Narrative:

After taxiing into position for takeoff on runway 21C at detroit metropolitan airport, we requested to taxi back to the gate due to an intermittent cargo door open light. We were given taxi instructions to taxi down the runway and exit on taxiway 'victor' then the instructions were changed to exit on runway 27, hold short of taxiway wolf and contact ground control. Ground control issued taxi instructions to turn right on the outer taxiway. I was taxiing slowly looking for the outer taxiway when I noticed we were approaching runway 21R. I was beginning to stop when I was instructed by ground control to stop that I was approaching the runway. I stopped and was later given taxi instruction to taxi up the runway and exit to a location where the cargo doors could be checked by maintenance. Poor taxiway marking off runway 27 and an unfamiliarity with that particular taxi routing and a preoccupation with coordination with maintenance led to my missing the taxiway and approaching an active runway. At that particular point where the taxiway exits there are no taxiway lights because 2 txwys merge close to that point.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF MLG TAXIING BACK TO TERMINAL FROM TKOF POSITION ON RWY 21C AT DTW UNABLE TO ACCURATELY FOLLOW TAXI INSTRUCTIONS ACCOUNT RWY MARKINGS NOT CLEARLY VISIBLE. FLC MISSED RWY TURNOFF AND SEARCHING FOR OUTER TXWY WAS BARELY STOPPED BY TWR FROM ENCROACHING ON AN ACTIVE RWY.

Narrative: AFTER TAXIING INTO POS FOR TKOF ON RWY 21C AT DETROIT METRO ARPT, WE REQUESTED TO TAXI BACK TO THE GATE DUE TO AN INTERMITTENT CARGO DOOR OPEN LIGHT. WE WERE GIVEN TAXI INSTRUCTIONS TO TAXI DOWN THE RWY AND EXIT ON TXWY 'VICTOR' THEN THE INSTRUCTIONS WERE CHANGED TO EXIT ON RWY 27, HOLD SHORT OF TXWY WOLF AND CONTACT GND CTL. GND CTL ISSUED TAXI INSTRUCTIONS TO TURN R ON THE OUTER TXWY. I WAS TAXIING SLOWLY LOOKING FOR THE OUTER TXWY WHEN I NOTICED WE WERE APCHING RWY 21R. I WAS BEGINNING TO STOP WHEN I WAS INSTRUCTED BY GND CTL TO STOP THAT I WAS APCHING THE RWY. I STOPPED AND WAS LATER GIVEN TAXI INSTRUCTION TO TAXI UP THE RWY AND EXIT TO A LOCATION WHERE THE CARGO DOORS COULD BE CHKED BY MAINT. POOR TXWY MARKING OFF RWY 27 AND AN UNFAMILIARITY WITH THAT PARTICULAR TAXI RTING AND A PREOCCUPATION WITH COORD WITH MAINT LED TO MY MISSING THE TXWY AND APCHING AN ACTIVE RWY. AT THAT PARTICULAR POINT WHERE THE TXWY EXITS THERE ARE NO TXWY LIGHTS BECAUSE 2 TXWYS MERGE CLOSE TO THAT POINT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.