Narrative:

Air carrier flight xyz on may/lm/98. After landing on slc runway 34L, we exited and called ground control and were cleared to taxi on taxiway east to spot yy and contact ramp control. Proceeding east on taxiway east, there was an MD90 aircraft holding on what I thought was spot zz. As we approached the MD90 the first officer said that was spot yy we just passed. As we taxied past the MD90 and turned into the ramp we were actually at spot xx. In retrospect, I believe the largest contributing factor in the confusion is the nonstandard/very small markings on the taxiway indicating the various entry/exit spots. Also, the fact that we were communicating with our ramp control and not ground control at the time increased the breakdown in communication. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that when given the instructions to taxi to spot yy he taxied by it as he couldn't visually identify it. Other commonly used spots are vv and ww which are also very difficult to identify. Because these spots are commonly used, reporter is hopeful some type of action could take place to make these spots easier to identify.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-300 TAXIES INTO THE RAMP AREA AT SLC LOOKING FOR A DESIGNATED SPOT TO TAXI TO. THE SPOT VISIBILITY IS SO POOR THE FLC TAXIES PAST THE DESIGNATED SPOT.

Narrative: ACR FLT XYZ ON MAY/LM/98. AFTER LNDG ON SLC RWY 34L, WE EXITED AND CALLED GND CTL AND WERE CLRED TO TAXI ON TXWY E TO SPOT YY AND CONTACT RAMP CTL. PROCEEDING E ON TXWY E, THERE WAS AN MD90 ACFT HOLDING ON WHAT I THOUGHT WAS SPOT ZZ. AS WE APCHED THE MD90 THE FO SAID THAT WAS SPOT YY WE JUST PASSED. AS WE TAXIED PAST THE MD90 AND TURNED INTO THE RAMP WE WERE ACTUALLY AT SPOT XX. IN RETROSPECT, I BELIEVE THE LARGEST CONTRIBUTING FACTOR IN THE CONFUSION IS THE NONSTANDARD/VERY SMALL MARKINGS ON THE TXWY INDICATING THE VARIOUS ENTRY/EXIT SPOTS. ALSO, THE FACT THAT WE WERE COMMUNICATING WITH OUR RAMP CTL AND NOT GND CTL AT THE TIME INCREASED THE BREAKDOWN IN COM. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT WHEN GIVEN THE INSTRUCTIONS TO TAXI TO SPOT YY HE TAXIED BY IT AS HE COULDN'T VISUALLY IDENT IT. OTHER COMMONLY USED SPOTS ARE VV AND WW WHICH ARE ALSO VERY DIFFICULT TO IDENT. BECAUSE THESE SPOTS ARE COMMONLY USED, RPTR IS HOPEFUL SOME TYPE OF ACTION COULD TAKE PLACE TO MAKE THESE SPOTS EASIER TO IDENT.

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.