Air carrier medium large transport flight crew reports that taxiway markings are confusing and gener...

Attributes
ACN	164371
Time
Date	199011
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : atl
State Reference	GA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : dpa
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 : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 130 flight time total : 3200 flight time type : 500
ASRS Report	164371
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Airport
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
Airport	other physical facility

Narrative:

After landing at atl at night, on one of the outside runways, we attempted to taxi to our ramp. We almost got confused as to where we were due to the design of the airport and the individual way each airport labels their txwys. We immediately asked for help from the tower/ground controller. This kept us from getting lost and taxiing through the inside runways (used for takeoffs). 3 problems surface here: 1) airport runway/taxi design. Atl design may be beautiful to the architect, but txwys that lead to 'T' intxns are confusing and therefore dangerous (probably why ATC has so many runway incursion problems). 2) taxiway markings--non stands as to what type of signs and location, and a definite lack of any warning that an intersection is approaching. 3) controller workload to help pilots get around in unfamiliar airports. Some don't have the time to listen to your readback, let alone time to give you help. Just go to ord, dfw, atl, jfk, etc, etc. I think the air carrier accident is more than proof.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG FLT CREW REPORTS THAT TXWY MARKINGS ARE CONFUSING AND GENERALLY NON STANDARD IN DESIGN.

Narrative: AFTER LNDG AT ATL AT NIGHT, ON ONE OF THE OUTSIDE RWYS, WE ATTEMPTED TO TAXI TO OUR RAMP. WE ALMOST GOT CONFUSED AS TO WHERE WE WERE DUE TO THE DESIGN OF THE ARPT AND THE INDIVIDUAL WAY EACH ARPT LABELS THEIR TXWYS. WE IMMEDIATELY ASKED FOR HELP FROM THE TWR/GND CTLR. THIS KEPT US FROM GETTING LOST AND TAXIING THROUGH THE INSIDE RWYS (USED FOR TKOFS). 3 PROBS SURFACE HERE: 1) ARPT RWY/TAXI DESIGN. ATL DESIGN MAY BE BEAUTIFUL TO THE ARCHITECT, BUT TXWYS THAT LEAD TO 'T' INTXNS ARE CONFUSING AND THEREFORE DANGEROUS (PROBABLY WHY ATC HAS SO MANY RWY INCURSION PROBS). 2) TXWY MARKINGS--NON STANDS AS TO WHAT TYPE OF SIGNS AND LOCATION, AND A DEFINITE LACK OF ANY WARNING THAT AN INTXN IS APCHING. 3) CTLR WORKLOAD TO HELP PLTS GET AROUND IN UNFAMILIAR ARPTS. SOME DON'T HAVE THE TIME TO LISTEN TO YOUR READBACK, LET ALONE TIME TO GIVE YOU HELP. JUST GO TO ORD, DFW, ATL, JFK, ETC, ETC. I THINK THE ACR ACCIDENT IS MORE THAN PROOF.

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.

Air carrier medium large transport flight crew reports that taxiway markings are confusing and generally non standard in design.