Flight crew taxis along wrong taxiway.

Attributes
ACN	316774
Time
Date	199509
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : jfk
State Reference	NY
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B767-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 130 flight time total : 16500 flight time type : 1400
ASRS Report	316774
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	incursion : runway non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : became reoriented
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation
Situations
Airport	other physical facility

Narrative:

Cleared by jfk ground control to cross runway 22R at taxiway 'F' to gate on outer. There is a fork at txwys 'F' and 'O' which does not depict the txwys well. We thought the right taxiway was 'O' but it took us across non active runway 31R. We contacted ground and got reclred to the gate without further complication. I suggest better marking of taxi intxns so that indecision would be eliminated. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated he was flying a boeing 767-200. He had landed on runway 22L turned off the high speed at taxiway J and taxied back on taxiway Z to where txwys F, Z and runway 22R intersect. His clearance to cross runway 22R at taxiway F and taxi via the outer resulted in his thinking taxiway Z/a was the outer. He did not realize his error until he was crossing the unlighted runway 31R. The crew did have their airport diagram out in front of them and they did attempt to read the signage, but neither clues kept them from taking the wrong taxiway. The reporter felt that in many airports the signs are vague and unclr. For example, some signs are so located the pilot is not sure which taxiway the sign is referencing.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC TAXIS ALONG WRONG TXWY.

Narrative: CLRED BY JFK GND CTL TO CROSS RWY 22R AT TXWY 'F' TO GATE ON OUTER. THERE IS A FORK AT TXWYS 'F' AND 'O' WHICH DOES NOT DEPICT THE TXWYS WELL. WE THOUGHT THE R TXWY WAS 'O' BUT IT TOOK US ACROSS NON ACTIVE RWY 31R. WE CONTACTED GND AND GOT RECLRED TO THE GATE WITHOUT FURTHER COMPLICATION. I SUGGEST BETTER MARKING OF TAXI INTXNS SO THAT INDECISION WOULD BE ELIMINATED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED HE WAS FLYING A BOEING 767-200. HE HAD LANDED ON RWY 22L TURNED OFF THE HIGH SPD AT TXWY J AND TAXIED BACK ON TXWY Z TO WHERE TXWYS F, Z AND RWY 22R INTERSECT. HIS CLRNC TO CROSS RWY 22R AT TXWY F AND TAXI VIA THE OUTER RESULTED IN HIS THINKING TXWY Z/A WAS THE OUTER. HE DID NOT REALIZE HIS ERROR UNTIL HE WAS XING THE UNLIGHTED RWY 31R. THE CREW DID HAVE THEIR ARPT DIAGRAM OUT IN FRONT OF THEM AND THEY DID ATTEMPT TO READ THE SIGNAGE, BUT NEITHER CLUES KEPT THEM FROM TAKING THE WRONG TXWY. THE RPTR FELT THAT IN MANY ARPTS THE SIGNS ARE VAGUE AND UNCLR. FOR EXAMPLE, SOME SIGNS ARE SO LOCATED THE PLT IS NOT SURE WHICH TXWY THE SIGN IS REFING.

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.