Narrative:

I just landed on runway 28R at greater pit, cleared the runway and the first officer called ground who gave us taxi instructions -- right on delta, left on whiskey, hold short of lima. I proceeded as cleared to N1 and delta. I knew that whiskey runs parallel to runway 28C and that delta runs into the departure end of 28C, but I wasn't sure where the turn was, so I was taxiing slowly looking for it. There is a large runup area at the intersection and whiskey is poorly marked. 28C was poorly marked. I missed whiskey and remained on delta the short distance to 28C. I had already crossed the hold line for 28C when I realized where I was and stopped the aircraft immediately. I did not, however, enter the runway but stopped 5-10 ft short. The runway was active and I told ground immediately that I missed my turn and was holding short of 28C. After an aircraft departed 28C I was given further taxi instructions and nothing else was said. I feel that this situation would not have happened if the taxiway and runway would have been better marked. It was only because of my slow taxi speed that saved me from making a full blown runway excursion in front of a departing aircraft. Top priority must be given to marking taxiways and runways clearly.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF MLG MISSED TURN TO TAXIWAY WHISKEY BARLEY HELD SHORT OF 28C. RPTR ALLEGES POOR TAXIWAY MARKING.

Narrative: I JUST LANDED ON RWY 28R AT GREATER PIT, CLRED THE RWY AND THE FO CALLED GND WHO GAVE US TAXI INSTRUCTIONS -- R ON DELTA, L ON WHISKEY, HOLD SHORT OF LIMA. I PROCEEDED AS CLRED TO N1 AND DELTA. I KNEW THAT WHISKEY RUNS PARALLEL TO RWY 28C AND THAT DELTA RUNS INTO THE DEP END OF 28C, BUT I WASN'T SURE WHERE THE TURN WAS, SO I WAS TAXIING SLOWLY LOOKING FOR IT. THERE IS A LARGE RUNUP AREA AT THE INTXN AND WHISKEY IS POORLY MARKED. 28C WAS POORLY MARKED. I MISSED WHISKEY AND REMAINED ON DELTA THE SHORT DISTANCE TO 28C. I HAD ALREADY CROSSED THE HOLD LINE FOR 28C WHEN I REALIZED WHERE I WAS AND STOPPED THE ACFT IMMEDIATELY. I DID NOT, HOWEVER, ENTER THE RWY BUT STOPPED 5-10 FT SHORT. THE RWY WAS ACTIVE AND I TOLD GND IMMEDIATELY THAT I MISSED MY TURN AND WAS HOLDING SHORT OF 28C. AFTER AN ACFT DEPARTED 28C I WAS GIVEN FURTHER TAXI INSTRUCTIONS AND NOTHING ELSE WAS SAID. I FEEL THAT THIS SITUATION WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED IF THE TAXIWAY AND RWY WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER MARKED. IT WAS ONLY BECAUSE OF MY SLOW TAXI SPD THAT SAVED ME FROM MAKING A FULL BLOWN RWY EXCURSION IN FRONT OF A DEPARTING ACFT. TOP PRIORITY MUST BE GIVEN TO MARKING TAXIWAYS AND RWYS CLRLY.

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.