Poor taxiway signage possible runway incursions at night.

Attributes
ACN	262173
Time
Date	199401
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mke
State Reference	WI
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 2500
ASRS Report	262173
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Airport
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
Airport	other physical facility

Narrative:

Safety issue: I feel the lighting to identify taxi/runway could be improved to prevent a runway incursion at mke. We were on taxiway echo sbound at mke instructed to taxi echo-alpha-a, to the echo concourse after landing runway 1L at night. Since we were a wide body, we were being cautious not to get on 'B' preventing wingtip clearance problems. When we were about to turn onto taxiway alpha, we noticed that we couldn't really identify runway 25L/7R, which made us question ourselves whether we were really about to turn onto alpha or bravo. We feel there were too many blue taxiway lights leading out onto the runway and not enough white lights to identify a runway.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: POOR TXWY SIGNAGE POSSIBLE RWY INCURSIONS AT NIGHT.

Narrative: SAFETY ISSUE: I FEEL THE LIGHTING TO IDENT TAXI/RWY COULD BE IMPROVED TO PREVENT A RWY INCURSION AT MKE. WE WERE ON TXWY ECHO SBOUND AT MKE INSTRUCTED TO TAXI ECHO-ALPHA-A, TO THE ECHO CONCOURSE AFTER LNDG RWY 1L AT NIGHT. SINCE WE WERE A WIDE BODY, WE WERE BEING CAUTIOUS NOT TO GET ON 'B' PREVENTING WINGTIP CLRNC PROBS. WHEN WE WERE ABOUT TO TURN ONTO TXWY ALPHA, WE NOTICED THAT WE COULDN'T REALLY IDENT RWY 25L/7R, WHICH MADE US QUESTION OURSELVES WHETHER WE WERE REALLY ABOUT TO TURN ONTO ALPHA OR BRAVO. WE FEEL THERE WERE TOO MANY BLUE TXWY LIGHTS LEADING OUT ONTO THE RWY AND NOT ENOUGH WHITE LIGHTS TO IDENT A RWY.

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.