What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
At approximately 06:18 CST on 01/06/2014, N908FL, an EMB-135-BJ legacy jet operated by flight options LLC, became immobilized making a left turn onto taxiway foxtrot from taxiway hotel. The flight originated as FAR §91 reposition leg from david wayne hooks (dwh) to front range, jeffco (bjc) in denver, Colorado. Flight crew stated pilot in command (PIC) was pilot not flying (pnf) in the right crewmember seat. The second in command (SIC) was the pilot flying (pf) occupying the left crewmember seat. The aircraft is taxied from the left hand seat only via a singular tiller location.
At the time of the incident the dwh control tower was closed and the airfield was considered uncontrolled. Conditions at the time were winds from the north at 7KTS, gusting to 19, 10 miles visibility, clear with high overcast attenuating ambient moon or starlight. Temperature was -3 celsius and altimeter of 30.53 inches of mercury. Dwh is a privately owned, publicly operated airport with a contract air traffic control tower. It has nonstandard runway, taxiway, ramp unlighted signage and markings. Not all areas are lighted during night operations. Most taxiway construction does not support aircraft greater than 25,000 pounds.
The flight crew stated their plan was to taxi via echo crossing rwy 35L and right on foxtrot to the end of rwy 35L for departure (these taxiways as noted on the airport diagram the flight crew had out is restricted to aircraft 25000 pounds or less). Foxtrot runs between the two parallel runways. Upon arrival at the e/f intersection, the crew elected not to turn due to poor lighting, markings and radius of turn. Instead, they elected to back taxi rwy 35R and use taxiway hotel to re-enter foxtrot. During the left turn south on foxtrot, the left main gear slid through a soft asphalt shoulder that was new in appearance to the surrounding taxiway and into the drainage culvert becoming immobilized with minor damage to landing gear doors.
As the FAA filed it
AT APPROXIMATELY 06:18 CST ON 01/06/2014, N908FL, AN EMB-135-BJ LEGACY JET OPERATED BY FLIGHT OPTIONS LLC, BECAME IMMOBILIZED MAKING A LEFT TURN ONTO TAXIWAY FOXTROT FROM TAXIWAY HOTEL. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AS FAR §91 REPOSITION LEG FROM DAVID WAYNE HOOKS (DWH) TO FRONT RANGE, JEFFCO (BJC) IN DENVER, COLORADO. FLIGHT CREW STATED PILOT IN COMMAND (PIC) WAS PILOT NOT FLYING (PNF) IN THE RIGHT CREWMEMBER SEAT. THE SECOND IN COMMAND (SIC) WAS THE PILOT FLYING (PF) OCCUPYING THE LEFT CREWMEMBER SEAT. THE AIRCRAFT IS TAXIED FROM THE LEFT HAND SEAT ONLY VIA A SINGULAR TILLER LOCATION.
AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT THE DWH CONTROL TOWER WAS CLOSED AND THE AIRFIELD WAS CONSIDERED UNCONTROLLED. CONDITIONS AT THE TIME WERE WINDS FROM THE NORTH AT 7KTS, GUSTING TO 19, 10 MILES VISIBILITY, CLEAR WITH HIGH OVERCAST ATTENUATING AMBIENT MOON OR STARLIGHT. TEMPERATURE WAS -3 CELSIUS AND ALTIMETER OF 30.53 INCHES OF MERCURY. DWH IS A PRIVATELY OWNED, PUBLICLY OPERATED AIRPORT WITH A CONTRACT AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL TOWER. IT HAS NONSTANDARD RUNWAY, TAXIWAY, RAMP UNLIGHTED SIGNAGE AND MARKINGS. NOT ALL AREAS ARE LIGHTED DURING NIGHT OPERATIONS. MOST TAXIWAY CONSTRUCTION DOES NOT SUPPORT AIRCRAFT GREATER THAN 25,000 POUNDS.
THE FLIGHT CREW STATED THEIR PLAN WAS TO TAXI VIA ECHO CROSSING RWY 35L AND RIGHT ON FOXTROT TO THE END OF RWY 35L FOR DEPARTURE (THESE TAXIWAYS AS NOTED ON THE AIRPORT DIAGRAM THE FLIGHT CREW HAD OUT IS RESTRICTED TO AIRCRAFT 25000 POUNDS OR LESS). FOXTROT RUNS BETWEEN THE TWO PARALLEL RUNWAYS. UPON ARRIVAL AT THE E/F INTERSECTION, THE CREW ELECTED NOT TO TURN DUE TO POOR LIGHTING, MARKINGS AND RADIUS OF TURN. INSTEAD, THEY ELECTED TO BACK TAXI RWY 35R AND USE TAXIWAY HOTEL TO RE-ENTER FOXTROT. DURING THE LEFT TURN SOUTH ON FOXTROT, THE LEFT MAIN GEAR SLID THROUGH A SOFT ASPHALT SHOULDER THAT WAS NEW IN APPEARANCE TO THE SURROUNDING TAXIWAY AND INTO THE DRAINAGE CULVERT BECOMING IMMOBILIZED WITH MINOR DAMAGE TO LANDING GEAR DOORS.