Small Aircraft
Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Air Traffic Control Time Certified In Pos 1 (yrs) 1.6
Confusion; Distraction; Situational Awareness
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Ground Event / Encounter Object; Ground Excursion Runway; Inflight Event / Encounter Object
Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Flight Crew Returned To Clearance
Procedure; Human Factors
Local Control landed Aircraft X on Runway 34 with a long landing and instructed him to cross Runway 7/25 to Taxiway Alpha. I was working Ground Control and observed the aircraft taxiing through the grass north of Runway 7 between Taxiways B [and] C. I notified the CIC who said 'no you didn't.' The aircraft then stopped on Taxiway A and notified the Local Controller that they 'may have hit a taxiway light.' Using binoculars I observed a light that had been hit and notified the CIC. As the aircraft was close to reaching their parking area I asked the CIC if they wanted me to issue a brasher warning and they said 'no; that's FSDO's job.'Local Control did not issue clear instructions on which taxiway to exit to on the north side which may have caused pilot confusion (there is no taxiway straight north of Runway 34; a slight left turn must be made to Taxiway B; or a slight right to Taxiway C). The CIC also did not recognize this as a deviation/reportable event given multiple opportunities.
MRI Ground Control observes after landing an aircraft taxiing on the grass between the landing runway and another he was told to cross. The pilot reported they hit something while taxiing; which was a taxiway light. Aircraft continued to parking.