Narrative:

It is deceptive taxiing out at night in standing rain from dca gate xx onto the new restructured ramp. Taxi clearance was taxiway jc runway 36 hold short of runway 3. The new commercial chart page displays a white hashed infield area that does not really exist, but rather it is a painted area of the same flat surface. 3 things simultaneously distraction us: 1) I was making a wider than normal cross cockpit turn around a B727 pushed into the ramp. 2) other aircraft bright landing lights were reflecting on top of the standing rain and obscuring ramp markings, and 3) an abnormal call from the aft flight attendant reporting noise and fumes just as we were shutting down the APU. Suddenly on the left front of the aircraft I could see runway lines. I immediately stopped the aircraft short of runway 36 at taxiway M. Repeat -- I stopped short of the active runway 36 as I could still see the runway edge line illuminated by my nose taxi light. Dca was calling first to ask if we knew where we were and if we had room to turn back into taxiway J, then clearing us onto the runway to back taxi and right off taxiway G to resume taxi to departure. Especially at night, rain, snow, etc obscuring these flat ramp areas are visually deceptive.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80S ACFT TAXIING FROM NEW TERMINAL RAMP AT NIGHT AND RAIN HAD DIFFICULTY SEEING TXWY RWY MARKINGS AND DISTRS WHICH RESULTED IN ALMOST TAXIING ONTO ACTIVE RWY.

Narrative: IT IS DECEPTIVE TAXIING OUT AT NIGHT IN STANDING RAIN FROM DCA GATE XX ONTO THE NEW RESTRUCTURED RAMP. TAXI CLRNC WAS TXWY JC RWY 36 HOLD SHORT OF RWY 3. THE NEW COMMERCIAL CHART PAGE DISPLAYS A WHITE HASHED INFIELD AREA THAT DOES NOT REALLY EXIST, BUT RATHER IT IS A PAINTED AREA OF THE SAME FLAT SURFACE. 3 THINGS SIMULTANEOUSLY DISTR US: 1) I WAS MAKING A WIDER THAN NORMAL CROSS COCKPIT TURN AROUND A B727 PUSHED INTO THE RAMP. 2) OTHER ACFT BRIGHT LNDG LIGHTS WERE REFLECTING ON TOP OF THE STANDING RAIN AND OBSCURING RAMP MARKINGS, AND 3) AN ABNORMAL CALL FROM THE AFT FLT ATTENDANT RPTING NOISE AND FUMES JUST AS WE WERE SHUTTING DOWN THE APU. SUDDENLY ON THE L FRONT OF THE ACFT I COULD SEE RWY LINES. I IMMEDIATELY STOPPED THE ACFT SHORT OF RWY 36 AT TXWY M. REPEAT -- I STOPPED SHORT OF THE ACTIVE RWY 36 AS I COULD STILL SEE THE RWY EDGE LINE ILLUMINATED BY MY NOSE TAXI LIGHT. DCA WAS CALLING FIRST TO ASK IF WE KNEW WHERE WE WERE AND IF WE HAD ROOM TO TURN BACK INTO TXWY J, THEN CLRING US ONTO THE RWY TO BACK TAXI AND RIGHT OFF TXWY G TO RESUME TAXI TO DEP. ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT, RAIN, SNOW, ETC OBSCURING THESE FLAT RAMP AREAS ARE VISUALLY DECEPTIVE.

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.