WHILE ON A NIGHT FLT; A PLT OF A PIPER SENECA TAXIED INTO A DITCH AFTER ASKING FOR A PROGRESSIVE TAXI AT BHM. THE NOSE GEAR WAS SHEARED OFF AND THE PROPS STRUCK THE GND BEFORE THE PLT COULD SHUT DOWN THE ENGS. THE RPTR CITES THE CLRNC; TXWY LIGHTING; AND SIGNAGE AS CONTRIBUTING FACTORS.

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I LANDED ON RWY 18 AT NIGHT; IN BHM. NOT BEING FAMILIAR WITH THE ARPT I ASKED FOR A PROGRESSIVE TAXI TO A SPECIFIC FBO. SINCE I HAD LANDED ON RWY 18; I HAD TO TAXI ON TXWY A TO THE END OF RWY 5. I HAD TO CROSS RWY 5 TO GET TO THE OTHER TXWY. WHEN I ASKED AND RECEIVED PERMISSION TO CROSS RWY 5; THE TFC CTLR SAID 'LOOK STRAIGHT AHEAD AND YOU WILL SEE THE FBO. JUST TAXI STRAIGHT AHEAD.' THIS I DID; AND INTO A DITCH. THE TXWY WAS VERY DARK IN THIS PARTICULAR AREA. THE TXWY LIGHTS ARE VERY FAR APART. BY FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS FROM TWR I PUT MY ACFT IN A DITCH. THE MAN FROM THE FBO STATED; 'YOU ARE NOT THE FIRST AND WON'T BE THE LAST UNTIL THEY PUT SOME LIGHTS OUT HERE.' I WAS NOT TOLD THE TXWY MADE A R TURN AND ABOUT 200 YDS FROM WHERE I WENT INTO THE DITCH WAS A SIGN TO THE FBO. SUGGEST FBO SIGN BE PLACED WHERE I WENT INTO DITCH AND LIGHTS PLACED ON RAMP AT FBO. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THIS PLT WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THIS ARPT SO HE HAD ALL OF THE PIPER SENECA'S LIGHTS ON (THE LNDG LIGHT AND WINGTIP RECOGNITION LIGHTS) AND ASKED FOR A PROGRESSIVE TAXI. HE IS CERTAIN THAT HE WOULD NOT HAVE TAXIED INTO THE DITCH HAD A SIGN BEEN IN FRONT OF HIM OR THE TXWY LIGHTS LOCATED CLOSER TOGETHER. ONCE THE ACFT STARTED INTO THE DITCH; THE ACFT NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED AND BROKE AWAY FROM THE ACFT AND THE PROPS STRUCK THE GND. DURING FOLLOW-UP INVESTIGATION THIS RPTR WAS TOLD THAT THE LIGHTING MET WITH THE APPROVED STANDARDS.