Narrative:

Came out of spot xx and were told our clearance was no good. On top of our pre departure clearance, it said good for 2 hours but ground said at ZLA it was only good for 90 mins. We were about 1 hour 45 mins late after #1 fuel gauge went inoperative and we had to pump all the fuel out of #1 tank into #2 tank and then back into #1, so we would know how much fuel was in #1 tank, using #2 gauge. Anyway, ground said taxi kilo, hold short of 30. Approaching 30, ground said '25R, 30K (juliet) 27 kilo.' the copilot said say that again. Ground said 30 kilo (juliet?) 27 kilo. I looked for signs and they are covered with cardboard. Some of them have letters on them that were put on with spray paint, but I didn't see any of them. I start down kilo out of 30 kilo and ground says 'stop, you are on the bridge and your aircraft doesn't have wing clearance with the traffic on the road. I have to get a port authority/authorized car to lead you out of there.' the car comes up on my left and stops the road traffic and I proceed on kilo (or 27 kilo or the bridge or whatever it is) to 27 (or 27 kilo) and get back on kilo. Now, I know what ground wanted me to do. He wanted me to taxi on kilo to 30, cross over to juliet to 27 and back to kilo. If he had said that, it may have been avoided. I have been down that taxiway (kilo) in a B727 before without any problem. There was no NOTAM on the flight plan that a B727 doesn't have wing clearance. Also on the taxi chart all it says is a B747-400 may not have adequate wing clearance on 27K. Also, you should go look at the taxi signs in that area. There is no way you can tell where you are. The copilot didn't hear 'juliet' in either transmission from ground. I heard 'juliet' at least once but I thought I would pick up juliet at the east end of 27 kilo. When ground said 30 kilo (juliet) 27 kilo, I thought he meant come out 30 taxiway kilo to juliet to 27 and then back to kilo. The ground controllers aren't helpful at all and they apparently think everybody knows all their local rules.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B727 FLC IS CONFUSED REGARDING THE TAXI CLRNC. SIGNAGE APPARENTLY POOR.

Narrative: CAME OUT OF SPOT XX AND WERE TOLD OUR CLRNC WAS NO GOOD. ON TOP OF OUR PDC, IT SAID GOOD FOR 2 HRS BUT GND SAID AT ZLA IT WAS ONLY GOOD FOR 90 MINS. WE WERE ABOUT 1 HR 45 MINS LATE AFTER #1 FUEL GAUGE WENT INOP AND WE HAD TO PUMP ALL THE FUEL OUT OF #1 TANK INTO #2 TANK AND THEN BACK INTO #1, SO WE WOULD KNOW HOW MUCH FUEL WAS IN #1 TANK, USING #2 GAUGE. ANYWAY, GND SAID TAXI KILO, HOLD SHORT OF 30. APCHING 30, GND SAID '25R, 30K (JULIET) 27 KILO.' THE COPLT SAID SAY THAT AGAIN. GND SAID 30 KILO (JULIET?) 27 KILO. I LOOKED FOR SIGNS AND THEY ARE COVERED WITH CARDBOARD. SOME OF THEM HAVE LETTERS ON THEM THAT WERE PUT ON WITH SPRAY PAINT, BUT I DIDN'T SEE ANY OF THEM. I START DOWN KILO OUT OF 30 KILO AND GND SAYS 'STOP, YOU ARE ON THE BRIDGE AND YOUR ACFT DOESN'T HAVE WING CLRNC WITH THE TFC ON THE ROAD. I HAVE TO GET A PORT AUTH CAR TO LEAD YOU OUT OF THERE.' THE CAR COMES UP ON MY L AND STOPS THE ROAD TFC AND I PROCEED ON KILO (OR 27 KILO OR THE BRIDGE OR WHATEVER IT IS) TO 27 (OR 27 KILO) AND GET BACK ON KILO. NOW, I KNOW WHAT GND WANTED ME TO DO. HE WANTED ME TO TAXI ON KILO TO 30, CROSS OVER TO JULIET TO 27 AND BACK TO KILO. IF HE HAD SAID THAT, IT MAY HAVE BEEN AVOIDED. I HAVE BEEN DOWN THAT TXWY (KILO) IN A B727 BEFORE WITHOUT ANY PROB. THERE WAS NO NOTAM ON THE FLT PLAN THAT A B727 DOESN'T HAVE WING CLRNC. ALSO ON THE TAXI CHART ALL IT SAYS IS A B747-400 MAY NOT HAVE ADEQUATE WING CLRNC ON 27K. ALSO, YOU SHOULD GO LOOK AT THE TAXI SIGNS IN THAT AREA. THERE IS NO WAY YOU CAN TELL WHERE YOU ARE. THE COPLT DIDN'T HEAR 'JULIET' IN EITHER XMISSION FROM GND. I HEARD 'JULIET' AT LEAST ONCE BUT I THOUGHT I WOULD PICK UP JULIET AT THE E END OF 27 KILO. WHEN GND SAID 30 KILO (JULIET) 27 KILO, I THOUGHT HE MEANT COME OUT 30 TXWY KILO TO JULIET TO 27 AND THEN BACK TO KILO. THE GND CTLRS AREN'T HELPFUL AT ALL AND THEY APPARENTLY THINK EVERYBODY KNOWS ALL THEIR LCL RULES.

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.