Narrative:

Cleared to taxi to runway 27R via H, M3, etc. It wasn't clear to me that H was either the inner or outer. Discussed with first officer and we decided it was the outer. Started to taxi out runway 5 to H (outer) -- then saw that we would conflict with another aircraft on outer. Ground controller reclred us back to inner (the 'real H') and told us that the outer was V, not H. Dtw is changing taxiway names and has a 10-8 page out. This page is very difficult to interpretation. After further careful study it still wasn't clear that the inner is H. The 10-8 is bad in that it incorporates changes scheduled for 2 different time frames. There should be 2 pages 10- 8A and 10-8B. Very confusing and potentially dangerous situation. In retrospect, I should have queried the tower prior to taxi to clear up any doubt. Dtw does not conform to new taxiway sign standards. They should. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter acknowledges flight crew made the error, no question. However, he believes there should be a separate issuance for each date of change, not all on 1 sheet. The airport diagram could then be expanded and easier to decipher. This was a night operation and lighting in the cockpit must be subdued adding to the difficulty reading the chart. At a place like dtw where there have been fatal taxi accidents, it seems there should be no effort left unturned to clarify the airport diagram. Reporter states that after the fact it was not much easier to determine the right taxi from the chart and in the 'heat of battle and at night, it is very hard.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG FLC HAS PROB DECIPHERING ARPT DIAGRAM. TXWY INCURSION.

Narrative: CLRED TO TAXI TO RWY 27R VIA H, M3, ETC. IT WASN'T CLR TO ME THAT H WAS EITHER THE INNER OR OUTER. DISCUSSED WITH FO AND WE DECIDED IT WAS THE OUTER. STARTED TO TAXI OUT RWY 5 TO H (OUTER) -- THEN SAW THAT WE WOULD CONFLICT WITH ANOTHER ACFT ON OUTER. GND CTLR RECLRED US BACK TO INNER (THE 'REAL H') AND TOLD US THAT THE OUTER WAS V, NOT H. DTW IS CHANGING TXWY NAMES AND HAS A 10-8 PAGE OUT. THIS PAGE IS VERY DIFFICULT TO INTERP. AFTER FURTHER CAREFUL STUDY IT STILL WASN'T CLR THAT THE INNER IS H. THE 10-8 IS BAD IN THAT IT INCORPORATES CHANGES SCHEDULED FOR 2 DIFFERENT TIME FRAMES. THERE SHOULD BE 2 PAGES 10- 8A AND 10-8B. VERY CONFUSING AND POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SIT. IN RETROSPECT, I SHOULD HAVE QUERIED THE TWR PRIOR TO TAXI TO CLR UP ANY DOUBT. DTW DOES NOT CONFORM TO NEW TXWY SIGN STANDARDS. THEY SHOULD. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR ACKNOWLEDGES FLC MADE THE ERROR, NO QUESTION. HOWEVER, HE BELIEVES THERE SHOULD BE A SEPARATE ISSUANCE FOR EACH DATE OF CHANGE, NOT ALL ON 1 SHEET. THE ARPT DIAGRAM COULD THEN BE EXPANDED AND EASIER TO DECIPHER. THIS WAS A NIGHT OP AND LIGHTING IN THE COCKPIT MUST BE SUBDUED ADDING TO THE DIFFICULTY READING THE CHART. AT A PLACE LIKE DTW WHERE THERE HAVE BEEN FATAL TAXI ACCIDENTS, IT SEEMS THERE SHOULD BE NO EFFORT LEFT UNTURNED TO CLARIFY THE ARPT DIAGRAM. RPTR STATES THAT AFTER THE FACT IT WAS NOT MUCH EASIER TO DETERMINE THE RIGHT TAXI FROM THE CHART AND IN THE 'HEAT OF BATTLE AND AT NIGHT, IT IS VERY HARD.'

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.