Narrative:

I was flying as captain on a flight from phl to lax. Ground control had cleared us to taxi to runway 27L via romeo taxiway hold short of runway 27R. Upon approaching runway 27R they cleared us to cross and changed us to tower frequency. As the first officer and second officer were completing the before takeoff checklist I was following the centerline green lights on whiskey taxiway which curve into taxiway aa which is the runway 27L parallel. The tower cleared us for takeoff and at this time I realized that I had passed the entrance to runway 27L. I positioned the aircraft to the right side and then started a u-turn to position the aircraft at the entrance to runway 27L. As I reached just passed the 90 degree position with the aircraft I could see that the taxiway is not as depicted on the chart but instead curves back to the left of the position that I was in. I immediately stopped the aircraft but not before it exited the taxiway with the nose gear for approximately 12' in a sweeping left turn and ending up about 5' from the edge of the hard surface of the taxiway. We shut down engines 1-3-4 to keep from ingesting FOD and called the tower to let them know we were off the taxiway. The second officer called maintenance and asked for assistance. The area of the airport we were taxiing in is very poorly lighted. There are no taxiway edge lights and no runway entry lights. The centerline lights from taxiway west lead you down the center of taxiway aa with no apparent break for the entry to runway 27L. Also the taxiway aa is not as depicted on the chart as it narrows as it melds into the holding area for runway 27L.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT MISSED ENTRANCE TO RWY 27L AT PHL ATTEMPTED 180 DEGREE TURN, RAN NOSE WHEEL OFF PAVEMENT.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING AS CAPT ON A FLT FROM PHL TO LAX. GND CTL HAD CLRED US TO TAXI TO RWY 27L VIA ROMEO TXWY HOLD SHORT OF RWY 27R. UPON APCHING RWY 27R THEY CLRED US TO CROSS AND CHANGED US TO TWR FREQ. AS THE F/O AND S/O WERE COMPLETING THE BEFORE TKOF CHECKLIST I WAS FOLLOWING THE CENTERLINE GREEN LIGHTS ON WHISKEY TXWY WHICH CURVE INTO TXWY AA WHICH IS THE RWY 27L PARALLEL. THE TWR CLRED US FOR TKOF AND AT THIS TIME I REALIZED THAT I HAD PASSED THE ENTRANCE TO RWY 27L. I POSITIONED THE ACFT TO THE RIGHT SIDE AND THEN STARTED A U-TURN TO POSITION THE ACFT AT THE ENTRANCE TO RWY 27L. AS I REACHED JUST PASSED THE 90 DEG POSITION WITH THE ACFT I COULD SEE THAT THE TXWY IS NOT AS DEPICTED ON THE CHART BUT INSTEAD CURVES BACK TO THE LEFT OF THE POSITION THAT I WAS IN. I IMMEDIATELY STOPPED THE ACFT BUT NOT BEFORE IT EXITED THE TXWY WITH THE NOSE GEAR FOR APPROX 12' IN A SWEEPING LEFT TURN AND ENDING UP ABOUT 5' FROM THE EDGE OF THE HARD SURFACE OF THE TXWY. WE SHUT DOWN ENGINES 1-3-4 TO KEEP FROM INGESTING FOD AND CALLED THE TWR TO LET THEM KNOW WE WERE OFF THE TXWY. THE S/O CALLED MAINT AND ASKED FOR ASSISTANCE. THE AREA OF THE ARPT WE WERE TAXIING IN IS VERY POORLY LIGHTED. THERE ARE NO TXWY EDGE LIGHTS AND NO RWY ENTRY LIGHTS. THE CENTERLINE LIGHTS FROM TXWY W LEAD YOU DOWN THE CENTER OF TXWY AA WITH NO APPARENT BREAK FOR THE ENTRY TO RWY 27L. ALSO THE TXWY AA IS NOT AS DEPICTED ON THE CHART AS IT NARROWS AS IT MELDS INTO THE HOLDING AREA FOR RWY 27L.

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.