Narrative:

After landing on runway 06L at lax, we cleared the runway at taxiway 47 and held short of 06R. Then we were cleared across 06R, so we crossed and turned right on taxiway uniform as we contacted lax ground control. Ground control instructed us to 'taxi via south route to the gate.' there are descriptions of this taxi route on our commercial and company publications. I had studied the descriptions before we began the descent, but right then I couldn't recall the procedure, so I stopped the aircraft and had the copilot ask for progressive taxi instructions. The ground controller instructed us to turn left on taxiway 49. I saw the 49 sign and turned left. I was about halfway between the tango taxiway and the '50 yard line' when I noticed an aircraft coming toward me on the same taxiway. That is when I discovered that I was on taxiway 48 instead of 49. By the time a tug came out and pushed us back up to tango so we could transition to taxiway 49 and proceed to our gate, nearly 45 mins had passed. Because I caused a needed taxiway to be blocked, most of the departures and arrs were delayed for a few mins during that time. Now I know that there are lots of various lights around the intxns of 48, 49, uniform, and tango. It was dark and it had just started raining again as we turned onto taxiway uniform. I did not see the sign for taxiway 48, but I saw the sign for 49. The blue taxiway edge lights for taxiway 49 are not regular there because of all the intxns close together, but the green centerline taxiway lights on taxiway 48 are regular. Since I did stop the aircraft and ask for progressive instructions, I was surprised the ground controller didn't notice our mistake, however, that reminds me again that I am the responsible party first, last, and always. Another interesting circumstance was that there were no other aircraft ahead of us going sbound on taxiway 49 that would have alerted me to that taxiway position. I had only been to lax once within the past several yrs, and the first officer did not remember ever being on the north side of the airport.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR TURNS WRONG TAXIWAY, BLOCKS TFC. WAITS FOR TUG TO TOW.

Narrative: AFTER LNDG ON RWY 06L AT LAX, WE CLRED THE RWY AT TAXIWAY 47 AND HELD SHORT OF 06R. THEN WE WERE CLRED ACROSS 06R, SO WE CROSSED AND TURNED R ON TAXIWAY UNIFORM AS WE CONTACTED LAX GND CTL. GND CTL INSTRUCTED US TO 'TAXI VIA S RTE TO THE GATE.' THERE ARE DESCRIPTIONS OF THIS TAXI RTE ON OUR COMMERCIAL AND COMPANY PUBLICATIONS. I HAD STUDIED THE DESCRIPTIONS BEFORE WE BEGAN THE DSCNT, BUT RIGHT THEN I COULDN'T RECALL THE PROC, SO I STOPPED THE ACFT AND HAD THE COPLT ASK FOR PROGRESSIVE TAXI INSTRUCTIONS. THE GND CTLR INSTRUCTED US TO TURN L ON TAXIWAY 49. I SAW THE 49 SIGN AND TURNED L. I WAS ABOUT HALFWAY BTWN THE TANGO TAXIWAY AND THE '50 YARD LINE' WHEN I NOTICED AN ACFT COMING TOWARD ME ON THE SAME TAXIWAY. THAT IS WHEN I DISCOVERED THAT I WAS ON TAXIWAY 48 INSTEAD OF 49. BY THE TIME A TUG CAME OUT AND PUSHED US BACK UP TO TANGO SO WE COULD TRANSITION TO TAXIWAY 49 AND PROCEED TO OUR GATE, NEARLY 45 MINS HAD PASSED. BECAUSE I CAUSED A NEEDED TAXIWAY TO BE BLOCKED, MOST OF THE DEPS AND ARRS WERE DELAYED FOR A FEW MINS DURING THAT TIME. NOW I KNOW THAT THERE ARE LOTS OF VARIOUS LIGHTS AROUND THE INTXNS OF 48, 49, UNIFORM, AND TANGO. IT WAS DARK AND IT HAD JUST STARTED RAINING AGAIN AS WE TURNED ONTO TAXIWAY UNIFORM. I DID NOT SEE THE SIGN FOR TAXIWAY 48, BUT I SAW THE SIGN FOR 49. THE BLUE TAXIWAY EDGE LIGHTS FOR TAXIWAY 49 ARE NOT REGULAR THERE BECAUSE OF ALL THE INTXNS CLOSE TOGETHER, BUT THE GREEN CTRLINE TAXIWAY LIGHTS ON TAXIWAY 48 ARE REGULAR. SINCE I DID STOP THE ACFT AND ASK FOR PROGRESSIVE INSTRUCTIONS, I WAS SURPRISED THE GND CTLR DIDN'T NOTICE OUR MISTAKE, HOWEVER, THAT REMINDS ME AGAIN THAT I AM THE RESPONSIBLE PARTY FIRST, LAST, AND ALWAYS. ANOTHER INTERESTING CIRCUMSTANCE WAS THAT THERE WERE NO OTHER ACFT AHEAD OF US GOING SBOUND ON TAXIWAY 49 THAT WOULD HAVE ALERTED ME TO THAT TAXIWAY POS. I HAD ONLY BEEN TO LAX ONCE WITHIN THE PAST SEVERAL YRS, AND THE FO DID NOT REMEMBER EVER BEING ON THE N SIDE OF THE ARPT.

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.