Narrative:

This was day 3 of a 3 day (night) trip. All night flying, getting to bed about XA00 PST. First night changed hotel rooms 3 times due to noise. Day 2 not much better for rest or food. Had a new first officer just returned from 3 yr furlough (non flying). The last 2 legs were very short (25 mins each way) phx-tus-phx. Though I was fatigued, I thought the short turn could be safely flown, taxiing out at night our progress was blocked by another air carrier on an intersecting runway. The international ramp was empty so I taxied across it and began to taxi on what I thought was the centerline of the new taxiway. There were blue raised taxi lights on left side of taxiway but none on the right at this point. The first officer misplaced his departure plate, so I was glancing at mine and taxiing at the same time. I was actually on the double yellow stripe (the right hand edge) instead of the single center stripe. The wide and empty international ramp on my right disappeared as we approached the taxi bridge, now blue (flush mounted taxi lights) appeared very close to the aircraft (1:00 O'clock position about 30 ft ahead). For a second I thought they were taxiway centerline markings since they were obviously flush with pavement. I recognized the error prior to taxiing onto the bridge and the blue taxi lights and promptly got back on the true centerline. Fatigue is subtle and can be deadly when combined with poor nutrition. Next time, I won't fly when I am this tired (even a short flight), I will also stay on the taxiway centerline. Better a short delay than an incident. Rest of flight was uneventful but a lesson well learned for this crew.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR MISIDENTIFIES ARPT TXWY MARKINGS AND LIGHTING.

Narrative: THIS WAS DAY 3 OF A 3 DAY (NIGHT) TRIP. ALL NIGHT FLYING, GETTING TO BED ABOUT XA00 PST. FIRST NIGHT CHANGED HOTEL ROOMS 3 TIMES DUE TO NOISE. DAY 2 NOT MUCH BETTER FOR REST OR FOOD. HAD A NEW FO JUST RETURNED FROM 3 YR FURLOUGH (NON FLYING). THE LAST 2 LEGS WERE VERY SHORT (25 MINS EACH WAY) PHX-TUS-PHX. THOUGH I WAS FATIGUED, I THOUGHT THE SHORT TURN COULD BE SAFELY FLOWN, TAXIING OUT AT NIGHT OUR PROGRESS WAS BLOCKED BY ANOTHER ACR ON AN INTERSECTING RWY. THE INTL RAMP WAS EMPTY SO I TAXIED ACROSS IT AND BEGAN TO TAXI ON WHAT I THOUGHT WAS THE CTRLINE OF THE NEW TXWY. THERE WERE BLUE RAISED TAXI LIGHTS ON L SIDE OF TXWY BUT NONE ON THE R AT THIS POINT. THE FO MISPLACED HIS DEP PLATE, SO I WAS GLANCING AT MINE AND TAXIING AT THE SAME TIME. I WAS ACTUALLY ON THE DOUBLE YELLOW STRIPE (THE R HAND EDGE) INSTEAD OF THE SINGLE CTR STRIPE. THE WIDE AND EMPTY INTL RAMP ON MY R DISAPPEARED AS WE APCHED THE TAXI BRIDGE, NOW BLUE (FLUSH MOUNTED TAXI LIGHTS) APPEARED VERY CLOSE TO THE ACFT (1:00 O'CLOCK POS ABOUT 30 FT AHEAD). FOR A SECOND I THOUGHT THEY WERE TXWY CTRLINE MARKINGS SINCE THEY WERE OBVIOUSLY FLUSH WITH PAVEMENT. I RECOGNIZED THE ERROR PRIOR TO TAXIING ONTO THE BRIDGE AND THE BLUE TAXI LIGHTS AND PROMPTLY GOT BACK ON THE TRUE CTRLINE. FATIGUE IS SUBTLE AND CAN BE DEADLY WHEN COMBINED WITH POOR NUTRITION. NEXT TIME, I WON'T FLY WHEN I AM THIS TIRED (EVEN A SHORT FLT), I WILL ALSO STAY ON THE TXWY CTRLINE. BETTER A SHORT DELAY THAN AN INCIDENT. REST OF FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL BUT A LESSON WELL LEARNED FOR THIS CREW.

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.