Narrative:

At approximately XA45 CST, flight received taxi clearance from houston hobby ground control to 'taxi to 12R, hold short of 12L on east.' the aircraft taxied on the ramp area to the point where taxiway east joins the ramp area. This area is the site of extensive construction with minimal taxiway lighting in operation. The aircraft missed the lead-in line to taxiway east and proceeded in a northerly direction parallel to the west side of concourse C and then made a left turn onto an access taxiway which dead ended into a ramp and a corp hangar. The aircraft was promptly stopped wbound on this taxiway and a transmission was made to ground indicating that the aircraft had made an inadvertent turn and may be in need of assistance. Ground responded by asking it we could make a 180 degree turn. It was determined that the apron area next to the hangar provided sufficient clearance and a right 180 degree turn was accomplished. Normal taxi with clearance from ground was made to runway 12R and normal takeoff occurred. After landing the flight crew was informed of possible damage to hangar doors at houston hobby. This problem arose because taxiway lead-in lines were missed and not followed. Contributing factors were the lack of visibility at night, extremely poor taxiway lines and markings due to extensive construction where ramp joins taxiway east, and failure by the crew to question ground when there was any question as to aircraft's location on the field. Corrective actions include better taxiway lines and markings in the large area where east leads off from the ramp. In this specific case, the aircraft could have been towed back to the ramp area or a second engine could have been started to assist with the 180 degree turn maneuver.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NON ADHERENCE TO ATC INSTRUCTION IN TAXI CLRNC.

Narrative: AT APPROX XA45 CST, FLT RECEIVED TAXI CLRNC FROM HOUSTON HOBBY GND CTL TO 'TAXI TO 12R, HOLD SHORT OF 12L ON E.' THE ACFT TAXIED ON THE RAMP AREA TO THE POINT WHERE TXWY E JOINS THE RAMP AREA. THIS AREA IS THE SITE OF EXTENSIVE CONSTRUCTION WITH MINIMAL TXWY LIGHTING IN OP. THE ACFT MISSED THE LEAD-IN LINE TO TXWY E AND PROCEEDED IN A NORTHERLY DIRECTION PARALLEL TO THE W SIDE OF CONCOURSE C AND THEN MADE A L TURN ONTO AN ACCESS TXWY WHICH DEAD ENDED INTO A RAMP AND A CORP HANGAR. THE ACFT WAS PROMPTLY STOPPED WBOUND ON THIS TXWY AND A XMISSION WAS MADE TO GND INDICATING THAT THE ACFT HAD MADE AN INADVERTENT TURN AND MAY BE IN NEED OF ASSISTANCE. GND RESPONDED BY ASKING IT WE COULD MAKE A 180 DEG TURN. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE APRON AREA NEXT TO THE HANGAR PROVIDED SUFFICIENT CLRNC AND A RIGHT 180 DEG TURN WAS ACCOMPLISHED. NORMAL TAXI WITH CLRNC FROM GND WAS MADE TO RWY 12R AND NORMAL TKOF OCCURRED. AFTER LNDG THE FLC WAS INFORMED OF POSSIBLE DAMAGE TO HANGAR DOORS AT HOUSTON HOBBY. THIS PROB AROSE BECAUSE TXWY LEAD-IN LINES WERE MISSED AND NOT FOLLOWED. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE THE LACK OF VISIBILITY AT NIGHT, EXTREMELY POOR TXWY LINES AND MARKINGS DUE TO EXTENSIVE CONSTRUCTION WHERE RAMP JOINS TXWY E, AND FAILURE BY THE CREW TO QUESTION GND WHEN THERE WAS ANY QUESTION AS TO ACFT'S LOCATION ON THE FIELD. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS INCLUDE BETTER TXWY LINES AND MARKINGS IN THE LARGE AREA WHERE E LEADS OFF FROM THE RAMP. IN THIS SPECIFIC CASE, THE ACFT COULD HAVE BEEN TOWED BACK TO THE RAMP AREA OR A SECOND ENG COULD HAVE BEEN STARTED TO ASSIST WITH THE 180 DEG TURN MANEUVER.

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.