Narrative:

I was the PIC PNF of a flight between dtw-bwi on a night in may/98. Descending into bwi with the current ATIS, we contacted approach control and were given 2 more runway changes, and finally vectored to a visual/ILS to runway 10. While being vectored, approach control asked us if we saw the airport yet, and we finally obtained a visual sighting just prior to intercepting on an 8-10 mi final. At that time, I glanced at my airport diagram (page 10-9 commercial chart) to verify a left turnoff to the ramp area, and we were cleared by tower to land. During rollout, I asked if runway 4 was available as a turnoff. Tower said yes, but expedite off the runway and taxi to the gate. In my haste to get off the runway, I turned left onto taxiway P1, then left onto taxiway P and into the ramp area, as that looked to be the shortest taxi route to our gate. Despite both the first officer and myself having the 10-9 pages out, we both failed to see the note in the upper l- hand corner, directing taxi on taxiway a, south of concourse X. Entering the ramp area and seeing the congestion near gate, I brought the aircraft to a stop and set the brakes. At the same time, 3 other air carrier airline's ground personnel were coming out to move 2 baggage carts for us. They then provided a taxi director and 2 wing walkers to marshall us through the gate area. While we were stopped, the tower controller (who apparently was also working ground control) asked us if we knew we were in a non movement area, and whether we needed assistance. I stated we were ok, that another airline was directing us through the area. We then taxied to our gate. After securing the aircraft, I went down and thanked these ground crew for their assistance. During the taxi into the ramp area, we saw no 'non movement' signs, nor did tower/ground control point out my error until I had come to a complete stop in the area. Contributing factors: 1) cockpit workload approaching airport after 2 runway changes (FMC). 2) unfamiliarity with airport at night. 3) during the low light of night cockpit lighting, failure to see taxi note in upper l-hand corner of airport diagram (page 10-9 commercial chart). 4) lack of any taxi signs stating non movement area as we entered ramp. 5) workload/failure of tower/ground controller to communicate my error as I entered the ramp area. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: this captain was flying a B757-200 into an airport that he had never operated into at night. He had briefed the approach and ground procedure previously, but then the runway assignment changed and the crew did not have time to review the taxi route again. He said that he should have stopped and asked for progressive taxi instructions to their gate, but he could see the gate area and proceeded toward it. He did not see all of the equipment in the area between a building on the corner of the ramp and the end of the pier however with the assistance of another air carrier's ground crew, the flight crew was able to safely get to the gate. The reporter said that an additional problem for the flight crew was that they were tired after a long day. He said that they had been running late and were concerned with the possible impact on the next day's show time. He felt that all of this was cumulative and led to a series of decisions as they were rolling out that placed them in the wrong position on the ramp. He has discussed this with his chief pilot. The chief pilot apparently told him that the building is going to be removed and the area paved over to allow easier access to the gates.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR B757 FLC TURNED OFF THE RWY INTO A NON MOVEMENT AREA OF THE RAMP THAT IS USED BY OTHER ACRS FOR THEIR OPS. ONE OF THESE ACR'S GND CREWS CLRED A PATH AND PROVIDED A MARSHALLER AND WING WALKERS TO ALLOW THE FLC TO SAFELY TAXI TO THEIR GATE.

Narrative: I WAS THE PIC PNF OF A FLT BTWN DTW-BWI ON A NIGHT IN MAY/98. DSNDING INTO BWI WITH THE CURRENT ATIS, WE CONTACTED APCH CTL AND WERE GIVEN 2 MORE RWY CHANGES, AND FINALLY VECTORED TO A VISUAL/ILS TO RWY 10. WHILE BEING VECTORED, APCH CTL ASKED US IF WE SAW THE ARPT YET, AND WE FINALLY OBTAINED A VISUAL SIGHTING JUST PRIOR TO INTERCEPTING ON AN 8-10 MI FINAL. AT THAT TIME, I GLANCED AT MY ARPT DIAGRAM (PAGE 10-9 COMMERCIAL CHART) TO VERIFY A L TURNOFF TO THE RAMP AREA, AND WE WERE CLRED BY TWR TO LAND. DURING ROLLOUT, I ASKED IF RWY 4 WAS AVAILABLE AS A TURNOFF. TWR SAID YES, BUT EXPEDITE OFF THE RWY AND TAXI TO THE GATE. IN MY HASTE TO GET OFF THE RWY, I TURNED L ONTO TXWY P1, THEN L ONTO TXWY P AND INTO THE RAMP AREA, AS THAT LOOKED TO BE THE SHORTEST TAXI RTE TO OUR GATE. DESPITE BOTH THE FO AND MYSELF HAVING THE 10-9 PAGES OUT, WE BOTH FAILED TO SEE THE NOTE IN THE UPPER L- HAND CORNER, DIRECTING TAXI ON TXWY A, S OF CONCOURSE X. ENTERING THE RAMP AREA AND SEEING THE CONGESTION NEAR GATE, I BROUGHT THE ACFT TO A STOP AND SET THE BRAKES. AT THE SAME TIME, 3 OTHER ACR AIRLINE'S GND PERSONNEL WERE COMING OUT TO MOVE 2 BAGGAGE CARTS FOR US. THEY THEN PROVIDED A TAXI DIRECTOR AND 2 WING WALKERS TO MARSHALL US THROUGH THE GATE AREA. WHILE WE WERE STOPPED, THE TWR CTLR (WHO APPARENTLY WAS ALSO WORKING GND CTL) ASKED US IF WE KNEW WE WERE IN A NON MOVEMENT AREA, AND WHETHER WE NEEDED ASSISTANCE. I STATED WE WERE OK, THAT ANOTHER AIRLINE WAS DIRECTING US THROUGH THE AREA. WE THEN TAXIED TO OUR GATE. AFTER SECURING THE ACFT, I WENT DOWN AND THANKED THESE GND CREW FOR THEIR ASSISTANCE. DURING THE TAXI INTO THE RAMP AREA, WE SAW NO 'NON MOVEMENT' SIGNS, NOR DID TWR/GND CTL POINT OUT MY ERROR UNTIL I HAD COME TO A COMPLETE STOP IN THE AREA. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 1) COCKPIT WORKLOAD APCHING ARPT AFTER 2 RWY CHANGES (FMC). 2) UNFAMILIARITY WITH ARPT AT NIGHT. 3) DURING THE LOW LIGHT OF NIGHT COCKPIT LIGHTING, FAILURE TO SEE TAXI NOTE IN UPPER L-HAND CORNER OF ARPT DIAGRAM (PAGE 10-9 COMMERCIAL CHART). 4) LACK OF ANY TAXI SIGNS STATING NON MOVEMENT AREA AS WE ENTERED RAMP. 5) WORKLOAD/FAILURE OF TWR/GND CTLR TO COMMUNICATE MY ERROR AS I ENTERED THE RAMP AREA. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THIS CAPT WAS FLYING A B757-200 INTO AN ARPT THAT HE HAD NEVER OPERATED INTO AT NIGHT. HE HAD BRIEFED THE APCH AND GND PROC PREVIOUSLY, BUT THEN THE RWY ASSIGNMENT CHANGED AND THE CREW DID NOT HAVE TIME TO REVIEW THE TAXI RTE AGAIN. HE SAID THAT HE SHOULD HAVE STOPPED AND ASKED FOR PROGRESSIVE TAXI INSTRUCTIONS TO THEIR GATE, BUT HE COULD SEE THE GATE AREA AND PROCEEDED TOWARD IT. HE DID NOT SEE ALL OF THE EQUIP IN THE AREA BTWN A BUILDING ON THE CORNER OF THE RAMP AND THE END OF THE PIER HOWEVER WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF ANOTHER ACR'S GND CREW, THE FLC WAS ABLE TO SAFELY GET TO THE GATE. THE RPTR SAID THAT AN ADDITIONAL PROB FOR THE FLC WAS THAT THEY WERE TIRED AFTER A LONG DAY. HE SAID THAT THEY HAD BEEN RUNNING LATE AND WERE CONCERNED WITH THE POSSIBLE IMPACT ON THE NEXT DAY'S SHOW TIME. HE FELT THAT ALL OF THIS WAS CUMULATIVE AND LED TO A SERIES OF DECISIONS AS THEY WERE ROLLING OUT THAT PLACED THEM IN THE WRONG POS ON THE RAMP. HE HAS DISCUSSED THIS WITH HIS CHIEF PLT. THE CHIEF PLT APPARENTLY TOLD HIM THAT THE BUILDING IS GOING TO BE REMOVED AND THE AREA PAVED OVER TO ALLOW EASIER ACCESS TO THE GATES.

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.