Air carrier large transport unauthorized taxi after landing at lax.

Attributes
ACN	169901
Time
Date	199102
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lax
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
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 : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 225 flight time total : 7900
ASRS Report	169901
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : second officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 7000
ASRS Report	169900
Events
Anomaly	incursion : runway non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

After an uneventful approach and landing, we turned off runway 24R at taxiway 65 and held short of runway 24L. The tower cleared us to cross runway 24L and to call ground control on the other side. No specific route was directed. With the taxi lights on, the captain proceeded to cross 24L. A light mist close to the ground obscured the surface, making it difficult to distinguish the taxiway-runway intxns. Blue taxiway lights were on, but it was difficult to determine the taxiway entrance from the airfield. As a result of these ambiguities, the first taxiway the captain was able to positively distinguish was taxiway 61. Once the turn was started toward taxiway 61 we realized that taxiway 65 was actually to our right. At this point it would have been impossible to change to taxiway 65 west/O turning 270 degrees on the runway 24L. We decided to continue to taxiway 61 in order to clear runway 24L as soon as possible. Once clear of the runway, ground control was contacted. They advised us we had back-taxied on the runway and asked the captain to call the shift supervisor after reaching the gate. Suggestion: reflective paint markings, signs and or lighting in this area could reduce confusion during difficult lighting conditions.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LGT UNAUTH TAXI AFTER LNDG AT LAX.

Narrative: AFTER AN UNEVENTFUL APCH AND LNDG, WE TURNED OFF RWY 24R AT TXWY 65 AND HELD SHORT OF RWY 24L. THE TWR CLRED US TO CROSS RWY 24L AND TO CALL GND CTL ON THE OTHER SIDE. NO SPECIFIC RTE WAS DIRECTED. WITH THE TAXI LIGHTS ON, THE CAPT PROCEEDED TO CROSS 24L. A LIGHT MIST CLOSE TO THE GND OBSCURED THE SURFACE, MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO DISTINGUISH THE TXWY-RWY INTXNS. BLUE TXWY LIGHTS WERE ON, BUT IT WAS DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE THE TXWY ENTRANCE FROM THE AIRFIELD. AS A RESULT OF THESE AMBIGUITIES, THE FIRST TXWY THE CAPT WAS ABLE TO POSITIVELY DISTINGUISH WAS TXWY 61. ONCE THE TURN WAS STARTED TOWARD TXWY 61 WE REALIZED THAT TXWY 65 WAS ACTUALLY TO OUR RIGHT. AT THIS POINT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN IMPOSSIBLE TO CHANGE TO TXWY 65 W/O TURNING 270 DEGS ON THE RWY 24L. WE DECIDED TO CONTINUE TO TXWY 61 IN ORDER TO CLR RWY 24L ASAP. ONCE CLR OF THE RWY, GND CTL WAS CONTACTED. THEY ADVISED US WE HAD BACK-TAXIED ON THE RWY AND ASKED THE CAPT TO CALL THE SHIFT SUPVR AFTER REACHING THE GATE. SUGGESTION: REFLECTIVE PAINT MARKINGS, SIGNS AND OR LIGHTING IN THIS AREA COULD REDUCE CONFUSION DURING DIFFICULT LIGHTING CONDITIONS.

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.