Widebody transport aircraft taxiing at foreign airport was issued taxi instructions, but ground controller must have mixed up 'east' with 'west' crossing. Controller intervened when aircraft taxied onto a closed area of the taxiway, stopped aircraft and had it towed from there to the gate.

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Attributes
ACN	405627
Time
Date	199806
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : tpe
State Reference	FO
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 15500 flight time type : 90
ASRS Report	405627
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
Airport	other physical facility

Narrative:

After clearing runway 24 at tpe (rctp) we were instructed by ground control to join 'sp' and then all crew members understood cleared to gate via sp and east cross. Ground control meant to clear us via 'west cross' as a section of 'sp' was closed between 'S4' and 'S5.' after passing S4, we were told to stop and wait for a tug as we were on a closed section of taxiway (see commercial chart 20-9, taipei, taiwan). (Note: we cleared the runway at S3.) the tug arrived and towed us to the gate via 'sp' nebound to the gate. No barricades or lights were observed at S4 to indicate the closure. Small unlit markers were observed as we were towed by S5. They were almost non visible in the darkness. Many taxiway lights and signs are missing/unlit at this airport. Language barrier (controller accent) also may have played a part in this occurrence.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WDB ACFT TAXIING AT FOREIGN ARPT WAS ISSUED TAXI INSTRUCTIONS, BUT GND CTLR MUST HAVE MIXED UP 'E' WITH 'W' XING. CTLR INTERVENED WHEN ACFT TAXIED ONTO A CLOSED AREA OF THE TXWY, STOPPED ACFT AND HAD IT TOWED FROM THERE TO THE GATE.

Narrative: AFTER CLRING RWY 24 AT TPE (RCTP) WE WERE INSTRUCTED BY GND CTL TO JOIN 'SP' AND THEN ALL CREW MEMBERS UNDERSTOOD CLRED TO GATE VIA SP AND EAST CROSS. GND CTL MEANT TO CLR US VIA 'WEST CROSS' AS A SECTION OF 'SP' WAS CLOSED BTWN 'S4' AND 'S5.' AFTER PASSING S4, WE WERE TOLD TO STOP AND WAIT FOR A TUG AS WE WERE ON A CLOSED SECTION OF TXWY (SEE COMMERCIAL CHART 20-9, TAIPEI, TAIWAN). (NOTE: WE CLRED THE RWY AT S3.) THE TUG ARRIVED AND TOWED US TO THE GATE VIA 'SP' NEBOUND TO THE GATE. NO BARRICADES OR LIGHTS WERE OBSERVED AT S4 TO INDICATE THE CLOSURE. SMALL UNLIT MARKERS WERE OBSERVED AS WE WERE TOWED BY S5. THEY WERE ALMOST NON VISIBLE IN THE DARKNESS. MANY TXWY LIGHTS AND SIGNS ARE MISSING/UNLIT AT THIS ARPT. LANGUAGE BARRIER (CTLR ACCENT) ALSO MAY HAVE PLAYED A PART IN THIS OCCURRENCE.

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.