Possibility of mistaking a 'Q' for 'O' and inadvertently entering the active runway 22.

Attributes
ACN	103810
Time
Date	198902
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lga
State Reference	NY
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 230 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	103810
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Airport
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
Airport	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

After landing on runway 04 at lga (see 10-9) we made a right turn onto taxiway uniform, another right turn on taxiway romeo and held short of runway 31 as instructed by tower. Tower then cleared us to cross runway 31 and contact ground. Ground said via the outer hold short of 22 at charlie. As soon as we crossed runway 31 on romeo, after crossing taxiway papa at the intersection of golf and quebec, if you look slightly to the right you see 'O.' ir really is a 'Q,' but the little slash changing the 'O' to a 'Q' is almost invisible at night in los visibility conditions. It is very easy to mistake taxiway Q for taxiway O, meaning the outer. I strongly recommend changing the taxiway designation of taxiway Q to something else. I fly into lga very frequently and I was confused. If that mistake was made, an aircraft would encroach runway 4-22 before the pilot realized what happened. There are other problems taxiway markings at lga--'M' vs 'west' and 'M' which turned sideways is '3,' etc. Lga needs a thorough review of taxiway markings. It is a very hazardous airport because of its limited size.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: POSSIBILITY OF MISTAKING A 'Q' FOR 'O' AND INADVERTENTLY ENTERING THE ACTIVE RWY 22.

Narrative: AFTER LNDG ON RWY 04 AT LGA (SEE 10-9) WE MADE A RIGHT TURN ONTO TXWY UNIFORM, ANOTHER RIGHT TURN ON TXWY ROMEO AND HELD SHORT OF RWY 31 AS INSTRUCTED BY TWR. TWR THEN CLRED US TO CROSS RWY 31 AND CONTACT GND. GND SAID VIA THE OUTER HOLD SHORT OF 22 AT CHARLIE. AS SOON AS WE CROSSED RWY 31 ON ROMEO, AFTER XING TXWY PAPA AT THE INTXN OF GOLF AND QUEBEC, IF YOU LOOK SLIGHTLY TO THE RIGHT YOU SEE 'O.' IR REALLY IS A 'Q,' BUT THE LITTLE SLASH CHANGING THE 'O' TO A 'Q' IS ALMOST INVISIBLE AT NIGHT IN LOS VISIBILITY CONDITIONS. IT IS VERY EASY TO MISTAKE TXWY Q FOR TXWY O, MEANING THE OUTER. I STRONGLY RECOMMEND CHANGING THE TXWY DESIGNATION OF TXWY Q TO SOMETHING ELSE. I FLY INTO LGA VERY FREQUENTLY AND I WAS CONFUSED. IF THAT MISTAKE WAS MADE, AN ACFT WOULD ENCROACH RWY 4-22 BEFORE THE PLT REALIZED WHAT HAPPENED. THERE ARE OTHER PROBS TXWY MARKINGS AT LGA--'M' VS 'W' AND 'M' WHICH TURNED SIDEWAYS IS '3,' ETC. LGA NEEDS A THOROUGH REVIEW OF TXWY MARKINGS. IT IS A VERY HAZARDOUS ARPT BECAUSE OF ITS LIMITED SIZE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.