Narrative:

While taxiing out for departure to runway 8 at tjsj, we taxied via taxiway south and held short of runway 8 at intersection/taxiway Z. After we had bypassed other intxns and were unable to reposition, ground told us that 'Z' was closed. There were no taxiway markings showing closure and no published NOTAMS advising closure. (And ground control never advised us of the closure during taxi out.) it would be extremely helpful when closing a portion of the txwys, even though it might be aired on an ATIS, to publish a NOTAM, place some sort of marker/barricade to show closure and to have ground control remind crews of large aircraft who have trouble repositioning in narrow txwys, of closures (especially if the controller is not busy). Supplemental information from acn 306216: if txwys are to be closed, marking with cones or paint would be helpful. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter flies the B-757 for a major united states air carrier. He seldom flies into sju, and has not been back since this incident. The first officer is responsible for listening to the ATIS, and the reporting captain admits that the information of the taxiway closure was on the ATIS. The first officer did not pass this information to the captain. There was no marking of any sort to show that the taxiway was closed. The reporter believes that the closure was temporary as there were several workers near the runway. The reporter was cleared 'on his own' to use the taxiway. As an aside, the reporter states that a temporary displaced threshold was marked by white fabric panels alongside the runway. The reporter would like to see standard taxiway markings at sju. The taxiway closure was not listed on any NOTAM that was available to the reporter.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CLOSED TXWY.

Narrative: WHILE TAXIING OUT FOR DEP TO RWY 8 AT TJSJ, WE TAXIED VIA TXWY S AND HELD SHORT OF RWY 8 AT INTXN/TXWY Z. AFTER WE HAD BYPASSED OTHER INTXNS AND WERE UNABLE TO REPOSITION, GND TOLD US THAT 'Z' WAS CLOSED. THERE WERE NO TXWY MARKINGS SHOWING CLOSURE AND NO PUBLISHED NOTAMS ADVISING CLOSURE. (AND GND CTL NEVER ADVISED US OF THE CLOSURE DURING TAXI OUT.) IT WOULD BE EXTREMELY HELPFUL WHEN CLOSING A PORTION OF THE TXWYS, EVEN THOUGH IT MIGHT BE AIRED ON AN ATIS, TO PUBLISH A NOTAM, PLACE SOME SORT OF MARKER/BARRICADE TO SHOW CLOSURE AND TO HAVE GND CTL REMIND CREWS OF LARGE ACFT WHO HAVE TROUBLE REPOSITIONING IN NARROW TXWYS, OF CLOSURES (ESPECIALLY IF THE CTLR IS NOT BUSY). SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 306216: IF TXWYS ARE TO BE CLOSED, MARKING WITH CONES OR PAINT WOULD BE HELPFUL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR FLIES THE B-757 FOR A MAJOR UNITED STATES ACR. HE SELDOM FLIES INTO SJU, AND HAS NOT BEEN BACK SINCE THIS INCIDENT. THE FO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR LISTENING TO THE ATIS, AND THE RPTING CAPT ADMITS THAT THE INFO OF THE TXWY CLOSURE WAS ON THE ATIS. THE FO DID NOT PASS THIS INFO TO THE CAPT. THERE WAS NO MARKING OF ANY SORT TO SHOW THAT THE TXWY WAS CLOSED. THE RPTR BELIEVES THAT THE CLOSURE WAS TEMPORARY AS THERE WERE SEVERAL WORKERS NEAR THE RWY. THE RPTR WAS CLRED 'ON HIS OWN' TO USE THE TXWY. AS AN ASIDE, THE RPTR STATES THAT A TEMPORARY DISPLACED THRESHOLD WAS MARKED BY WHITE FABRIC PANELS ALONGSIDE THE RWY. THE RPTR WOULD LIKE TO SEE STANDARD TXWY MARKINGS AT SJU. THE TXWY CLOSURE WAS NOT LISTED ON ANY NOTAM THAT WAS AVAILABLE TO THE RPTR.

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.