THE PRESENCE OF THE WHITE RWY 9L EDGE LIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF TXWY B3, AND MY UNFAMILIARITY WITH RWY 27R, ALMOST LED ME TO TURN OFF EARLY FROM RWY 27R TO RWY 13/31. I SUGGEST THAT EITHER GREEN LEAD-OFF LIGHTS BE PLACED ON B3 OR THE WHITE EDGE LIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF B3 BE REMOVED SO THAT PLTS DON'T GET LULLED INTO A SIT WHERE THEY NORMALLY TURN OFF OVER A WHITE EDGE LIGHT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE NIGHT, RAIN AND MINIMAL SEPARATION LEADING TO AN EXPEDITIOUS TURN-OFF. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: CORRECTION TO RPTR'S ORIGINAL RPT: 'TWR ASKED ME TO EXIT BEHIND DELTA, AS I SLOWED TO TURN OFF, I SAW THE RWY 13/31 SIGN AND CONTINUED PAST IT, I THEN SAW A WHITE RWY EDGE LIGHT. THIS WAS MY FIRST NIGHT LNDG ON RWY 27R....' THE RPTR STATED IT WAS RAINING, SO VISIBILITY WAS SOMEWHAT IMPAIRED. BASED ON HIS PAST EXPERIENCE LNDG ON RWY 9L WHERE B3 TURNOFF HAS A RWY EDGE LIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF IT, HE ASSUMED THAT THE WHITE LIGHT HE SAW AFTER PASSING THE RWY 13/31 SIGN WAS THE CTR OF RWY 13/31. SEEING THE DOUBLE YELLOW LINES AT THE RWY EDGE HE CORRECTED TO THE CTR OF THE RWY, EXITING ON RWY 13/31. THE RPTR FEELS THE RWY EDGE LIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF BE MAY LULL PLTS, IN SOME SITS, TO EXIT OVER A RWY EDGE LIGHT.

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.