Narrative:

Operating jax-lga, after landing on runway 22 and exiting the runway on taxiway C, we informed ground control that our gate was occupied and tower cleared us to the taxiway za hold area. We found za on the commercial chart, however upon arrival at the intersection of the inner taxiway and taxiway za, we found taxiway za poorly marked and lighted. This factor plus the rain made the taxiway za difficult to see. I made the initial turn onto taxiway za properly. The chart showed that taxiway za was a loop off the inner. I knew that taxiway za would bear to the left, however, I turned left too soon and ended up on the service road between the inner and taxiway za. When turning onto the service road, there were no vehicles on it. However, a small truck pulling a baggage cart did come along. I could not turn off the service road, so I signaled the truck around me. The truck passed well clear of my aircraft. The controller instructed me to taxi ahead and join the inner again. I did this while a fuel truck waited at the intersection for me to pass. There were no further problems and, after blocking in at the gate, I called the lga FAA control tower. The supervisor said there was no problem in what had taken place and agreed that taxiway za is very poorly marked and lighted. I was also told that they have had many complaints about taxiway za. Also, the air carrier operations supervisor told me that what I had done, had been done before. If this taxiway is to be used in the future, it needs to upgraded.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR MLG CREW TAXIED ONTO A SVC ROAD AT NIGHT IN THE RAIN.

Narrative: OPERATING JAX-LGA, AFTER LNDG ON RWY 22 AND EXITING THE RWY ON TAXIWAY C, WE INFORMED GND CTL THAT OUR GATE WAS OCCUPIED AND TWR CLRED US TO THE TAXIWAY ZA HOLD AREA. WE FOUND ZA ON THE COMMERCIAL CHART, HOWEVER UPON ARR AT THE INTXN OF THE INNER TAXIWAY AND TAXIWAY ZA, WE FOUND TAXIWAY ZA POORLY MARKED AND LIGHTED. THIS FACTOR PLUS THE RAIN MADE THE TAXIWAY ZA DIFFICULT TO SEE. I MADE THE INITIAL TURN ONTO TAXIWAY ZA PROPERLY. THE CHART SHOWED THAT TAXIWAY ZA WAS A LOOP OFF THE INNER. I KNEW THAT TAXIWAY ZA WOULD BEAR TO THE L, HOWEVER, I TURNED L TOO SOON AND ENDED UP ON THE SVC ROAD BTWN THE INNER AND TAXIWAY ZA. WHEN TURNING ONTO THE SVC ROAD, THERE WERE NO VEHICLES ON IT. HOWEVER, A SMALL TRUCK PULLING A BAGGAGE CART DID COME ALONG. I COULD NOT TURN OFF THE SVC ROAD, SO I SIGNALED THE TRUCK AROUND ME. THE TRUCK PASSED WELL CLR OF MY ACFT. THE CTLR INSTRUCTED ME TO TAXI AHEAD AND JOIN THE INNER AGAIN. I DID THIS WHILE A FUEL TRUCK WAITED AT THE INTXN FOR ME TO PASS. THERE WERE NO FURTHER PROBLEMS AND, AFTER BLOCKING IN AT THE GATE, I CALLED THE LGA FAA CTL TWR. THE SUPVR SAID THERE WAS NO PROBLEM IN WHAT HAD TAKEN PLACE AND AGREED THAT TAXIWAY ZA IS VERY POORLY MARKED AND LIGHTED. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT THEY HAVE HAD MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT TAXIWAY ZA. ALSO, THE ACR OPS SUPVR TOLD ME THAT WHAT I HAD DONE, HAD BEEN DONE BEFORE. IF THIS TAXIWAY IS TO BE USED IN THE FUTURE, IT NEEDS TO UPGRADED.

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.