Narrative:

After a very satisfactory automatic-land on runway 18L, I exited the runway at T5 and proceeded north on taxiway T. The ATIS had given us the information that taxiway T was closed between T6 and T7 and I had included this information in my brief. We were looking for something to indicate to us that T was indeed closed at T6, where I would then make a left turn to transition to taxiway south and continue nward. I had left my landing lights on as I wanted to be seen and to be able to see in the low visibility. I remember seeing some reflection of my lights in the fog. I felt a small bump and shortly thereafter realized that we had proceeded north of T6 on T. I was astounded as neither the first officer nor I had seen anything which caused us to recognize that we were near T6. We immediately notified ground control of our situation, shut down the engines and notified ramp tower and our passenger. A tug was sent out to us and maintenance personnel inspected our tires and landing gear finding no damage. We were pushed back to a point south of T6 where we cranked our engines and taxied to gate 30 where we blocked in. It is my belief that the following combination of factors significantly contributed to the fact that neither the first officer nor I saw the obstruction. A) 'barricade' was inadequate in size and amount of lighting for the existing visibility and time of day. The small amber 'highway flashers' were mounted on what seemed to be a low board making the tops of the lights less than 10-12 inches above the concrete. B) the visibility was reduced due to the fog and drizzle and this caused some reflection in my lights which washed out the amber lights. C) there was very little contrast between the light from the amber lights and the ambient light. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: I was looking for the barrier that was mentioned in the ATIS and first officer was looking and still we did not see it. Terribly embarrassing to us and inconvenient to 200 people. My company put an alert on all bulletin boards and I knew another airline did also. Construction now appears to be in final phase of completion. Do not know if barrier is still there. Lights were improved slightly on the barrier but the industry still needs standards for lighting of construction areas.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WDB ACFT RAN INTO CONSTRUCTION BARRIER AREA AT NIGHT.

Narrative: AFTER A VERY SATISFACTORY AUTO-LAND ON RWY 18L, I EXITED THE RWY AT T5 AND PROCEEDED N ON TAXIWAY T. THE ATIS HAD GIVEN US THE INFO THAT TAXIWAY T WAS CLOSED BTWN T6 AND T7 AND I HAD INCLUDED THIS INFO IN MY BRIEF. WE WERE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING TO INDICATE TO US THAT T WAS INDEED CLOSED AT T6, WHERE I WOULD THEN MAKE A L TURN TO TRANSITION TO TAXIWAY S AND CONTINUE NWARD. I HAD LEFT MY LNDG LIGHTS ON AS I WANTED TO BE SEEN AND TO BE ABLE TO SEE IN THE LOW VISIBILITY. I REMEMBER SEEING SOME REFLECTION OF MY LIGHTS IN THE FOG. I FELT A SMALL BUMP AND SHORTLY THEREAFTER REALIZED THAT WE HAD PROCEEDED N OF T6 ON T. I WAS ASTOUNDED AS NEITHER THE FO NOR I HAD SEEN ANYTHING WHICH CAUSED US TO RECOGNIZE THAT WE WERE NEAR T6. WE IMMEDIATELY NOTIFIED GND CTL OF OUR SITUATION, SHUT DOWN THE ENGS AND NOTIFIED RAMP TWR AND OUR PAX. A TUG WAS SENT OUT TO US AND MAINT PERSONNEL INSPECTED OUR TIRES AND LNDG GEAR FINDING NO DAMAGE. WE WERE PUSHED BACK TO A POINT S OF T6 WHERE WE CRANKED OUR ENGS AND TAXIED TO GATE 30 WHERE WE BLOCKED IN. IT IS MY BELIEF THAT THE FOLLOWING COMBINATION OF FACTORS SIGNIFICANTLY CONTRIBUTED TO THE FACT THAT NEITHER THE FO NOR I SAW THE OBSTRUCTION. A) 'BARRICADE' WAS INADEQUATE IN SIZE AND AMOUNT OF LIGHTING FOR THE EXISTING VISIBILITY AND TIME OF DAY. THE SMALL AMBER 'HIGHWAY FLASHERS' WERE MOUNTED ON WHAT SEEMED TO BE A LOW BOARD MAKING THE TOPS OF THE LIGHTS LESS THAN 10-12 INCHES ABOVE THE CONCRETE. B) THE VISIBILITY WAS REDUCED DUE TO THE FOG AND DRIZZLE AND THIS CAUSED SOME REFLECTION IN MY LIGHTS WHICH WASHED OUT THE AMBER LIGHTS. C) THERE WAS VERY LITTLE CONTRAST BTWN THE LIGHT FROM THE AMBER LIGHTS AND THE AMBIENT LIGHT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: I WAS LOOKING FOR THE BARRIER THAT WAS MENTIONED IN THE ATIS AND FO WAS LOOKING AND STILL WE DID NOT SEE IT. TERRIBLY EMBARRASSING TO US AND INCONVENIENT TO 200 PEOPLE. MY COMPANY PUT AN ALERT ON ALL BULLETIN BOARDS AND I KNEW ANOTHER AIRLINE DID ALSO. CONSTRUCTION NOW APPEARS TO BE IN FINAL PHASE OF COMPLETION. DO NOT KNOW IF BARRIER IS STILL THERE. LIGHTS WERE IMPROVED SLIGHTLY ON THE BARRIER BUT THE INDUSTRY STILL NEEDS STANDARDS FOR LIGHTING OF CONSTRUCTION AREAS.

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.