C207 pilot taxied off the taxiway because the taxiway lights were obscured by snow.

Attributes
ACN	530629
Time
Date	200111
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Weather Elements	Snow other
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Cessna Stationair/Turbo Stationair 7/8
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 2500 flight time type : 800
ASRS Report	530629
Events
Anomaly	excursion : taxiway inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter other inflight encounter other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Weather Airport Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Airport

Narrative:

Drove off the taxiway into snow ditch. Pilot error. Contributing factors: night, blowing snow XA00 pm. Taxi light OTS, used landing light (on plane). Recessed lights covered with snow, ice, not visible. Frost inside windshield. No visible centerline on taxiway. Nose high, tail low (cargo long rolls of carpet). 4TH load of day. Xchking lights either side should have followed outside lights instead of inside lights. Pick up on inside lights first and moved toward them, then moved away from inside lights into ditch. Pilot error.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C207 PLT TAXIED OFF THE TXWY BECAUSE THE TXWY LIGHTS WERE OBSCURED BY SNOW.

Narrative: DROVE OFF THE TXWY INTO SNOW DITCH. PLT ERROR. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: NIGHT, BLOWING SNOW XA00 PM. TAXI LIGHT OTS, USED LNDG LIGHT (ON PLANE). RECESSED LIGHTS COVERED WITH SNOW, ICE, NOT VISIBLE. FROST INSIDE WINDSHIELD. NO VISIBLE CTRLINE ON TXWY. NOSE HIGH, TAIL LOW (CARGO LONG ROLLS OF CARPET). 4TH LOAD OF DAY. XCHKING LIGHTS EITHER SIDE SHOULD HAVE FOLLOWED OUTSIDE LIGHTS INSTEAD OF INSIDE LIGHTS. PICK UP ON INSIDE LIGHTS FIRST AND MOVED TOWARD THEM, THEN MOVED AWAY FROM INSIDE LIGHTS INTO DITCH. PLT ERROR.

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.