MD80 turns onto wrong taxiway at sfo.

Attributes
ACN	428210
Time
Date	199902
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sfo
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	428210
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
Airport	other physical facility

Narrative:

Confusion over taxiway markings resulted in turning from taxiway B onto taxiway J instead of onto taxiway east (northbound on taxiway B). Is there a way to make the taxiway signs more distinct so that others don't make the same mistake at this intersection? Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter said that the taxiway confusion occurred at sfo. The captain said that they were northbound on taxiway B going to runway 19 via taxiway east. Approaching taxiway east, they became confused and turned onto taxiway J. The 2 txwys are close together on taxiway B, and it is difficult to determine which way to go. The reporter does not recall seeing any signs directing him to taxiway east. Analyst contacted sfo tower personnel who report that no signage exists at this point to direct pilots to taxiway east or J. The tower personnel plans to brief airport management about the problem.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 TURNS ONTO WRONG TXWY AT SFO.

Narrative: CONFUSION OVER TXWY MARKINGS RESULTED IN TURNING FROM TXWY B ONTO TXWY J INSTEAD OF ONTO TXWY E (NBOUND ON TXWY B). IS THERE A WAY TO MAKE THE TXWY SIGNS MORE DISTINCT SO THAT OTHERS DON'T MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE AT THIS INTXN? CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR SAID THAT THE TXWY CONFUSION OCCURRED AT SFO. THE CAPT SAID THAT THEY WERE NBOUND ON TXWY B GOING TO RWY 19 VIA TXWY E. APCHING TXWY E, THEY BECAME CONFUSED AND TURNED ONTO TXWY J. THE 2 TXWYS ARE CLOSE TOGETHER ON TXWY B, AND IT IS DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE WHICH WAY TO GO. THE RPTR DOES NOT RECALL SEEING ANY SIGNS DIRECTING HIM TO TXWY E. ANALYST CONTACTED SFO TWR PERSONNEL WHO RPT THAT NO SIGNAGE EXISTS AT THIS POINT TO DIRECT PLTS TO TXWY E OR J. THE TWR PERSONNEL PLANS TO BRIEF ARPT MGMNT ABOUT THE PROB.

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.