Potential ground conflict with arrival landing taxiing traffic in a misty fog bound night operation.

Attributes
ACN	231073
Time
Date	199301
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ind
State Reference	IN
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	ground : holding ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
ASRS Report	231073
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
ASRS Report	231364
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical inflight encounter : weather non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Maintenance taxiing medium large transport from gate to maintenance hangar in ind. Departed gate and held at B5. Told to go right on B to B4. B4 signage light inoperative. Went up ba and told to taxi to tower then right, then left to 'hook up' with alpha. Couldn't see tower but went B4 to C then right to alpha then left on alpha, wasn't sure if we were to continue up alpha at this point, so called back tower to give our position. They wanted us up to A7. While taxiing (I never had been this way before) we came to first taxiway. There was no sign that I could see, made a right turn and stopped at hold line. Then we could see an A5 sign down the runway. Turned off taxi light as courtesy to landing traffic on 5L. Just then a commuter aircraft landed and turned toward us. I don't think he saw us and at that point turned on my taxi light. We were nose to nose (40 ft apart). He called ground and said he was blocked. I called ground and informed them of our position. We waited for landing traffic then proceeded onto runway 5L, down to A5 high speed, off there and back up alpha to A7, then to hangar. Factors: taxiway signage is not uniform at all airports. Should be sign at entrance of taxiway. I probably should have informed ground that I was not totally familiar with this route. From our call they know we are 'local' mechanics. I have been at 9 airports in 5 yrs. When it's that foggy directions should be for shorter distances and more frequent.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: POTENTIAL GND CONFLICT WITH ARR LNDG TAXIING TFC IN A MISTY FOG BOUND NIGHT OPERATION.

Narrative: MAINT TAXIING MLG FROM GATE TO MAINT HANGAR IN IND. DEPARTED GATE AND HELD AT B5. TOLD TO GO R ON B TO B4. B4 SIGNAGE LIGHT INOP. WENT UP BA AND TOLD TO TAXI TO TWR THEN R, THEN L TO 'HOOK UP' WITH ALPHA. COULDN'T SEE TWR BUT WENT B4 TO C THEN R TO ALPHA THEN L ON ALPHA, WASN'T SURE IF WE WERE TO CONTINUE UP ALPHA AT THIS POINT, SO CALLED BACK TWR TO GIVE OUR POS. THEY WANTED US UP TO A7. WHILE TAXIING (I NEVER HAD BEEN THIS WAY BEFORE) WE CAME TO FIRST TXWY. THERE WAS NO SIGN THAT I COULD SEE, MADE A R TURN AND STOPPED AT HOLD LINE. THEN WE COULD SEE AN A5 SIGN DOWN THE RWY. TURNED OFF TAXI LIGHT AS COURTESY TO LNDG TFC ON 5L. JUST THEN A COMMUTER ACFT LANDED AND TURNED TOWARD US. I DON'T THINK HE SAW US AND AT THAT POINT TURNED ON MY TAXI LIGHT. WE WERE NOSE TO NOSE (40 FT APART). HE CALLED GND AND SAID HE WAS BLOCKED. I CALLED GND AND INFORMED THEM OF OUR POS. WE WAITED FOR LNDG TFC THEN PROCEEDED ONTO RWY 5L, DOWN TO A5 HIGH SPD, OFF THERE AND BACK UP ALPHA TO A7, THEN TO HANGAR. FACTORS: TXWY SIGNAGE IS NOT UNIFORM AT ALL ARPTS. SHOULD BE SIGN AT ENTRANCE OF TXWY. I PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE INFORMED GND THAT I WAS NOT TOTALLY FAMILIAR WITH THIS RTE. FROM OUR CALL THEY KNOW WE ARE 'LCL' MECHS. I HAVE BEEN AT 9 ARPTS IN 5 YRS. WHEN IT'S THAT FOGGY DIRECTIONS SHOULD BE FOR SHORTER DISTANCES AND MORE FREQUENT.

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.