Narrative:

Since pit was in an easterly flow due to a winter rain storm, the ATIS listed runways 10C and 14 for departures. I expected runway 10C, if for no other reason than I had used it in the past and never used runway 14. The company load control also expected us to use runway 10C and sent us the weight and balance for runway 10C on the ACARS. After pushback and engine start we taxied from the ramp area toward taxiway V6 and contacted ground control. We were cleared to taxi to runway 14 via txwys T, east, and south. I turned right on taxiway T and proceeded south toward taxiway east. I looked left and saw the taxiway east sign on the right side of the deice pad. Since most taxiway signs are on the left side of txwys I assumed this one was also. Adding to the confusion was the fact that in this area taxiway east is the southern portion of the deice pad. I continued south to make the next left turn, thus placing the taxiway east sign on my left as I turned east. Approaching the next intersection, it appeared to look very much like a runway, so I stopped with my nose just short of what was runway 10C white edge stripe. During this phase of the taxi, the first officer had been busy talking to load control getting the weight and balance for runway 14. Just as I approached runway 10C, she also noticed that this did not look right and made a comment to me to that effect. The ground controller, by then noticed that I had missed taxiway east and said something like 'you missed taxiway east, oh I see you're already out on the runway, that's ok, just turn left on runway 10C and continue taxiing to taxiway south.' in fact I had not crossed the white runway edge stripe. I do not recall seeing the standard ICAO lighted white on red runway sign or a orange flashing light that denotes a runway intersection with a taxiway. Nor in the dark and rain did I notice a yellow painted hold line on the taxiway, prior to runway 10C. To say the least this is a confusing area on a taxi routing that is unfamiliar because it's seldom used. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: captain of flight has recently been back into pit and observed that the taxi signs are adequate and properly located. He also observed that there is a yellow flashing light that is easily seen just before crossing runway 10C. He didn't see these signs before as it was dark and raining at the time. He was also convinced that the taxi signs would be on the left side of his aircraft, so he spent most of his time looking out the left window and had the first officer lookout the right side. However, the first officer was busy with head down working the ACARS getting weights for departure. Captain saw none of these signs before as he was always looking out to the left of the aircraft. Captain sees no problem with the adequacy of the runway and taxiway signs.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF B737-400 HAS DIFFICULTY KEEPING TAXI SIGNS IN SIGHT DURING DEP FROM PIT.

Narrative: SINCE PIT WAS IN AN EASTERLY FLOW DUE TO A WINTER RAIN STORM, THE ATIS LISTED RWYS 10C AND 14 FOR DEPS. I EXPECTED RWY 10C, IF FOR NO OTHER REASON THAN I HAD USED IT IN THE PAST AND NEVER USED RWY 14. THE COMPANY LOAD CTL ALSO EXPECTED US TO USE RWY 10C AND SENT US THE WT AND BAL FOR RWY 10C ON THE ACARS. AFTER PUSHBACK AND ENG START WE TAXIED FROM THE RAMP AREA TOWARD TXWY V6 AND CONTACTED GND CTL. WE WERE CLRED TO TAXI TO RWY 14 VIA TXWYS T, E, AND S. I TURNED R ON TXWY T AND PROCEEDED S TOWARD TXWY E. I LOOKED L AND SAW THE TXWY E SIGN ON THE R SIDE OF THE DEICE PAD. SINCE MOST TXWY SIGNS ARE ON THE L SIDE OF TXWYS I ASSUMED THIS ONE WAS ALSO. ADDING TO THE CONFUSION WAS THE FACT THAT IN THIS AREA TXWY E IS THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE DEICE PAD. I CONTINUED S TO MAKE THE NEXT L TURN, THUS PLACING THE TXWY E SIGN ON MY L AS I TURNED E. APCHING THE NEXT INTXN, IT APPEARED TO LOOK VERY MUCH LIKE A RWY, SO I STOPPED WITH MY NOSE JUST SHORT OF WHAT WAS RWY 10C WHITE EDGE STRIPE. DURING THIS PHASE OF THE TAXI, THE FO HAD BEEN BUSY TALKING TO LOAD CTL GETTING THE WT AND BAL FOR RWY 14. JUST AS I APCHED RWY 10C, SHE ALSO NOTICED THAT THIS DID NOT LOOK RIGHT AND MADE A COMMENT TO ME TO THAT EFFECT. THE GND CTLR, BY THEN NOTICED THAT I HAD MISSED TXWY E AND SAID SOMETHING LIKE 'YOU MISSED TXWY E, OH I SEE YOU'RE ALREADY OUT ON THE RWY, THAT'S OK, JUST TURN L ON RWY 10C AND CONTINUE TAXIING TO TXWY S.' IN FACT I HAD NOT CROSSED THE WHITE RWY EDGE STRIPE. I DO NOT RECALL SEEING THE STANDARD ICAO LIGHTED WHITE ON RED RWY SIGN OR A ORANGE FLASHING LIGHT THAT DENOTES A RWY INTXN WITH A TXWY. NOR IN THE DARK AND RAIN DID I NOTICE A YELLOW PAINTED HOLD LINE ON THE TXWY, PRIOR TO RWY 10C. TO SAY THE LEAST THIS IS A CONFUSING AREA ON A TAXI ROUTING THAT IS UNFAMILIAR BECAUSE IT'S SELDOM USED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: CAPT OF FLT HAS RECENTLY BEEN BACK INTO PIT AND OBSERVED THAT THE TAXI SIGNS ARE ADEQUATE AND PROPERLY LOCATED. HE ALSO OBSERVED THAT THERE IS A YELLOW FLASHING LIGHT THAT IS EASILY SEEN JUST BEFORE XING RWY 10C. HE DIDN'T SEE THESE SIGNS BEFORE AS IT WAS DARK AND RAINING AT THE TIME. HE WAS ALSO CONVINCED THAT THE TAXI SIGNS WOULD BE ON THE L SIDE OF HIS ACFT, SO HE SPENT MOST OF HIS TIME LOOKING OUT THE L WINDOW AND HAD THE FO LOOKOUT THE R SIDE. HOWEVER, THE FO WAS BUSY WITH HEAD DOWN WORKING THE ACARS GETTING WTS FOR DEP. CAPT SAW NONE OF THESE SIGNS BEFORE AS HE WAS ALWAYS LOOKING OUT TO THE L OF THE ACFT. CAPT SEES NO PROB WITH THE ADEQUACY OF THE RWY AND TXWY SIGNS.

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.