20061110031149A

(-23) The accident airplane was directed by Memphis tower to land on runway 36 right. After landing the airplane was to turn left at the next intersection and cross runway 36 center at taxiway kilo and then to taxi to the ramp. After the airplane crossed runway 36 center on kilo, the airplane turned south off of taxiway kilo onto taxiway charlie. The airplane taxied 250 feet on charlie and then made a 90 degree turn east and departed the taxiway and taxied into the grass between taxiways charlie and juliet. The airplane's nose wheel then struck a concrete drainage ditch that resulted in the airplane's nose landing gear to collapse causing damage to the forward part of the aircraft. The major extent of the damage was to the airplane's pressure vessel that resulted from the nose gear separating from the attachment points in the nose gear wheel well. Further damage was done to the pressure vessel by the nose wheel being pushed up through the battery access door. There was major deformation around the battery access door area due to the forces of the airplane falling on the nose wheel landing gear. The crew elected to off load the passengers using air stairs, no emergency evacuation was declared. One passenger was struck in the head by a plastic lighting cover that fell from the overhead that resulted in a minor injury. The weather in Memphis at 0512Z was broken ceiling at 29,000 ft, visibility was 10 statute miles, and winds were 220 degrees at 9 knots gusting to 16 knots.