Taxiway excursion. Airport design problem.

Attributes
ACN	320782
Time
Date	199511
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ord
State Reference	IL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
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 : 100 flight time total : 9000 flight time type : 500
ASRS Report	320782
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation
Situations
Airport	other physical facility

Narrative:

During taxi to runway 32R at ord, I was taxiing clockwise on taxiway B. Due to darkness and steady moderate rain it was difficult to see. There was also a great deal of glare. At the intersection of taxiway B and A18, taxiway B jogs slightly right then continues northbound. I was taxiing very slowly. As I passed taxiway A18 I did not jog far enough right, and was in the area described above. I had room to maneuver back out to the taxiway. (I elected to go to taxiway a because that made my exit a left turn and I could insure that I would not hit any taxi lights.) the area I taxied into was paved, and as it turned out, there was not a problem. If an aircraft had been taxiing the other way on taxiway a, wingtip clearance may have been jeopardized. Also it would be very possible to run over some taxi lights. I would like to point out that I am very familiar with ord, and still had difficulty following taxiway B at this point. I feel it needs to be better marked and/or lit to identify the jog to the right, and the paved island itself. Approximately 1 month ago, I overheard 2 pilots talking about doing the exact same thing, so I know it has happened at least 3 times.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TXWY EXCURSION. ARPT DESIGN PROB.

Narrative: DURING TAXI TO RWY 32R AT ORD, I WAS TAXIING CLOCKWISE ON TXWY B. DUE TO DARKNESS AND STEADY MODERATE RAIN IT WAS DIFFICULT TO SEE. THERE WAS ALSO A GREAT DEAL OF GLARE. AT THE INTXN OF TXWY B AND A18, TXWY B JOGS SLIGHTLY R THEN CONTINUES NBOUND. I WAS TAXIING VERY SLOWLY. AS I PASSED TXWY A18 I DID NOT JOG FAR ENOUGH R, AND WAS IN THE AREA DESCRIBED ABOVE. I HAD ROOM TO MANEUVER BACK OUT TO THE TXWY. (I ELECTED TO GO TO TXWY A BECAUSE THAT MADE MY EXIT A L TURN AND I COULD INSURE THAT I WOULD NOT HIT ANY TAXI LIGHTS.) THE AREA I TAXIED INTO WAS PAVED, AND AS IT TURNED OUT, THERE WAS NOT A PROB. IF AN ACFT HAD BEEN TAXIING THE OTHER WAY ON TXWY A, WINGTIP CLRNC MAY HAVE BEEN JEOPARDIZED. ALSO IT WOULD BE VERY POSSIBLE TO RUN OVER SOME TAXI LIGHTS. I WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT I AM VERY FAMILIAR WITH ORD, AND STILL HAD DIFFICULTY FOLLOWING TXWY B AT THIS POINT. I FEEL IT NEEDS TO BE BETTER MARKED AND/OR LIT TO IDENT THE JOG TO THE R, AND THE PAVED ISLAND ITSELF. APPROX 1 MONTH AGO, I OVERHEARD 2 PLTS TALKING ABOUT DOING THE EXACT SAME THING, SO I KNOW IT HAS HAPPENED AT LEAST 3 TIMES.

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.