Narrative:

After clearing runway 24, I taxied left off the runway down the parallel taxiway. I turned right down a taxiway (aligned by blue lights) and taxied into the ramp area. On one side of the taxiway there were red lights (which I thought meant not to taxi beyond that point. On the airport plate, it showed the taxiway open). After shutdown, I was told by the ground people that that was not a taxiway (or it used to be, and was closed down). In my opinion, it should be listed on the chart as closed to aircraft (or whatever), or notamed closed. Even though I realize common sense says a red light means 'don't go there,' I wasn't sure at what point I shouldn't go there, and when I had passed it, it was too late! ATC didn't say anything, might not have seen it. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter flies the dc-9-30 for a freight air carrier. He has never been into abe by daylight, and his first officer had never been into abe at any time. The reporter has no idea why the red lights are there. He inspected the ramp and found that there were no ruts caused by his aircraft. He did not call the tower to ask about the lights as he did not want to call attention to himself. He will get his air carrier to find out about these lights and their meaning. The reporter is now aware of the FAA aviation safety hotline. The area in question is just northeast of the tower, between the tower and some hangars. A representative of the abe airport manager's office was contacted. He stated that red lights are now used to show the edge of a ramp area. Blue lights are used only for 'formal txwys.' he states that he has been trying to get the commercial approach plate company to update the abe airport page as it is woefully out of date. He believes that the reporter may have been disoriented if he was referring to this page. Red lights are still used for obstruction lighting. The airport manager states that past the red lights is native grass, there is no pavement. If an aircraft goes past the red light, it will sink in and make ruts. An FAA airport standards inspector reviewed abe's procedures and forced the change from blue to red lights almost 2 yrs ago.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RED RAMP EDGE LIGHTING CAUSED CONFUSION TO A RPTR AT ABE.

Narrative: AFTER CLRING RWY 24, I TAXIED L OFF THE RWY DOWN THE PARALLEL TXWY. I TURNED R DOWN A TXWY (ALIGNED BY BLUE LIGHTS) AND TAXIED INTO THE RAMP AREA. ON ONE SIDE OF THE TXWY THERE WERE RED LIGHTS (WHICH I THOUGHT MEANT NOT TO TAXI BEYOND THAT POINT. ON THE ARPT PLATE, IT SHOWED THE TXWY OPEN). AFTER SHUTDOWN, I WAS TOLD BY THE GND PEOPLE THAT THAT WAS NOT A TXWY (OR IT USED TO BE, AND WAS CLOSED DOWN). IN MY OPINION, IT SHOULD BE LISTED ON THE CHART AS CLOSED TO ACFT (OR WHATEVER), OR NOTAMED CLOSED. EVEN THOUGH I REALIZE COMMON SENSE SAYS A RED LIGHT MEANS 'DON'T GO THERE,' I WASN'T SURE AT WHAT POINT I SHOULDN'T GO THERE, AND WHEN I HAD PASSED IT, IT WAS TOO LATE! ATC DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING, MIGHT NOT HAVE SEEN IT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR FLIES THE DC-9-30 FOR A FREIGHT ACR. HE HAS NEVER BEEN INTO ABE BY DAYLIGHT, AND HIS FO HAD NEVER BEEN INTO ABE AT ANY TIME. THE RPTR HAS NO IDEA WHY THE RED LIGHTS ARE THERE. HE INSPECTED THE RAMP AND FOUND THAT THERE WERE NO RUTS CAUSED BY HIS ACFT. HE DID NOT CALL THE TWR TO ASK ABOUT THE LIGHTS AS HE DID NOT WANT TO CALL ATTN TO HIMSELF. HE WILL GET HIS ACR TO FIND OUT ABOUT THESE LIGHTS AND THEIR MEANING. THE RPTR IS NOW AWARE OF THE FAA AVIATION SAFETY HOTLINE. THE AREA IN QUESTION IS JUST NE OF THE TWR, BTWN THE TWR AND SOME HANGARS. A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE ABE ARPT MGR'S OFFICE WAS CONTACTED. HE STATED THAT RED LIGHTS ARE NOW USED TO SHOW THE EDGE OF A RAMP AREA. BLUE LIGHTS ARE USED ONLY FOR 'FORMAL TXWYS.' HE STATES THAT HE HAS BEEN TRYING TO GET THE COMMERCIAL APCH PLATE COMPANY TO UPDATE THE ABE ARPT PAGE AS IT IS WOEFULLY OUT OF DATE. HE BELIEVES THAT THE RPTR MAY HAVE BEEN DISORIENTED IF HE WAS REFERRING TO THIS PAGE. RED LIGHTS ARE STILL USED FOR OBSTRUCTION LIGHTING. THE ARPT MGR STATES THAT PAST THE RED LIGHTS IS NATIVE GRASS, THERE IS NO PAVEMENT. IF AN ACFT GOES PAST THE RED LIGHT, IT WILL SINK IN AND MAKE RUTS. AN FAA ARPT STANDARDS INSPECTOR REVIEWED ABE'S PROCS AND FORCED THE CHANGE FROM BLUE TO RED LIGHTS ALMOST 2 YRS AGO.

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.