Air carrier B757 flight crew becomes confused when issued return to gate taxi instructions and turns...

Attributes
ACN	417356
Time
Date	199810
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bos
State Reference	MA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757-200
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Route In Use	departure other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain instruction : trainee
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 3600
ASRS Report	417356
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	observation : company check pilot oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	417108
Events
Anomaly	incursion : runway non adherence : clearance non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
Airport	other physical facility

Narrative:

We were holding short of runway 9 on taxiway B at the taxiway B hold point. We experienced a mechanical problem with the aircraft requiring a return to gate. We were cleared to taxi into runway 9. As we taxied to runway 9, we crossed what appeared to be a closed asphalt area. It later proved to be the overrun for runway 9/27. We taxied toward runway 4L, believing it to be runway 9. Tower instructed us to quickly taxi across runway 4L due to an aircraft turning base for runway 4L. We were then cleared onto taxiway V and hold short of runway 9. We returned to the gate, contacted tower and were told that no loss of separation or traffic conflict had occurred. Contributing factors: 1) I was not familiar with boston airport. 2) there were no clear signs or markings to identify runway 9 at intersection B. 3) bos 10-9 chart does not clearly identify this location of airport. Suggestions: 1) install clear markings and signage for this location of airport. 2) improve the bos 10-9 chart. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states he could not clearly identify the association between taxiway B and the runway 9/27 stopway. On taxiway B, it was clrer when approaching the runway 4L/22R stopway. When told traffic was on base leg for runway 4L, signage was clear ahead for taxiing across the runway 4L/22R stopway onto taxiway V. The reporter's thought for improvement is based on the fact the 'most traffic' to bos is itinerant, and the airport should err on extra signage. Maybe painting '9' on that portion effecting the runway 9 stopway and '4L' for the runway 4L stopway would be clrer for those using that area. For inclement times, additional signs to mark the area. Callback conversation with facility specialist revealed the following information: described the area in question as clearly marked. He advised there had been 'very few incidents' this yr in that area. The stopway areas are chevroned and paved. He was aware of only 1 incident involving an air carrier, occurring within the last couple months. The other involved GA traffic.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR B757 FLC BECOMES CONFUSED WHEN ISSUED RETURN TO GATE TAXI INSTRUCTIONS AND TURNS ONTO ANOTHER ACTIVE RWY. TWR GND CTLR RECLRS ACFT VIA ANOTHER RETURN RTE SO AS NOT TO IMPACT TFC TURNING FINAL. FLC BELIEVES TXWY AND RWY SIGNAGE IN THE AREA OF INTERSECTING RWYS IS NOT CLR, CAUSING CONFUSION. CAPT, ON CERTIFICATION CHK RIDE, FIRST TIME ON ARPT.

Narrative: WE WERE HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 9 ON TXWY B AT THE TXWY B HOLD POINT. WE EXPERIENCED A MECHANICAL PROB WITH THE ACFT REQUIRING A RETURN TO GATE. WE WERE CLRED TO TAXI INTO RWY 9. AS WE TAXIED TO RWY 9, WE CROSSED WHAT APPEARED TO BE A CLOSED ASPHALT AREA. IT LATER PROVED TO BE THE OVERRUN FOR RWY 9/27. WE TAXIED TOWARD RWY 4L, BELIEVING IT TO BE RWY 9. TWR INSTRUCTED US TO QUICKLY TAXI ACROSS RWY 4L DUE TO AN ACFT TURNING BASE FOR RWY 4L. WE WERE THEN CLRED ONTO TXWY V AND HOLD SHORT OF RWY 9. WE RETURNED TO THE GATE, CONTACTED TWR AND WERE TOLD THAT NO LOSS OF SEPARATION OR TFC CONFLICT HAD OCCURRED. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 1) I WAS NOT FAMILIAR WITH BOSTON ARPT. 2) THERE WERE NO CLR SIGNS OR MARKINGS TO IDENT RWY 9 AT INTXN B. 3) BOS 10-9 CHART DOES NOT CLRLY IDENT THIS LOCATION OF ARPT. SUGGESTIONS: 1) INSTALL CLR MARKINGS AND SIGNAGE FOR THIS LOCATION OF ARPT. 2) IMPROVE THE BOS 10-9 CHART. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES HE COULD NOT CLRLY IDENT THE ASSOCIATION BTWN TXWY B AND THE RWY 9/27 STOPWAY. ON TXWY B, IT WAS CLRER WHEN APCHING THE RWY 4L/22R STOPWAY. WHEN TOLD TFC WAS ON BASE LEG FOR RWY 4L, SIGNAGE WAS CLR AHEAD FOR TAXIING ACROSS THE RWY 4L/22R STOPWAY ONTO TXWY V. THE RPTR'S THOUGHT FOR IMPROVEMENT IS BASED ON THE FACT THE 'MOST TFC' TO BOS IS ITINERANT, AND THE ARPT SHOULD ERR ON EXTRA SIGNAGE. MAYBE PAINTING '9' ON THAT PORTION EFFECTING THE RWY 9 STOPWAY AND '4L' FOR THE RWY 4L STOPWAY WOULD BE CLRER FOR THOSE USING THAT AREA. FOR INCLEMENT TIMES, ADDITIONAL SIGNS TO MARK THE AREA. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH FACILITY SPECIALIST REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: DESCRIBED THE AREA IN QUESTION AS CLRLY MARKED. HE ADVISED THERE HAD BEEN 'VERY FEW INCIDENTS' THIS YR IN THAT AREA. THE STOPWAY AREAS ARE CHEVRONED AND PAVED. HE WAS AWARE OF ONLY 1 INCIDENT INVOLVING AN ACR, OCCURRING WITHIN THE LAST COUPLE MONTHS. THE OTHER INVOLVED GA TFC.

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.