Widebody transport flight crew almost turns onto closed runway when centerline lights sighted.

Attributes
ACN	289562
Time
Date	199411
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lax
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : mdt
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-10 Undifferentiated or Other Model
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 : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	289562
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : exited adverse environment
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Airport
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
Airport	other physical facility procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

Landing lax runway 7L just before dawn. Below 60 KTS and looking for an exit -- there in front of me is a row of green centerline lights curving off to the left. Just in time I also saw that the taxiway area -- a combination of txwys 30 and 32 was marked with temporary red lights on short stantions. I avoided exiting there, but not by much. Suggest the centerline lights be deactivated on closed high speed exits. The implications are obvious. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states there was no mention of closed taxiway on ATIS he does not recall if a NOTAM was issued. When he turned, his lights showed surface conduit zig-zagged across the taxiway with the red lights attached. Had he taxied across the conduit he could well have had damage to the aircraft and possibly even a fuel tank rupture. This was the day after a holiday and he knew his report would not be reviewed over the next 3 days. He contacted tower, company safety representative to warn of the problem and potential danger. These people contacted the city as suggested by ATC. This was to be a short term closure but still the centerline lights should have been turned off.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WDB FLC ALMOST TURNS ONTO CLOSED RWY WHEN CTRLINE LIGHTS SIGHTED.

Narrative: LNDG LAX RWY 7L JUST BEFORE DAWN. BELOW 60 KTS AND LOOKING FOR AN EXIT -- THERE IN FRONT OF ME IS A ROW OF GREEN CTRLINE LIGHTS CURVING OFF TO THE L. JUST IN TIME I ALSO SAW THAT THE TXWY AREA -- A COMBINATION OF TXWYS 30 AND 32 WAS MARKED WITH TEMPORARY RED LIGHTS ON SHORT STANTIONS. I AVOIDED EXITING THERE, BUT NOT BY MUCH. SUGGEST THE CTRLINE LIGHTS BE DEACTIVATED ON CLOSED HIGH SPD EXITS. THE IMPLICATIONS ARE OBVIOUS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THERE WAS NO MENTION OF CLOSED TXWY ON ATIS HE DOES NOT RECALL IF A NOTAM WAS ISSUED. WHEN HE TURNED, HIS LIGHTS SHOWED SURFACE CONDUIT ZIG-ZAGGED ACROSS THE TXWY WITH THE RED LIGHTS ATTACHED. HAD HE TAXIED ACROSS THE CONDUIT HE COULD WELL HAVE HAD DAMAGE TO THE ACFT AND POSSIBLY EVEN A FUEL TANK RUPTURE. THIS WAS THE DAY AFTER A HOLIDAY AND HE KNEW HIS RPT WOULD NOT BE REVIEWED OVER THE NEXT 3 DAYS. HE CONTACTED TWR, COMPANY SAFETY REPRESENTATIVE TO WARN OF THE PROB AND POTENTIAL DANGER. THESE PEOPLE CONTACTED THE CITY AS SUGGESTED BY ATC. THIS WAS TO BE A SHORT TERM CLOSURE BUT STILL THE CTRLINE LIGHTS SHOULD HAVE BEEN TURNED OFF.

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.