Narrative:

We were departing the ramp, I had the memphis taxi chart on the control wheel in front of me (we always use taxi charts at airports we are unfamiliar with). While we were taxiing on the ramp and the copilot was calling ground for taxi instructions, I saw the above mentioned sign directing me to what I thought was runway 18L. This caused me not to look at the taxi chart. We received a clearance to taxi to runway 18L. As we were taxiing north on taxiway C we were about to cross runway 9/27 when ground told us to make a 180 degree turn to get to runway 18L. Prior to takeoff the tower asked us to call when we landed in savannah. When I called the tower I spoke with a supervisor and found out they had to send a learjet around because they did not know if I was going to stop or not. I also found out they were going to file a pilot deviation on me for this. He informed me that this was not the first time this has happened. He did not know what the sign said but thought it should have runway 18L and some type of an arrow that might point north then curve right to the east. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter admitted he was not looking at the airport chart which he had handy. He was on the FBO ramp and had to do a 180 degree turn to taxi out taxiway C8 to runway 18L. Instead, as he began his turn out of the ramp, he saw a sign that read runway '18L approach' (he thinks). He mistook the sign to mean he should continue north to runway 18L. He argues that he does not know what all the signs mean and no pilot does.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AFTER MISREADING TXWY SIGN, RPTR TAXIED WRONG WAY AND ALMOST ENTERED AN ACTIVE RWY.

Narrative: WE WERE DEPARTING THE RAMP, I HAD THE MEMPHIS TAXI CHART ON THE CTL WHEEL IN FRONT OF ME (WE ALWAYS USE TAXI CHARTS AT ARPTS WE ARE UNFAMILIAR WITH). WHILE WE WERE TAXIING ON THE RAMP AND THE COPLT WAS CALLING GND FOR TAXI INSTRUCTIONS, I SAW THE ABOVE MENTIONED SIGN DIRECTING ME TO WHAT I THOUGHT WAS RWY 18L. THIS CAUSED ME NOT TO LOOK AT THE TAXI CHART. WE RECEIVED A CLRNC TO TAXI TO RWY 18L. AS WE WERE TAXIING N ON TXWY C WE WERE ABOUT TO CROSS RWY 9/27 WHEN GND TOLD US TO MAKE A 180 DEG TURN TO GET TO RWY 18L. PRIOR TO TKOF THE TWR ASKED US TO CALL WHEN WE LANDED IN SAVANNAH. WHEN I CALLED THE TWR I SPOKE WITH A SUPVR AND FOUND OUT THEY HAD TO SEND A LEARJET AROUND BECAUSE THEY DID NOT KNOW IF I WAS GOING TO STOP OR NOT. I ALSO FOUND OUT THEY WERE GOING TO FILE A PLTDEV ON ME FOR THIS. HE INFORMED ME THAT THIS WAS NOT THE FIRST TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED. HE DID NOT KNOW WHAT THE SIGN SAID BUT THOUGHT IT SHOULD HAVE RWY 18L AND SOME TYPE OF AN ARROW THAT MIGHT POINT N THEN CURVE R TO THE EAST. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR ADMITTED HE WAS NOT LOOKING AT THE ARPT CHART WHICH HE HAD HANDY. HE WAS ON THE FBO RAMP AND HAD TO DO A 180 DEG TURN TO TAXI OUT TXWY C8 TO RWY 18L. INSTEAD, AS HE BEGAN HIS TURN OUT OF THE RAMP, HE SAW A SIGN THAT READ RWY '18L APCH' (HE THINKS). HE MISTOOK THE SIGN TO MEAN HE SHOULD CONTINUE N TO RWY 18L. HE ARGUES THAT HE DOES NOT KNOW WHAT ALL THE SIGNS MEAN AND NO PLT DOES.

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.