Narrative:

Our flight, air carrier a arrived in ord from mem, we landed on runway 14R and turned off on T-3. Ground directed us to turn on the outer from T-3 and taxi to our gate on 'east' concourse. The taxiways are not marked or poorly marked in this area. It was late pm and therefore dark, which can add to any confusion. I looked on my airport map to check the route and verify the taxiways. I could see no signs or markings on the taxiways to identify them. I made a right turn on what appeared to be the outer, but was actually the 14R parallel. The 'outer circular (oc)' marked on the commercial chart, appears to be on the parallel taxiway (see enclosed chart). On most airports, the outer and parallel taxiways are the same. The first officer agreed with my conclusion, I asked if he agreed this was the outer before I turned. Ground control commented to another airplane, as I made the turn, that air carrier a was going the way he wanted to go. I stopped the airplane and asked if he had directed us to turn on the outer? He said yes but I was on the parallel. I replied that my chart indicated we were on the outer. He reclred us to the gate. Before entering the ramp, I told ground that I was sorry if I caused any problem because of the missed turn. He said I didn't cause any problem and not give it another thought -- adding -- the taxiways were poorly marked. To anyone not going through ord on a regular basis the taxiway markings, names, and charts are very confusing. Adding to that, on a 2-MAN crew the first officer must do checklist plus call company and FBO ramp for clearance into the ramp, he can give little aid to a captain in navigating in a confusing maze with poor markings and charts.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG FLC EXECUTES MIS-TAXI ON PARALLEL TAXIWAY INSTEAD OF 'OUTER' AFTER CLRING 14R AT ORD.

Narrative: OUR FLT, ACR A ARRIVED IN ORD FROM MEM, WE LANDED ON RWY 14R AND TURNED OFF ON T-3. GND DIRECTED US TO TURN ON THE OUTER FROM T-3 AND TAXI TO OUR GATE ON 'E' CONCOURSE. THE TAXIWAYS ARE NOT MARKED OR POORLY MARKED IN THIS AREA. IT WAS LATE PM AND THEREFORE DARK, WHICH CAN ADD TO ANY CONFUSION. I LOOKED ON MY ARPT MAP TO CHK THE RTE AND VERIFY THE TAXIWAYS. I COULD SEE NO SIGNS OR MARKINGS ON THE TAXIWAYS TO IDENT THEM. I MADE A R TURN ON WHAT APPEARED TO BE THE OUTER, BUT WAS ACTUALLY THE 14R PARALLEL. THE 'OUTER CIRCULAR (OC)' MARKED ON THE COMMERCIAL CHART, APPEARS TO BE ON THE PARALLEL TAXIWAY (SEE ENCLOSED CHART). ON MOST ARPTS, THE OUTER AND PARALLEL TAXIWAYS ARE THE SAME. THE FO AGREED WITH MY CONCLUSION, I ASKED IF HE AGREED THIS WAS THE OUTER BEFORE I TURNED. GND CTL COMMENTED TO ANOTHER AIRPLANE, AS I MADE THE TURN, THAT ACR A WAS GOING THE WAY HE WANTED TO GO. I STOPPED THE AIRPLANE AND ASKED IF HE HAD DIRECTED US TO TURN ON THE OUTER? HE SAID YES BUT I WAS ON THE PARALLEL. I REPLIED THAT MY CHART INDICATED WE WERE ON THE OUTER. HE RECLRED US TO THE GATE. BEFORE ENTERING THE RAMP, I TOLD GND THAT I WAS SORRY IF I CAUSED ANY PROBLEM BECAUSE OF THE MISSED TURN. HE SAID I DIDN'T CAUSE ANY PROBLEM AND NOT GIVE IT ANOTHER THOUGHT -- ADDING -- THE TAXIWAYS WERE POORLY MARKED. TO ANYONE NOT GOING THROUGH ORD ON A REGULAR BASIS THE TAXIWAY MARKINGS, NAMES, AND CHARTS ARE VERY CONFUSING. ADDING TO THAT, ON A 2-MAN CREW THE FO MUST DO CHKLIST PLUS CALL COMPANY AND FBO RAMP FOR CLRNC INTO THE RAMP, HE CAN GIVE LITTLE AID TO A CAPT IN NAVING IN A CONFUSING MAZE WITH POOR MARKINGS AND CHARTS.

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.