Narrative:

On descent into ric I asked captain if he had seen notes on ric chart concerning txwys not stressed for our aircraft. He responded 'yes, and that they are between us and our gate?' after studying further, only 1 taxiway was a possible 'wrong turn' for us between end of runway in use and our gate. So passed performance card forward with ATIS, no further mention on card of construction or taxiway closures. Nothing in NOTAMS on flight plan. After landing and rolling to end of runway 34 we exited the runway and stopped immediately behind a small turboprop. Tower instructed us to stay with him and taxi to gate. The turboprop seemed confused and tower had to prompt him to continue taxi and reissue instructions several times. Approaching ramp area we noticed barriers with flashing lights blocking our taxiway. Tower once again reissued instructions to turboprop and then volunteered to us 'air carrier, follow turboprop into ramp.' we did this and immediately realized we could not get to our gate because of construction barriers and parked aircraft. Tower recognized this and asked if we could make a 180 degree and then via taxiway U. We made the 180 degrees but taxiway U was not depicted on chart. Tower said just head out and you'll see taxiway U, take a right and taxiway east to the ramp. We did this and as we turned off taxiway U (not on chart) there was an immediate right turn into ramp with flashing construction lights outlining it and a straight shot into ramp on taxiway east. Captain asked us about choice and so said, 'tower said taxiway east to ramp,' just as captain taxied forward (too late to make sharp turn). I told captain to stop and he did so. I restudied our chart and, as I suspected, taxiway east in front of us was restr to aircraft below 70000 pounds. We required a pushback of about 10 ft to make right turn into ramp. When we informed tower that we could not proceed onto taxiway east and we couldn't make the turn he seemed unaware that a B727 was over 70000 pounds. In fact, he asked us, after the fact, if we were over 70000 pounds. I studied the taxiway restrs and with darkness, uncharted txwys and some controller help we still managed to 'box' ourselves in requiring a pushback. Embarrassing, at least we did not taxi on taxiway east. Our station personnel told us this is 4TH time this has occurred.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B727 FLC MISUNDERSTOOD TAXI ROUTING TO GATE AND TOOK A WRONG TXWY TOWARDS A NON STRESSED SURFACE AREA. ACFT STOPPED BEFORE ENTERING AREA, BUT HAD TO BE TOWED BACK TO ANOTHER TAXI RTE.

Narrative: ON DSCNT INTO RIC I ASKED CAPT IF HE HAD SEEN NOTES ON RIC CHART CONCERNING TXWYS NOT STRESSED FOR OUR ACFT. HE RESPONDED 'YES, AND THAT THEY ARE BTWN US AND OUR GATE?' AFTER STUDYING FURTHER, ONLY 1 TXWY WAS A POSSIBLE 'WRONG TURN' FOR US BTWN END OF RWY IN USE AND OUR GATE. SO PASSED PERFORMANCE CARD FORWARD WITH ATIS, NO FURTHER MENTION ON CARD OF CONSTRUCTION OR TXWY CLOSURES. NOTHING IN NOTAMS ON FLT PLAN. AFTER LNDG AND ROLLING TO END OF RWY 34 WE EXITED THE RWY AND STOPPED IMMEDIATELY BEHIND A SMALL TURBOPROP. TWR INSTRUCTED US TO STAY WITH HIM AND TAXI TO GATE. THE TURBOPROP SEEMED CONFUSED AND TWR HAD TO PROMPT HIM TO CONTINUE TAXI AND REISSUE INSTRUCTIONS SEVERAL TIMES. APCHING RAMP AREA WE NOTICED BARRIERS WITH FLASHING LIGHTS BLOCKING OUR TXWY. TWR ONCE AGAIN REISSUED INSTRUCTIONS TO TURBOPROP AND THEN VOLUNTEERED TO US 'ACR, FOLLOW TURBOPROP INTO RAMP.' WE DID THIS AND IMMEDIATELY REALIZED WE COULD NOT GET TO OUR GATE BECAUSE OF CONSTRUCTION BARRIERS AND PARKED ACFT. TWR RECOGNIZED THIS AND ASKED IF WE COULD MAKE A 180 DEG AND THEN VIA TXWY U. WE MADE THE 180 DEGS BUT TXWY U WAS NOT DEPICTED ON CHART. TWR SAID JUST HEAD OUT AND YOU'LL SEE TXWY U, TAKE A R AND TXWY E TO THE RAMP. WE DID THIS AND AS WE TURNED OFF TXWY U (NOT ON CHART) THERE WAS AN IMMEDIATE R TURN INTO RAMP WITH FLASHING CONSTRUCTION LIGHTS OUTLINING IT AND A STRAIGHT SHOT INTO RAMP ON TXWY E. CAPT ASKED US ABOUT CHOICE AND SO SAID, 'TWR SAID TXWY E TO RAMP,' JUST AS CAPT TAXIED FORWARD (TOO LATE TO MAKE SHARP TURN). I TOLD CAPT TO STOP AND HE DID SO. I RESTUDIED OUR CHART AND, AS I SUSPECTED, TXWY E IN FRONT OF US WAS RESTR TO ACFT BELOW 70000 LBS. WE REQUIRED A PUSHBACK OF ABOUT 10 FT TO MAKE R TURN INTO RAMP. WHEN WE INFORMED TWR THAT WE COULD NOT PROCEED ONTO TXWY E AND WE COULDN'T MAKE THE TURN HE SEEMED UNAWARE THAT A B727 WAS OVER 70000 LBS. IN FACT, HE ASKED US, AFTER THE FACT, IF WE WERE OVER 70000 LBS. I STUDIED THE TXWY RESTRS AND WITH DARKNESS, UNCHARTED TXWYS AND SOME CTLR HELP WE STILL MANAGED TO 'BOX' OURSELVES IN REQUIRING A PUSHBACK. EMBARRASSING, AT LEAST WE DID NOT TAXI ON TXWY E. OUR STATION PERSONNEL TOLD US THIS IS 4TH TIME THIS HAS OCCURRED.

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.