What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On March 11, 2013 at approximately 0815 local time, the Houston flight standards district office (FSDO) was contacted by Houston hobby (hou) airport operations, reporting a delta connection aircraft that taxied off of a taxiway and was stuck in the mud. Two inspectors from the Houston FSDO dispatched to the scene. Upon arrival the inspectors identified personnel on scene which included airport operations, ARFF and a pinnacle airlines supervisor. The flight crew and passengers were no longer on scene. FSDO inspectors surveyed and photographed the scene, obtained aircraft documents and located the pilots; the flight attendants had already departed the airport.
A survey of the scene identified the aircraft as a Bombardier CL-600-2D24, N153PQ, serial number 15153. The aircraft was located on the east side of taxiway ?e? Between runway 17 and runway 12R. All landing gear were off of the taxiway and in the grass. The aircraft nose was approximately 2 feet from edge of runway 12R and the aircraft was longitudinally aligned with the left runway edge line of runway 12R (heading 120). The nose gear was approximately 1 foot to the left of taxiway ?e?, with a tire track behind it approximately 3 feet long. The left main was located approximately 12 feet to the left of taxiway ?e? With a tire track behind it approximately 12 feet. The right main was located to the left of taxiway ?e?, approximately 2 inches. The tire track behind it was less than a foot.
After documenting the scene the pilots were interviewed. The pilots were notified of the pilot?s bill of rights. Identification and pilot certificates were obtained and photographed by FSDO inspectors. During the interview the captain stated that they were returning to the gate with a radio problem when he taxied off of the taxiway. He stated that when he made his turn off of taxiway ?e? He thought he was turning the aircraft to line up with runway 12R centerline lighting. He stated that he did not realize the aircraft was lined up with the runway edge lights until the aircraft was stuck. When asked if there were any problems with runway/taxiway markings and the lighting associated with them the captain stated that he did not know.
After completing the pilot interview Houston FSDO inspectors returned to the aircraft and conducted a full survey of runway/taxiway markings and lighting in the vicinity of the aircraft. No discrepancies were noted.
As the FAA filed it
ON MARCH 11, 2013 AT APPROXIMATELY 0815 LOCAL TIME, THE HOUSTON FLIGHT STANDARDS DISTRICT OFFICE (FSDO) WAS CONTACTED BY HOUSTON HOBBY (HOU) AIRPORT OPERATIONS, REPORTING A DELTA CONNECTION AIRCRAFT THAT TAXIED OFF OF A TAXIWAY AND WAS STUCK IN THE MUD. TWO INSPECTORS FROM THE HOUSTON FSDO DISPATCHED TO THE SCENE. UPON ARRIVAL THE INSPECTORS IDENTIFIED PERSONNEL ON SCENE WHICH INCLUDED AIRPORT OPERATIONS, ARFF AND A PINNACLE AIRLINES SUPERVISOR. THE FLIGHT CREW AND PASSENGERS WERE NO LONGER ON SCENE. FSDO INSPECTORS SURVEYED AND PHOTOGRAPHED THE SCENE, OBTAINED AIRCRAFT DOCUMENTS AND LOCATED THE PILOTS; THE FLIGHT ATTENDANTS HAD ALREADY DEPARTED THE AIRPORT.
A SURVEY OF THE SCENE IDENTIFIED THE AIRCRAFT AS A BOMBARDIER CL-600-2D24, N153PQ, SERIAL NUMBER 15153. THE AIRCRAFT WAS LOCATED ON THE EAST SIDE OF TAXIWAY ?E? BETWEEN RUNWAY 17 AND RUNWAY 12R. ALL LANDING GEAR WERE OFF OF THE TAXIWAY AND IN THE GRASS. THE AIRCRAFT NOSE WAS APPROXIMATELY 2 FEET FROM EDGE OF RUNWAY 12R AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS LONGITUDINALLY ALIGNED WITH THE LEFT RUNWAY EDGE LINE OF RUNWAY 12R (HEADING 120). THE NOSE GEAR WAS APPROXIMATELY 1 FOOT TO THE LEFT OF TAXIWAY ?E?, WITH A TIRE TRACK BEHIND IT APPROXIMATELY 3 FEET LONG. THE LEFT MAIN WAS LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 12 FEET TO THE LEFT OF TAXIWAY ?E? WITH A TIRE TRACK BEHIND IT APPROXIMATELY 12 FEET. THE RIGHT MAIN WAS LOCATED TO THE LEFT OF TAXIWAY ?E?, APPROXIMATELY 2 INCHES. THE TIRE TRACK BEHIND IT WAS LESS THAN A FOOT.
AFTER DOCUMENTING THE SCENE THE PILOTS WERE INTERVIEWED. THE PILOTS WERE NOTIFIED OF THE PILOT?S BILL OF RIGHTS. IDENTIFICATION AND PILOT CERTIFICATES WERE OBTAINED AND PHOTOGRAPHED BY FSDO INSPECTORS. DURING THE INTERVIEW THE CAPTAIN STATED THAT THEY WERE RETURNING TO THE GATE WITH A RADIO PROBLEM WHEN HE TAXIED OFF OF THE TAXIWAY. HE STATED THAT WHEN HE MADE HIS TURN OFF OF TAXIWAY ?E? HE THOUGHT HE WAS TURNING THE AIRCRAFT TO LINE UP WITH RUNWAY 12R CENTERLINE LIGHTING. HE STATED THAT HE DID NOT REALIZE THE AIRCRAFT WAS LINED UP WITH THE RUNWAY EDGE LIGHTS UNTIL THE AIRCRAFT WAS STUCK. WHEN ASKED IF THERE WERE ANY PROBLEMS WITH RUNWAY/TAXIWAY MARKINGS AND THE LIGHTING ASSOCIATED WITH THEM THE CAPTAIN STATED THAT HE DID NOT KNOW.
AFTER COMPLETING THE PILOT INTERVIEW HOUSTON FSDO INSPECTORS RETURNED TO THE AIRCRAFT AND CONDUCTED A FULL SURVEY OF RUNWAY/TAXIWAY MARKINGS AND LIGHTING IN THE VICINITY OF THE AIRCRAFT. NO DISCREPANCIES WERE NOTED.