Flight crew taxiing from ramp at lgb missed taxiway, recleared to taxi on runway.

Attributes
ACN	108756
Time
Date	198904
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lgb
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 260 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	108756
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	incursion : runway other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation
Situations
Airport	other physical facility

Narrative:

Long beach ground control issued taxi instructions to taxi from air carrier ramp to runway 30. This required an immediate left turn out of the ramp onto the taxiway. Crew mistook the taxiway for part of the ramp because it was so narrow and because it was not well marked. On a subsequent trip I noticed the taxiway has the word 'taxi-way' written on the asphalt, but it is difficult to reach from the angle we came out of the ramp. In any event, we passed up the taxiway and made a left turn on runway 34R. There was no traffic, and ground control simply gave us further taxi instructions, the ground controller said, 'that mistake happens often'.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW TAXIING FROM RAMP AT LGB MISSED TXWY, RECLEARED TO TAXI ON RWY.

Narrative: LONG BEACH GND CTL ISSUED TAXI INSTRUCTIONS TO TAXI FROM AIR CARRIER RAMP TO RWY 30. THIS REQUIRED AN IMMEDIATE LEFT TURN OUT OF THE RAMP ONTO THE TXWY. CREW MISTOOK THE TXWY FOR PART OF THE RAMP BECAUSE IT WAS SO NARROW AND BECAUSE IT WAS NOT WELL MARKED. ON A SUBSEQUENT TRIP I NOTICED THE TXWY HAS THE WORD 'TAXI-WAY' WRITTEN ON THE ASPHALT, BUT IT IS DIFFICULT TO REACH FROM THE ANGLE WE CAME OUT OF THE RAMP. IN ANY EVENT, WE PASSED UP THE TXWY AND MADE A LEFT TURN ON RWY 34R. THERE WAS NO TFC, AND GND CTL SIMPLY GAVE US FURTHER TAXI INSTRUCTIONS, THE GND CTLR SAID, 'THAT MISTAKE HAPPENS OFTEN'.

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.