Narrative:

Air carrier X cleared to 'taxi to runway 4 and cross runway 28 on taxiway B.' the taxiway markings were covered by snow and blowing snow and taxiway B from C to runway 28 was plowed only on the left side of the taxiway. Because of the combination of blowing snow, off center plowing, and covered and obscured taxiway markings, it took extreme caution to taxi. We crossed runway 28 following the 'B' signs and looking for the right turn we had to make. At this time, ground control called us and told us we had to make the next turn at taxiway east and hold short of taxiway a for snow plows. At this time, I checked my airport diagram and saw a small notation 'taxiway east maximum gross weight 65000 pounds.' it then became clear to me that after crossing runway 28 the visibility restrs of blowing snow and the concentration it took to stay in the center of the taxiway had caused us to pass taxiway a where we normally would have turned right. Also, taxiway a was not plowed where it intercepts taxiway B so it did not catch our attention. I can think of several things that would avoid this happening again. The first thing would be to put any taxiway restrs on the airport diagram in bold face large type with some sort of attention getting detail, perhaps arrows or a red color. A second thing would be to add the information to our airline's airport information page in our commercial chart manuals. Also, we should have controllers make sure that they specify every taxiway in the clearance, ie, taxi to runway 4 via taxiway C to cross runway 28 at taxiway B then right turn at taxiway a, rather than taxi to runway 4 cross runway 28 at taxiway B. Also, perhaps there should be a sign on taxiway B at taxiway a to warn pilots of the restr on taxiway east. Supplemental information from acn 297524: on initial call to ground control for taxi, we were told to taxi to runway 4, cross runway 28 at bravo. This we did and continued down bravo to turn right on taxiway east to taxiway a to runway 4. As we taxied south on taxiway B, ground told us to turn right on taxiway east and hold short of taxiway a for snow removal trucks. Once clear of the last truck, we were cleared left on taxiway a to runway 4 approach end. Callback conversation with facility assistant revealed the following information: atm stated the taxiway underlay base is the reason aircraft are restr. This is to prevent breakdown of the taxiway but can be used on a need to basis. He also stated ground controller phraseology would have been taxi to runway 4 via taxiway B and taxiway a, cross runway 28 at taxiway B.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR X NON ADHERENCE TO ATC CLRNC MISSED TXWY AND HAD TO TAXI ON NON LOAD BEARING TXWY.

Narrative: ACR X CLRED TO 'TAXI TO RWY 4 AND CROSS RWY 28 ON TXWY B.' THE TXWY MARKINGS WERE COVERED BY SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW AND TXWY B FROM C TO RWY 28 WAS PLOWED ONLY ON THE L SIDE OF THE TXWY. BECAUSE OF THE COMBINATION OF BLOWING SNOW, OFF CTR PLOWING, AND COVERED AND OBSCURED TXWY MARKINGS, IT TOOK EXTREME CAUTION TO TAXI. WE CROSSED RWY 28 FOLLOWING THE 'B' SIGNS AND LOOKING FOR THE R TURN WE HAD TO MAKE. AT THIS TIME, GND CTL CALLED US AND TOLD US WE HAD TO MAKE THE NEXT TURN AT TXWY E AND HOLD SHORT OF TXWY A FOR SNOW PLOWS. AT THIS TIME, I CHKED MY ARPT DIAGRAM AND SAW A SMALL NOTATION 'TXWY E MAX GROSS WT 65000 LBS.' IT THEN BECAME CLR TO ME THAT AFTER XING RWY 28 THE VISIBILITY RESTRS OF BLOWING SNOW AND THE CONCENTRATION IT TOOK TO STAY IN THE CTR OF THE TXWY HAD CAUSED US TO PASS TXWY A WHERE WE NORMALLY WOULD HAVE TURNED R. ALSO, TXWY A WAS NOT PLOWED WHERE IT INTERCEPTS TXWY B SO IT DID NOT CATCH OUR ATTN. I CAN THINK OF SEVERAL THINGS THAT WOULD AVOID THIS HAPPENING AGAIN. THE FIRST THING WOULD BE TO PUT ANY TXWY RESTRS ON THE ARPT DIAGRAM IN BOLD FACE LARGE TYPE WITH SOME SORT OF ATTN GETTING DETAIL, PERHAPS ARROWS OR A RED COLOR. A SECOND THING WOULD BE TO ADD THE INFO TO OUR AIRLINE'S ARPT INFO PAGE IN OUR COMMERCIAL CHART MANUALS. ALSO, WE SHOULD HAVE CTLRS MAKE SURE THAT THEY SPECIFY EVERY TXWY IN THE CLRNC, IE, TAXI TO RWY 4 VIA TXWY C TO CROSS RWY 28 AT TXWY B THEN R TURN AT TXWY A, RATHER THAN TAXI TO RWY 4 CROSS RWY 28 AT TXWY B. ALSO, PERHAPS THERE SHOULD BE A SIGN ON TXWY B AT TXWY A TO WARN PLTS OF THE RESTR ON TXWY E. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 297524: ON INITIAL CALL TO GND CTL FOR TAXI, WE WERE TOLD TO TAXI TO RWY 4, CROSS RWY 28 AT BRAVO. THIS WE DID AND CONTINUED DOWN BRAVO TO TURN R ON TXWY E TO TXWY A TO RWY 4. AS WE TAXIED S ON TXWY B, GND TOLD US TO TURN R ON TXWY E AND HOLD SHORT OF TXWY A FOR SNOW REMOVAL TRUCKS. ONCE CLR OF THE LAST TRUCK, WE WERE CLRED L ON TXWY A TO RWY 4 APCH END. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH FACILITY ASSISTANT REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: ATM STATED THE TXWY UNDERLAY BASE IS THE REASON ACFT ARE RESTR. THIS IS TO PREVENT BREAKDOWN OF THE TXWY BUT CAN BE USED ON A NEED TO BASIS. HE ALSO STATED GND CTLR PHRASEOLOGY WOULD HAVE BEEN TAXI TO RWY 4 VIA TXWY B AND TXWY A, CROSS RWY 28 AT TXWY B.

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.