Narrative:

First officer flying, made normal night visual approach and landing at fll runway 27R. First officer landed slightly long, and captain took control of aircraft at about 80 KTS. While slowing, tower informed flight to make a left turn to clear runway. Pilot knew he passed taxiway D and was attempting to turn on taxiway east (he thought) but actually started to turn on runway 31 which was being used to land light aircraft. This intersection is poorly marked and the abundance of lights make the txwys hard to distinguish. As the airplane turned slightly left, the tower radioed 'don't go on the runway.' this was a confusing call since we were already on the runway (27R) but we realized that we were also on runway 31 intersection. We continued to go straight and exit on taxiway east. Because we were slowed and almost stopped at the intersection on runway 31/27R, the tower issued a go around to a light airplane approaching runway 31. There was no conflict because the light aircraft was still far from the runway, and we exited the intersection quickly. I do not believe the tower was concerned about a runway blockage, but was following standard procedure. We at no time ever went down runway 31. We just slightly turned and then went straight ahead through the intersection onto taxiway east. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter flies the B-737- 300. The white runway lights were very bright masking the blue taxiway lights for the turnoff. The aircraft did not turn onto the wrong runway nor did it stop in the intersection, but it had slowed considerably looking for the taxiway. The reporter believes that the markings are standard, they were just obscured by the bright lights. The reporter does not care much for multiple taxiway operations with crossing runways.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR MLG WAS SLOW TO CLR A RWY INTXN.

Narrative: FO FLYING, MADE NORMAL NIGHT VISUAL APCH AND LNDG AT FLL RWY 27R. FO LANDED SLIGHTLY LONG, AND CAPT TOOK CTL OF ACFT AT ABOUT 80 KTS. WHILE SLOWING, TWR INFORMED FLT TO MAKE A L TURN TO CLR RWY. PLT KNEW HE PASSED TXWY D AND WAS ATTEMPTING TO TURN ON TXWY E (HE THOUGHT) BUT ACTUALLY STARTED TO TURN ON RWY 31 WHICH WAS BEING USED TO LAND LIGHT ACFT. THIS INTXN IS POORLY MARKED AND THE ABUNDANCE OF LIGHTS MAKE THE TXWYS HARD TO DISTINGUISH. AS THE AIRPLANE TURNED SLIGHTLY L, THE TWR RADIOED 'DON'T GO ON THE RWY.' THIS WAS A CONFUSING CALL SINCE WE WERE ALREADY ON THE RWY (27R) BUT WE REALIZED THAT WE WERE ALSO ON RWY 31 INTXN. WE CONTINUED TO GO STRAIGHT AND EXIT ON TXWY E. BECAUSE WE WERE SLOWED AND ALMOST STOPPED AT THE INTXN ON RWY 31/27R, THE TWR ISSUED A GAR TO A LIGHT AIRPLANE APCHING RWY 31. THERE WAS NO CONFLICT BECAUSE THE LIGHT ACFT WAS STILL FAR FROM THE RWY, AND WE EXITED THE INTXN QUICKLY. I DO NOT BELIEVE THE TWR WAS CONCERNED ABOUT A RWY BLOCKAGE, BUT WAS FOLLOWING STANDARD PROC. WE AT NO TIME EVER WENT DOWN RWY 31. WE JUST SLIGHTLY TURNED AND THEN WENT STRAIGHT AHEAD THROUGH THE INTXN ONTO TXWY E. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR FLIES THE B-737- 300. THE WHITE RWY LIGHTS WERE VERY BRIGHT MASKING THE BLUE TXWY LIGHTS FOR THE TURNOFF. THE ACFT DID NOT TURN ONTO THE WRONG RWY NOR DID IT STOP IN THE INTXN, BUT IT HAD SLOWED CONSIDERABLY LOOKING FOR THE TXWY. THE RPTR BELIEVES THAT THE MARKINGS ARE STANDARD, THEY WERE JUST OBSCURED BY THE BRIGHT LIGHTS. THE RPTR DOES NOT CARE MUCH FOR MULTIPLE TXWY OPS WITH XING RWYS.

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.