Narrative:

Landed uneventful on runway 19C at iad. Left the runway on one of the taxiways to the left. Where instructed by ATC to taxi via zulu (the inner taxiway) to the FBO and take the second taxiway to the ramp. I finished the after landing checklist as we were taxiing on zulu to the FBO. We turned in on zulu 2 and I could see the FBO. The lights where reflecting very bright in the water on the ramp and the taxiway. I saw a yellow solid line as I looked outside through the side window; at this time the nose of the aircraft was already across the line. I told my co-pilot to stop and he did. We decided to continue to taxi on the ramp after making sure we where not interfering with anyone and that we where clear of obstacles. We should have clarified with ground what the second taxiway meant; and also asked for a progressive taxi clearance since neither one of us had been to the FBO and the visibility was bad due to rain and darkness.supplemental information from acn 818845: as we turned onto the ramp area; we had a difficult time with reduced visibility because of the heavy rain and 'stadium' lights from the FBO glaring into the cockpit. We cautiously taxied forward and noticed a solid yellow line and two small blue lights sticking up right in front of our intended taxi path. I stopped the plane; we both acknowledged their location and taxied around them as best we could. After the flight; we conducted a very thorough preflight and found no anomalies. It is very important for other crews to be aware of the lighting situation during taxi at night; especially with heavy rain. This FBO could potentially create a problem with the lights.callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that because of the heavy rain the ramp area was very slick and reflective. In addition the sodium vapor light shinning down and reflecting from the ramp onto the wet windshield made taxiing hazardous. The small blue lights off the aircraft's right side confused him and he became uncertain about the taxiway centerline. He was taxiing at about 1 mile per hour and even at that speed had difficulty with situational awareness. The situation could have been better if it were not raining; but also some other lighting type instead of the brilliant sodium vapor. Also; the reporter is uncertain about the purpose of the blue lights on taxiway Z2 that added to the confusion.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A LIGHT TRANSPORT JET CREW TAXIED INTO AN FBO RAMP ON IAD'S TAXIWAY Z2 AT NIGHT DURING HEAVY RAIN. THE SODIUM VAPOR OVERHEAD LIGHTS OBSTRUCTED VISION; LEADING TO THE CREW'S UNCERTAINTY ABOUT THEIR POSITION AND TAXI ROUTE.

Narrative: LANDED UNEVENTFUL ON RUNWAY 19C AT IAD. LEFT THE RUNWAY ON ONE OF THE TAXIWAYS TO THE LEFT. WHERE INSTRUCTED BY ATC TO TAXI VIA ZULU (THE INNER TAXIWAY) TO THE FBO AND TAKE THE SECOND TAXIWAY TO THE RAMP. I FINISHED THE AFTER LANDING CHECKLIST AS WE WERE TAXIING ON ZULU TO THE FBO. WE TURNED IN ON ZULU 2 AND I COULD SEE THE FBO. THE LIGHTS WHERE REFLECTING VERY BRIGHT IN THE WATER ON THE RAMP AND THE TAXIWAY. I SAW A YELLOW SOLID LINE AS I LOOKED OUTSIDE THROUGH THE SIDE WINDOW; AT THIS TIME THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS ALREADY ACROSS THE LINE. I TOLD MY CO-PILOT TO STOP AND HE DID. WE DECIDED TO CONTINUE TO TAXI ON THE RAMP AFTER MAKING SURE WE WHERE NOT INTERFERING WITH ANYONE AND THAT WE WHERE CLEAR OF OBSTACLES. WE SHOULD HAVE CLARIFIED WITH GND WHAT THE SECOND TAXIWAY MEANT; AND ALSO ASKED FOR A PROGRESSIVE TAXI CLEARANCE SINCE NEITHER ONE OF US HAD BEEN TO THE FBO AND THE VISIBILITY WAS BAD DUE TO RAIN AND DARKNESS.SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 818845: AS WE TURNED ONTO THE RAMP AREA; WE HAD A DIFFICULT TIME WITH REDUCED VISIBILITY BECAUSE OF THE HEAVY RAIN AND 'STADIUM' LIGHTS FROM THE FBO GLARING INTO THE COCKPIT. WE CAUTIOUSLY TAXIED FORWARD AND NOTICED A SOLID YELLOW LINE AND TWO SMALL BLUE LIGHTS STICKING UP RIGHT IN FRONT OF OUR INTENDED TAXI PATH. I STOPPED THE PLANE; WE BOTH ACKNOWLEDGED THEIR LOCATION AND TAXIED AROUND THEM AS BEST WE COULD. AFTER THE FLIGHT; WE CONDUCTED A VERY THOROUGH PREFLIGHT AND FOUND NO ANOMALIES. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR OTHER CREWS TO BE AWARE OF THE LIGHTING SITUATION DURING TAXI AT NIGHT; ESPECIALLY WITH HEAVY RAIN. THIS FBO COULD POTENTIALLY CREATE A PROBLEM WITH THE LIGHTS.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE REPORTER STATED THAT BECAUSE OF THE HEAVY RAIN THE RAMP AREA WAS VERY SLICK AND REFLECTIVE. IN ADDITION THE SODIUM VAPOR LIGHT SHINNING DOWN AND REFLECTING FROM THE RAMP ONTO THE WET WINDSHIELD MADE TAXIING HAZARDOUS. THE SMALL BLUE LIGHTS OFF THE AIRCRAFT'S RIGHT SIDE CONFUSED HIM AND HE BECAME UNCERTAIN ABOUT THE TAXIWAY CENTERLINE. HE WAS TAXIING AT ABOUT 1 MILE PER HOUR AND EVEN AT THAT SPEED HAD DIFFICULTY WITH SITUATIONAL AWARENESS. THE SITUATION COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER IF IT WERE NOT RAINING; BUT ALSO SOME OTHER LIGHTING TYPE INSTEAD OF THE BRILLIANT SODIUM VAPOR. ALSO; THE REPORTER IS UNCERTAIN ABOUT THE PURPOSE OF THE BLUE LIGHTS ON TAXIWAY Z2 THAT ADDED TO THE CONFUSION.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of April 2012 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.