Narrative:

Very busy evening in cleveland. Final was about 25 mi long. Landed runway 23L. Wanted to exit runway quickly. Tower was hurrying everyone off runway. I could not make the main area of the turnoffs. Was slowed way up. Tower said make next left, I thought he meant next immediate left. I made the turn, it was a sharp turn and rather narrow so I had to go to the far end of it to make the turn (made the turn at the last min) (like a truck driver would do making a sharp turn). When the nose came around, all of a sudden I saw a few unlighted, little pylons blocking the taxiway. I stood on the brakes and stopped the plane (MD80). Prior to the pylons, there was no way you could see these pylons until you were turned, especially tough in an aircraft like an MD80, long, where you have to, in a sense, pass the taxiway before you turn, thus, no light on the taxiway until last second. Tower immediately asked if we could back out. I said if the other air carrier plane sitting in front of us could verify it was clear behind us, I would reverse out. Both the other aircraft and tower and a vehicle said it was clear. I knew back end of aircraft was on runway, so I backed out, maybe 10 ft made the turn. Taxied down runway and turned off. Tower thanked me. Airport manager said this had happened several times in the last couple of days. Asked me what was needed to correct situation. Lighting, also tower advisories, if they see you may turn off there. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter was met at the gate by the airport manager who thanked him for his assistance in not blocking the runway at taxiway K. When asked why taxiway K was closed, the airport manager stated that an air carrier flight had gone off the taxiway, into the grass, a couple of weeks before and the pilot's union had managed to have taxiway K declared too narrow for safe turn off operations. It was therefore closed. Reporter further stated that since the incident he noted that the airport manager had placed 'spinners' on top of the cones at taxiway K. He didn't think much of this 'solution.' they still need light reflection in order to be seen. His airline company has been copied in on this event, but there is no response from them as yet. He suggested NOTAMS, ATIS information, yellow lights and advisories as possible 'cures.'

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NIGHT OP. ARR TFC, AN MD80, MAKES AN EXIT ONTO A CLOSED TXWY.

Narrative: VERY BUSY EVENING IN CLEVELAND. FINAL WAS ABOUT 25 MI LONG. LANDED RWY 23L. WANTED TO EXIT RWY QUICKLY. TWR WAS HURRYING EVERYONE OFF RWY. I COULD NOT MAKE THE MAIN AREA OF THE TURNOFFS. WAS SLOWED WAY UP. TWR SAID MAKE NEXT L, I THOUGHT HE MEANT NEXT IMMEDIATE L. I MADE THE TURN, IT WAS A SHARP TURN AND RATHER NARROW SO I HAD TO GO TO THE FAR END OF IT TO MAKE THE TURN (MADE THE TURN AT THE LAST MIN) (LIKE A TRUCK DRIVER WOULD DO MAKING A SHARP TURN). WHEN THE NOSE CAME AROUND, ALL OF A SUDDEN I SAW A FEW UNLIGHTED, LITTLE PYLONS BLOCKING THE TXWY. I STOOD ON THE BRAKES AND STOPPED THE PLANE (MD80). PRIOR TO THE PYLONS, THERE WAS NO WAY YOU COULD SEE THESE PYLONS UNTIL YOU WERE TURNED, ESPECIALLY TOUGH IN AN ACFT LIKE AN MD80, LONG, WHERE YOU HAVE TO, IN A SENSE, PASS THE TXWY BEFORE YOU TURN, THUS, NO LIGHT ON THE TXWY UNTIL LAST SECOND. TWR IMMEDIATELY ASKED IF WE COULD BACK OUT. I SAID IF THE OTHER ACR PLANE SITTING IN FRONT OF US COULD VERIFY IT WAS CLR BEHIND US, I WOULD REVERSE OUT. BOTH THE OTHER ACFT AND TWR AND A VEHICLE SAID IT WAS CLR. I KNEW BACK END OF ACFT WAS ON RWY, SO I BACKED OUT, MAYBE 10 FT MADE THE TURN. TAXIED DOWN RWY AND TURNED OFF. TWR THANKED ME. ARPT MGR SAID THIS HAD HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES IN THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS. ASKED ME WHAT WAS NEEDED TO CORRECT SIT. LIGHTING, ALSO TWR ADVISORIES, IF THEY SEE YOU MAY TURN OFF THERE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR WAS MET AT THE GATE BY THE ARPT MGR WHO THANKED HIM FOR HIS ASSISTANCE IN NOT BLOCKING THE RWY AT TXWY K. WHEN ASKED WHY TXWY K WAS CLOSED, THE ARPT MGR STATED THAT AN ACR FLT HAD GONE OFF THE TXWY, INTO THE GRASS, A COUPLE OF WKS BEFORE AND THE PLT'S UNION HAD MANAGED TO HAVE TXWY K DECLARED TOO NARROW FOR SAFE TURN OFF OPS. IT WAS THEREFORE CLOSED. RPTR FURTHER STATED THAT SINCE THE INCIDENT HE NOTED THAT THE ARPT MGR HAD PLACED 'SPINNERS' ON TOP OF THE CONES AT TXWY K. HE DIDN'T THINK MUCH OF THIS 'SOLUTION.' THEY STILL NEED LIGHT REFLECTION IN ORDER TO BE SEEN. HIS AIRLINE COMPANY HAS BEEN COPIED IN ON THIS EVENT, BUT THERE IS NO RESPONSE FROM THEM AS YET. HE SUGGESTED NOTAMS, ATIS INFO, YELLOW LIGHTS AND ADVISORIES AS POSSIBLE 'CURES.'

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.