Narrative:

Contact with temporary portable taxiway lights. Intersection of Y2 and y-taxiway during pre-takeoff. I was in the jump seat as the relief pilot. Taxi instructions were right on taxiway Y, left on taxiway north for runway 09L. Captain taxied out following the centerline. As the turn approached to Y, not well marked and confusing in that the commercial chart pages show Y on the other side of the closed area (construction). Ground queried if we were turning onto Y or continuing straight ahead onto Y2. We were already committed in the turn when ground called again and told us that we could continue onto Y2. The turn onto Y was completed. Shortly after the taxi lights went out. The aircraft was stopped and inspected for damage by maintenance. Damage was found to the left main truck and the number 10 tire. The aircraft was towed to the gate. There does not appear to be much room between the centerline and paint, and the temporary taxi lights. From the jump seat we appeared to be pretty close to the centerline, paint after the turn was started only slightly late. Maintenance informed us this was the third occurrence of an aircraft striking these lights. Supplement information from acn 603130: while taxiing from gate via spot X and then to RW09L the aircraft left maintenance gear contacted a portable taxiway light during the turn onto taxiway Y. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: company mechanics told the crew that three other aircraft have hit the lights, one being a B757. The reporter thinks the lights are too far from the construction area, placing them too close to the aircraft. He now thinks the taxiway are should be closed, as its too small for a B777 aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B777-200 RAN OVER PORTABLE TAXI LIGHTS ON TXWY Y AT MIA. THE ARPT HAS NOT ALLOWED ENOUGH ROOM FOR A B777-200 TO TAXI IN THIS AREA.

Narrative: CONTACT WITH TEMPORARY PORTABLE TXWY LIGHTS. INTERSECTION OF Y2 AND Y-TAXIWAY DURING PRE-TAKEOFF. I WAS IN THE JUMP SEAT AS THE RELIEF PLT. TAXI INSTRUCTIONS WERE R ON TXWY Y, L ON TXWY N FOR RWY 09L. CAPT TAXIED OUT FOLLOWING THE CTRLINE. AS THE TURN APCHED TO Y, NOT WELL MARKED AND CONFUSING IN THAT THE COMMERCIAL CHART PAGES SHOW Y ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CLOSED AREA (CONSTRUCTION). GND QUERIED IF WE WERE TURNING ONTO Y OR CONTINUING STRAIGHT AHEAD ONTO Y2. WE WERE ALREADY COMMITTED IN THE TURN WHEN GND CALLED AGAIN AND TOLD US THAT WE COULD CONTINUE ONTO Y2. THE TURN ONTO Y WAS COMPLETED. SHORTLY AFTER THE TAXI LIGHTS WENT OUT. THE ACFT WAS STOPPED AND INSPECTED FOR DAMAGE BY MAINT. DAMAGE WAS FOUND TO THE L MAIN TRUCK AND THE NUMBER 10 TIRE. THE ACFT WAS TOWED TO THE GATE. THERE DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE MUCH ROOM BETWEEN THE CTRLINE AND PAINT, AND THE TEMPORARY TAXI LIGHTS. FROM THE JUMP SEAT WE APPEARED TO BE PRETTY CLOSE TO THE CTRLINE, PAINT AFTER THE TURN WAS STARTED ONLY SLIGHTLY LATE. MAINT INFORMED US THIS WAS THE THIRD OCCURRENCE OF AN ACFT STRIKING THESE LIGHTS. SUPPLEMENT INFO FROM ACN 603130: WHILE TAXIING FROM GATE VIA SPOT X AND THEN TO RW09L THE ACFT L MAINT GEAR CONTACTED A PORTABLE TXWY LIGHT DURING THE TURN ONTO TXWY Y. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: COMPANY MECHS TOLD THE CREW THAT THREE OTHER ACFT HAVE HIT THE LIGHTS, ONE BEING A B757. THE RPTR THINKS THE LIGHTS ARE TOO FAR FROM THE CONSTRUCTION AREA, PLACING THEM TOO CLOSE TO THE ACFT. HE NOW THINKS THE TXWY ARE SHOULD BE CLOSED, AS ITS TOO SMALL FOR A B777 ACFT.

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.